The No. 16 Gannon men's soccer team erupted for six second-half goals on Wednesday night to earn a dominant 7–0 win over Slippery Rock at McConnell Family Stadium.
The Golden Knights, who climbed eight spots in this week's United Soccer Coaches poll to reach their highest national ranking of the 2025 season, improved to 9–2–4 overall and 6–0–2 in PSAC West play.
Earlier in the day, Gannon also appeared in the first NCAA Division II regional rankings release. The initial set is listed alphabetically, with two additional releases scheduled for November 5 and November 12 before the full NCAA Tournament field is announced.
The victory secured a PSAC Tournament berth for Gannon, and with the PSAC Championships hosted on the West side this season, the Golden Knights are positioned to potentially host postseason play, just as they did in 2023.
Gannon also remained unbeaten at home (6–0–2), with one home match left: the regular season finale on Thursday, Nov. 6, vs. California (Pa.) at 4 p.m.
After a quiet opening 40 minutes, Gannon broke through just before halftime on a goal from
Manuel Pereyra (Puebla, Mexico/Maria Luisa Pacheco). The Golden Knights then exploded out of the locker room, scoring six times in the second half.
Pereyra completed a hat trick,
Sverre Orten (Orsta, Norway/Aalesund vgs) got the scoring started in the second half,
Rafa Hyde (São José dos Campos, Brazil/) scored twice and added two assists, and
Giorgi Adamia (/) scored his first collegiate goal in the 89th minute to finish the scoring.
Andre Moraes (Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil/Colegio Singular) made four saves to record the shutout.
THE KNIGHT CAP
- Six-Goal Second Half: Gannon scored six times after halftime, matching its season high of seven total goals.
- Hat Trick Hero: Manuel Pereyra (Puebla, Mexico/Maria Luisa Pacheco) recorded his first collegiate hat trick, scoring in the 42nd, 61st, and 83rd minutes.
- Dynamic Duo: Rafa Hyde (São José dos Campos, Brazil/) added two goals and two assists, contributing directly to four of Gannon's seven tallies.
- On the Board Again: Sverre Orten (Orsta, Norway/Aalesund vgs) added a goal early in the second half to make it 2–0, continuing his strong attacking form.
- Playmaker Mode: Shota Toyama (Kanagawa, Japan/Tama) tallied two assists, while Enzo Rekka (Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina/Gymnasium of the Catholic School Centre "Sveti Franjo") and Dominik Varga (Maglód, Hungary/Vörösmarty Mihály Gimnázium) each added two of their own.
- First of Many: Giorgi Adamia (/) scored his first collegiate goal in the 89th minute to close the scoring.
- Defensive Control: Andre Moraes (Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil/Colegio Singular) recorded a clean sheet, marking the Golden Knights' sixth shutout of the season and extending their win streak to five.
- Unbeaten at Home: Gannon is now 6–0–2 at McConnell Family Stadium this season.
- Clinched: With the win, the Golden Knights officially secured a spot in the 2025 PSAC Men's Soccer Championship.
Up Next
Gannon travels to Lock Haven on Saturday, November 1, in a key PSAC West matchup before returning home for the regular season finale on Thursday, November 6, against California (Pa.) at 4 p.m.
This story was written using the support of AI.
