Gabby Boden

Women's Soccer Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Game Preview: Golden Knights Continue PSAC West Action on Wednesday Night at Clarion

GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (2-2-1, 2-1-0 PSAC West) at CLARION GOLDEN EAGLES (1-4-1, 1-3-0 PSAC West)
DATE/TIME: Wednesday, September 20, 2023 | 7:00 p.m.
STADIUM/LOCATION: Memorial Stadium l Clarion, Pa.
LIVE STATS
LIVE VIDEO
 
 
THE GANNON-CLARION SERIES
Gannon leads 21-3-2
Gannon swept the season series in 2022 with 2-0 and 2-1 wins. The Golden Knights have won the last 14 meetings with Clarion dating back to 2013 and are 14-0-2 since Clarion's last win in the series in 2010. It should be noted that most of the matches have been very close, with nine decided by a goal or less.

Last Meeting: Oct. 8, 2022 – Gannon 2, at Clarion 1 | RECAP
Gannon swept the season series with Clarion after an earlier 2-0 win at home thanks to a Sarah Fails (Girard, Pa./Villa Maria) goal in the 52nd minute. The Golden Knights took an early 1-0 lead on Gabby Boden's (Butler, Pa./Butler) goal but Clarion scored three minutes later. Gannon held a wide 26-8 edge in shots.
 
ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon women's soccer team saw its two-game winning streak snapped on Saturday with a 4-2 loss to crosstown rival Mercyhurst. The preseason favorite in the PSAC West, the Golden Knights are now 2-2-1 overall and 2-1-0 in divisional play heading into Wednesday night's match at Clarion (1-4-1, 1-3-0 PSAC West). The contest gets underway at 7:00 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.

Following Wednesday's match at Clarion, Gannon returns home for three straight matches at McConnell Family Stadium. The setback to Mercyhurst was a rarity, ending a string of five straight matches against the Lakers without a loss.

Now comes another opponent that Gannon has enjoyed great success against of late. The Golden Knights have 14 wins and a pair of ties in the last 16 meetings with the Golden Eagles.

Head coach Colin Petersen welcomed back a veteran squad featuring three All-PSAC West performers, but it has been a host of talented freshmen that have energized his Golden Knights. They won their second straight game recently with a 6-0 win at Pitt-Johnstown that featured five of the goals from freshmen.

The Golden Knights opened conference action with a 3-1 win over Edinboro after a tie and a loss in the season-opening Gannon Invitational. The Golden Knights faced two of the top teams out of the Mountain East Conference to start the season. The season got underway with a 2-2 tie against MEC Southern Division preseason favorite Concord, followed by a 4-1 loss to Charleston (WV).

Last Time Out
In a physical match Gannon did battle with archrival Mercyhurst at McConnell Family Stadium on Saturday, September 16. The Lakers' Karah Van Horne scored the first of her three straight goals in the 11th minute and Mercyhurst led 2-0 at the half. Two more Mercyhurst goals in the first 12 minutes of the second half gave the Lakers a 4-0 advantage. That's when the Gannon attack came alive with Logan Nicklas (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton) scoring in the 71st and 81st minutes for the 4-2 final. The Golden Knights led in shots 24-9 and found the back of the net twice against a Mercyhurst defense that had allowed just two goals all year.  

Head Coach: Colin Petersen was inducted into the Gannon Athletics Hall of Fame as a player in 2017 after an outstanding four-year career in the mid-1990s. As a head coach, he has achieved even more, compiling 190 wins in 22 seasons while becoming the women's soccer program's all-time winningest coach by a wide margin. The Golden Knights have had a winning record in 14 of the past 15 seasons and have piled up a 27-8-7 record in the past two years heading into 2023.

Three All-PSAC West Players Return
Gannon returned three All-PSAC West performers from a year ago. Bruising defender Leah Bermudez (Milton, Ontario/Jean Vanier Catholic) led the way as a graduate student, but she missed the first four matches of the season due to an injury. Bermudez is a two-time all-conference honoree after earning first team accolades last year. She scored four goals last season. Midfielders Ella Fadale (Brockport, N.Y./Brockport) and Gabby Boden (Butler, Pa./Butler) also earned All-PSAC West honors, with Fadale named to the first team and also voted the PSAC West Freshman of the Year, while Boden was a second team pick. Fadale finished with eight goals and a pair of assists for 18 points and Boden also garnered 18 points on four goals and a team-high 10 assists.

