You can bet that the Golden Knights will be ready for some tricks while looking to gobble up some treats – namely wins – as October winds down. 

Less than two weeks remain in the soccer regular seasons, although volleyball and football still have three weeks remaining. Two more sports debut this week as both the men's and women's wrestling programs get underway. 

Two huge items of note from this past week. Congratulations to Emily Bowers (Silver Creek, N.Y./Silver Creek) from the women's cross country team. The sophomore became Gannon's first female individual PSAC champion, crossing the finish line five seconds in front of her closest competitor at the PSAC Championships.

The men's water polo team clinched the top seed in the WWPA East Region. Head coach Zarko Sadikovic's team has one week left in the regular season before hosting the WWPA Championships at the SPIRE Institute on Nov. 21-23. It's the first time Gannon has won the region. 

Below is the week's schedule, along with a quick preview of each team.

THIS WEEK IN GANNON ATHLETICS 

Volleyball (17-5)
Friday, Oct. 31 at Pitt-Johnstown -- 6:00 p.m. 
Saturday, Nov. 1 at Indiana (Pa.) -- 6:00 p.m. 

• The Golden Knights split two matches over the weekend. On Friday night, they remained undefeated in the PSAC West at 8-0. After losing the first game at Edinboro Gannon roared back to win the next three games and prevail 3-1
• Returning to the court less than 24 hours later, Gannon saw its 12-match winning streak come to an end, losing in four games to a very strong Cedarville team. 
• Six matches remain in the regular season with Gannon holding a three-game lead in the Western Division standings. The Golden Knights play twice on the road this weekend, at Pitt-Johnstown on Friday and at Indiana (Pa.) on Saturday. Wins in both would clinch the division's top seed.

No. 7 Women's Soccer (13-1-1)
Wednesday, Oct. 29 vs. Edinboro – 3:00 p.m. 
Saturday, Nov. 1 at Slippery Rock – 1:00 p.m. 

• Gannon finally tasted defeat over the weekend with a 1-0 loss at Indiana (Pa.). With the top of the Western Division very strong and just three matches remaining the Golden Knights now face a huge week. An improved Edinboro squad visits McConnell Family Stadium on Wednesday. The first meeting ended in a narrow 2-1 win.
• On Saturday its showdown time as Gannon plays at Slippery Rock in a match that could decide the top seed in the division.  SRU has a two point lead over Gannon at 30 to 28, with IUP showing 25 points. All three have clinched spots in the PSAC Tournament.
• Gannon entered last week ranked seventh in Division II and defeated Pitt-Johnstown 4-0.        

No. 24 Men's Soccer (8-2-4)
Wednesday, Oct. 29 vs. Slippery Rock – 6:00 p.m. 
Saturday, Nov. 1 at Lock Haven – 1:00 p.m. 

• Despite battling injuries head coach Billy Colton's team has finally hit its stride. The 24th-ranked Golden Knights have run off four straight wins, including a comeback 4-2 victory at Seton Hill followed by a dominating 7-0 win over Pitt-Johnstown on Saturday. The first meeting with UPJ ended on a 1-1 tie.
• Sverre Orten (Orsta, Norway/Aalesund vgs) enjoyed a huge week and in the process became the 12th Golden Knight to reach 100 career points. The senior took part in all four goals at Seton Hill with two goals and two assists. A two-goal, one-assist effort vs. UPJ followed that.                               
• Like the women just three regular season matches remain and the Golden Knights hold a four-point lead in the Western Division standings. They face a difficult week hosting Slippery Rock on Wednesday before playing at Lock Haven on Saturday.       

Football (1-7)
Saturday, Nov. 1 at Indiana (Pa.) – 2:00 p.m. 

• Gannon's murderous schedule continues as the Golden Knights travel to Indiana (Pa.) to play the Crimson Hawks. IUP is 5-2 and tied atop the PSAC West at 3-1. The following week Gannon concludes its home schedule hosting California (Pa.) (5-3).
• On Saturday Gannon played one of the surprise teams in the PSAC hosting Edinboro. The Golden Knights led 14-7 midway through the second quarter but Edinboro went on to score 27 straight points and win 41-20.

Cross Country
Saturday, Nov. 1 at Go Fast River Run at Lock Haven, Pa. – 1:00 p.m. 

• It was a momentous week for the women's cross country team while finishing ninth at the PSAC Championships. Emily Bowers (Silver Creek, N.Y./Silver Creek) not only became a two-time All-PSAC performer but crossed the finish line first, becoming Gannon's first female PSAC champion. Joseph Westrick was the men's champion in 2019. Bowers posted a time of 22:17.0, five seconds ahead of her closest competitor.
• The men's team also finished ninth at the PSAC Championships and had an All-PSAC performer. Robert Tang (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mount Lebanon) squeezed into the award stand placing 29th.
• Head coach Rob Ahrens' squad will compete in the Go Fast River Run this weekend then will return a week later to run the same course at Lock Haven in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional. 

Men's Water Polo (12-9)
Sunday, Nov. 2 at Penn State Behrend Invitational 
vs. Penn State Behrend – 9:00 a.m.; vs. Mercyhurst – 12 noon   

• It was a record-setting weekend for the Golden Knights, who won three of four matches at the Salem Invitational. Most notable, Gannon clinched the top seed in the East Region in the upcoming WWPA Championships. Gannon dropped a 19-16 decision to McKendree on Saturday but improved to 3-1 in the WWPA with a 28-22 win over Salem. Coupled with Salem's win over McKendree on Sunday morning the Golden Knights clinched the top seed for the first time.
• Head coach Zarko Sadikovic's team broke the school record for goals in a match with the 28 against McKendree. Less than 24 hours later they tied that mark with 28 more goals in a 28-13 win over Mercyhurst. The weekend ended with a 15-11 win vs. Washington & Jefferson.          

Swimming
Does not compete this week. 

• The Golden Knights competed for the second week in a row with a meet at Indiana (Pa.).  The men's team improved to 2-0 with a 174-120 triumph. Kuba Loboda was a three-time winner, touching first in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly, along with swimming a leg of the winning 200-yard medley relay. Aidar Sataev also won three times – the 100 and 200-yard breaststrokes along with being on the 200-yard medley relay.
• The women's team dropped a 209-71 decision to the Crimson Hawks. Mariia Melnyk was the lone winner with a first-place showing in the 50-yard freestyle.  
• The Golden Knights return to the pool this Saturday, Nov. 8 at Case Western Reserve.

Men's Wrestling
Saturday, Nov. 1 at Mount Union Invitational 

• The Gannon men's wrestling team held its annual Maroon-Gold Wrestleoffs over the weekend and now will take the mat for the first time against other teams. The season begins on Saturday at the Mount Union Invitational. Gannon begins the season ranked 10th in the NWCA Div. II Preseason Poll with five wrestlers nationally-ranked. Leading the way is two-time All-American Jerry Echevarria (Long Beach, N.Y./Long Beach), who starts the year ranked second at 133 lbs.

Women's Wrestling
Sunday, Nov. 2 at ESU Open  

• Excitement abounds for the women's wrestling team as Erin Vandiver begins her third season at the helm. It's the first year that the NCAA will sponsor a championship in women's wrestling and the Golden Knights showcase a strong roster led by All-American Bella Phillips (Bellingham, Wash./Squalicum High School). Gannon is ranked 21st in the NWCA Preseason Top 25 while Phillips is sixth at 160 lbs. and Jada Badayos-Chaves (Odenton, Md./Arundel High) ninth at 103 lbs. 
• The season gets underway on Sunday at the ESU Open.