Jessie Watkins and Brooklyn Respecki
Jeff Kirik
0
Pitt.-Johnstown Pitt (8-7-2, 6-6-2)
3
Winner Gannon GANN (14-0-4, 10-0-4)
Pitt.-Johnstown Pitt
(8-7-2, 6-6-2)
0
Final
3
Gannon GANN
(14-0-4, 10-0-4)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Pitt.-Johnstown Pitt 0 0 0
Gannon GANN 2 1 3

Game Recap: Women's Soccer | | Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Golden Knights Headed Back to PSAC Final Four Thanks to 3-0 Win over Pitt-Johnstown

Freshman Jessie Watkins scores twice as Gannon improves to 14-0-4

ERIE, Pa. – Jessie Watkins (Bowie, Md./Bowie) scored a pair of goals and Brooklyn Respecki (McKean, Pa./General McLane) had a goal and two assists to lead Gannon to a 3-0 win over Pitt-Johnstown on Tuesday at McConnell Family Stadium. The victory not only sends the Golden Knights into the PSAC Final Four but affords them the right to host the tournament.

The PSAC Semifinals are set for Friday, November 15 with Gannon, the top seed in the Western Division, playing E3 Kutztown at 3:00 p.m. The second semifinal will follow at 6:00 p.m. featuring E1 Shepherd against W3 Slippery Rock

Gannon advanced to the PSAC Final Four for the fourth straight year but will look for its first PSAC championship this weekend. Gannon suffered a 2-1 loss to West Chester in last year's championship game.

Tuesday's quarterfinal win followed script with what the fifth-ranked Golden Knights have done all year while improving to 14-0-4 on the season.

Head coach Colin Petersen's team jumped out to a quick lead and kept constant pressure on the Mountain Cats while providing UPJ few scoring opportunities. It was the 13th shutout of the season for the Golden Knights, who have allowed just six goals all year. Gannon shut out UPJ for the third time this season and the fifth meeting in a row.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Gannon gained the lead less than ten minutes into the contest when Jessie Watkins (Bowie, Md./Bowie) scored the first of her two goals at 7:38. Brooklyn Respecki (McKean, Pa./General McLane) picked up an assist on the play after her blast from the left wing was saved by UPJ goalkeeper Emma Morin but rebounded back to Watkins who deposited the ball into the left side of the goal.

Respecki made it 2-0 at 20:50 as she collaborated with fellow sophomore Grace Emanuel (Erie, Pa./McDowell) for her 12th goal of the season. Emanuel fed Respecki on the left wing and she found the right side of the net from a tough angle.

UPJ's best opportunity to score came 30 minutes into the first half when Haley Neidig had a breakaway. Morgan Sinan (Cranberry Twp., Pa./Seneca Valley) came out of the goal and smothered the shot.

Any comeback hopes UPJ may have had were snuffed out when the Golden Knights scored 29 seconds into the second half. Watkins scored her second goal of the match and seventh of the season, again assisted by Respecki. Watkins scored once again following a rebound of a blocked Respecki shot.

BY THE NUMBERS
Gannon finished with 14 shots each half and ended the match with 28 shots to five for Pitt-Johnstown. The Golden Knights had 10 corner kicks while UPJ had one.

Jessie Watkins (Bowie, Md./Bowie) scored twice as the freshman boosted her season total to seven goals. It was the first two-goal game of her career. Brooklyn Respecki (McKean, Pa./General McLane) added a goal and two assists to reclaim the team and PSAC scoring lead with 32 points on 12 goals and 12 assists. Grace Emanuel (Erie, Pa./McDowell) added an assist and now has 12 goals and six assists for 30 points.

Morgan Sinan (Cranberry Twp., Pa./Seneca Valley) recorded her ninth shutout of the season while lowering her goals against average to 0.35. The graduate student had three saves. 
 
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