GREENSBURG, Pa. – Saturday's Gannon at Seton Hill women's soccer match had all the makings of a defensive struggle. So of course when the teams finished battling for 90 minutes it ended up being a high-scoring affair. Gannon, ranked fifth in the latest United Soccer Coaches Division II Top 25, came away with an important 4-2 victory.

The two teams came in allowing a combined six goals on the season, with Gannon permitting two and Seton Hill. The Golden Knights improved to 6-0-2 overall and 4-0-2 in the PSAC West while prevailing over the team picked to finish second directly behind them in the Western Division preseason poll. Seton Hill fell to 4-2-3 overall and 2-2-2 in league play.

The Golden Knights found themselves behind less than eight minutes into the match but then shocked the Griffins with two goals just 23 seconds apart just over ten minutes later. The Golden Knights maintained a 2-1 lead at the half.

Seton Hill tied the match at 2-2 early in the second half but Grace Emanuel (Erie, Pa./McDowell) scored her second goal of the match just over two minutes after the equalizer. Again the Golden Knights struck in quick fashion with an insurance goal two minutes later in the 61st minute courtesy of the other half of Gannon's sophomore tandem, Brooklyn Respecki (McKean, Pa./General McLane).  

Playing a stretch of six road contests in seven games Gannon plays the lone home match on Wednesday, October 9. Indiana (Pa.) visits McConnell Family Stadium for a 3:00 p.m. match. The Crimson Hawks are 5-1-1 after being surprised by Edinboro on Saturday by a 2-1 score.  

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Seton Hill grabbed a quick 1-0 lead at 7:29 when Corynna Rotoli found the back of the net off assists by Samantho Hallo and Brenna Springer.
• The Golden Knights answered with back-to-back goals 23 seconds apart just over ten minutes later. Freshman Jessie Watkins (Bowie, Md./Bowie) knotted the match at 1-1 with her third goal of the season at 18:28. Watkins headed in a crossing pass from Maddy Endler (Salem, Ore./West Salem) over the head of the Seton Hill goalkeeper Sydney Caldwell.
• Grace Emanuel (Erie, Pa./McDowell) scored her first of two goals when she stole a pass and beat Caldwell into the left of the goal for a 2-1 lead at 18:51.
• Seton Hill tied the match at 2-2 early in the second half on a Springer penalty kick at 56:05.
• Back came the Golden Knights, once again with two quick goals. The first came at 58:26 with Emanuel taking a flick pass from Gabby Boden (Butler, Pa./Butler) and beating Caldwell for her fourth goal of the season. That gave Gannon the lead for good at 3-2.
• Brooklyn Respecki (McKean, Pa./General McLane) snapped a string of two straight games without a goal at the 60:37 mark. The sophomore's eighth goal of the season was a header off Boden's corner kick. It gave Boden two assists on the day.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Gannon dominated the shots to the tune of 18-8, including an 11-2 edge in the first half. Gannon had five corner kicks to three for the Griffins.
• The Golden Knights opened the season with 14 goals in their first five matches but had been held to just one goal in the last two games, ties against California (Pa.) and Slippery Rock. The four goals are one less than the high of five goals against Edinboro on September 11.
• Grace Emanuel's (Erie, Pa./McDowell) two goals are the second time the sophomore has scored twice in a match this season. She did twice last year, with a career-high three goals vs. Slippery Rock.
• Gabby Boden (Butler, Pa./Butler) assisted on two of the four goals two match her career high. The senior now has 25 career assists. Meanwhile for Maddy Endler (Salem, Ore./West Salem), a junior defender who has started 38 career matches, the assist was her second of the season and third of her career.