The No. 14 Gannon men's soccer team begins its NCAA postseason journey on Sunday afternoon, traveling to Waltham, Mass., to face No. 11 Bentley in a second-round matchup of nationally ranked programs. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m.

Gannon enters the weekend as the No. 6 seed in Super Region 1 after capturing the program's first PSAC Championship last Sunday. Bentley, the No. 3 seed, earned an at-large berth following a historic regular season that included the program's first NE10 regular-season title since 1995.

Gannon Snapshot
The Golden Knights (13-2-4) arrive in the tournament riding a nine-match winning streak and carrying the momentum of a postseason run that included a 2–1 win over West Chester in the semifinal and a 2–1 victory over Millersville in the championship match.

Gannon has been one of Division II's top attacking teams all season. The Golden Knights have scored 61 goals while averaging 17.5 shots per match and outscoring opponents 61–20. 

Senior midfielder Sverre Orten (Orsta, Norway/Aalesund vgs), the back-to-back PSAC West Athlete of the Year, leads the attack with 15 goals, 12 assists, and 42 points, while All-PSAC selections Rafa Hyde (São José dos Campos, Brazil/) (10 goals, 9 assists) and Enzo Rekka (Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina/Gymnasium of the Catholic School Centre "Sveti Franjo") (9 goals, 11 assists) provide additional scoring depth.

Colton and Orten are now in rarified air in the PSAC. Colton is the first coach in league history to earn PSAC West Coach of the Year three straight seasons, guiding the Golden Knights to nine consecutive victories and a 13-2-4 overall record. 

That run includes an 8-0-2 mark in Western Division play, as Gannon has now gone undefeated in 31 straight Western Division regular-season matches.

On the defensive end, Gannon has allowed only 20 goals in 19 matches while producing eight shutouts. Goalkeeper Andre Moraes (Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil/Colegio Singular) owns a 10-1-2 record with a 1.06 goals-against average this fall.

This marks Gannon's 13th appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament and its fourth in the last five seasons under head coach Billy Colton.
 
Bentley Overview
Bentley (11-2-4) returns to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1975 and hosts a national postseason match for the first time in half a century. The Falcons dominated the NE10 regular-season standings with a 7-0-2 conference record before reaching the league championship match, where they fell to Franklin Pierce.

Bentley enters with one of the top defensive units in the country, allowing just 0.88 goals per match. NE10 Goalkeeper of the Year Cam Hall has anchored that group by playing every minute this season while compiling a .826 save percentage and seven shutouts.

NE10 Player of the Year Michael Haikal leads the Falcons with seven goals and five game-winners, while Lukas Drahos adds seven goals and four assists. Bentley has outshot opponents 226–208 and holds an 89–70 advantage in corner kicks.

Series History
Sunday marks the third all-time meeting between the two programs. Gannon leads the series 2–0 with wins in 1994 and 2000.

What's at Stake
The winner advances to the NCAA Third Round on Saturday, November 30, where they will face No. 2 seed Franklin Pierce or the winner of the Wilmington–Roberts Wesleyan first-round match.

GANNON IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Gannon makes its 13th appearance in the NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Tournament. The Golden Knights have participated in the following seasons:
1984
Lock Haven – L, 0-2
1985
Davis & Elkins – L, 1-2
1986
Oakland – L, 1-2
1988
At Tampa – W, 3-1
Vs. Florida Institute Of Technology – L, 0-1
1989
Oakland – W, 2-1 (Ot)
East Stroudsburg – W, 1-0
Ncaa Semifinals: At Unc-Greensboro – L, 2-4
1990
At Oakland – W, 2-1
Ncaa Semifinals: Vs. Southern Connecticut State – L, 1-2 (Ot)
1993
Oakland – W, 3-2 (Ot)
Ncaa Semifinals: Vs. Southern Connecticut State – L, 0-2
2007
At Northern Kentucky – L, 2-5
2012
Davis & Elkins – W, 2-1
Ncaa Atlantic Regional Championship: Vs. Mercyhurst – L, 1-2
2019
Assumption – W, 5-0
Charleston (Wv) – L, 0-3
2021
At Millersville – T, 2-2 (Millersville Advanced 4-3 On Pks)
2023
At Millersville – W, 2-1
Vs. Charleston (Wv) – W, 2-1
At Franklin Pierce – L, 0-1
2024
Vs. Franklin Pierce – L, 2-3 (Ot)