Freshmen Account for Eight of GU's 14 Goals
To say that first-year performers have provided a boost to the attack would be an understatement. With leading scorer, All-American and PSAC West Athlete of the Year Sarah Fails (Girard, Pa./Villa Maria) departing, head coach Colin Petersen knew his freshmen class would have to step up early. They have in a big way. Brooklyn Respecki (McKean, Pa./General McLane) leads the team with three goals and two assists. Last year's PSAC West Freshman of the Year, Ella Fadale (Brockport, N.Y./Brockport), has scored three goals. Victoria Wheeler (Bordentown, N.J./Bordentown Regional) has two goals and Hannah Shepard (Erie, Pa./Mcdowell) a goal and an assist, while fellow first-year players Amelya Bretz (Erie, Pa./Harbor Creek) and Grace Emanuel (Erie, Pa./McDowell) have a goal apiece. Emanuel has played in just three matches due to an injury.

Nicklas Doubles Her Pleasure Against Mercyhurst
With Mercyhurst gets physical against Gannon's young front line, Logan Nicklas (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton) stepped up with a pair of impressive goals against the Lakers in the second half on Saturday. The senior forward had scored two goals in her previous 50 career matches before finding the back of the net in the 71st and 81st minutes for her first goals of the season. She also has seven career assists.

Scouting Clarion
Clarion was picked to finish ninth in the PSAC West coaches preseason poll and comes in with a 1-4-1 overall record, including 1-3-0 in division play. The Golden Eagles also last played on Saturday, dropping a 1-0 decision to California (Pa.). Clarion looks to snap a three-game losing streak and has been outscored 12-0 during that period. The Golden Eagles posted their lone win of the season on September 6 with a 3-2 triumph over Indiana (Pa.) and also own a 0-0 tie with Ursuline in the season opener. Evelyn Cook has accounted for two of Clarion's four goals on the season, with Kylee Cross and Sam Felder adding one apiece.

Next for the Golden Knights
Gannon returns home for the start of a three-game homestand on Saturday, September 23, celebrating Homecoming with a 6:00 p.m. match at McConnell Family Stadium. That's followed by home matches with Slippery Rock (Sept. 27) and Seton Hill (Sept. 30).
 
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Players Mentioned

Sarah Fails

#7 Sarah Fails

F
5' 4"
Senior
Early Childhood Education
Leah Bermudez

#2 Leah Bermudez

D
5' 4"
Graduate Student
Psychology
Gabby Boden

#11 Gabby Boden

M/F
5' 7"
Junior
Ella Fadale

#17 Ella Fadale

M
5' 6"
Sophomore
Logan Nicklas

#29 Logan Nicklas

F
5' 7"
Senior
Applied Exercise Science
Hannah Shepard

#3 Hannah Shepard

D
5' 9"
Freshman
Brooklyn Respecki

#7 Brooklyn Respecki

F
5' 3"
Freshman
Exercise Science
Grace Emanuel

#24 Grace Emanuel

M
5' 3"
Freshman
Amelya Bretz

#28 Amelya Bretz

F
5' 5"
Freshman
Nursing
Victoria Wheeler

#42 Victoria Wheeler

D
5' 5"
Freshman
Nutritional Science

Players Mentioned

Sarah Fails

#7 Sarah Fails

5' 4"
Senior
Early Childhood Education
F
Leah Bermudez

#2 Leah Bermudez

5' 4"
Graduate Student
Psychology
D
Gabby Boden

#11 Gabby Boden

5' 7"
Junior
M/F
Ella Fadale

#17 Ella Fadale

5' 6"
Sophomore
M
Logan Nicklas

#29 Logan Nicklas

5' 7"
Senior
Applied Exercise Science
F
Hannah Shepard

#3 Hannah Shepard

5' 9"
Freshman
D
Brooklyn Respecki

#7 Brooklyn Respecki

5' 3"
Freshman
Exercise Science
F
Grace Emanuel

#24 Grace Emanuel

5' 3"
Freshman
M
Amelya Bretz

#28 Amelya Bretz

5' 5"
Freshman
Nursing
F
Victoria Wheeler

#42 Victoria Wheeler

5' 5"
Freshman
Nutritional Science
D