The No. 14 Gannon men's soccer team continues its NCAA postseason run on Sunday, traveling to face No. 22 Franklin Pierce in the NCAA Division II Sweet 16 at Sodexo Field in Rindge, New Hampshire. Kickoff is set for 4:00 PM.

The matchup features two national contenders, two conference champions, and a spot in the Elite Eight on the line.

Head coach Billy Colton said the group is embracing the moment while staying hungry for more.

"It feels great. But we want more. We want to be one of the last eight. To do that we have to play our best game of the season on Sunday," Colton said.

"We talked this week about enjoying the fact that there are only 16 teams still playing, and we're one of them."

GANNON LOOKS TO KEEP MOMENTUM ROLLING
Gannon enters the third round at 14-2-4, coming off a 2–1 win at No. 11 Bentley behind a late penalty from captain Sverre Orten (Orsta, Norway/Aalesund vgs).

The Golden Knights have played from behind in three straight matches but continue to deliver late-game responses, a theme that has defined their PSAC championship run and NCAA progression.

"I think it shows that we have good habits and we just keep going with the game plan," said Colton.

"It can be a good habit because it shows resilience, but we also need to be more clinical when we're creating chances to get that first goal."

Gannon comes into Rindge riding a 10-match win streak, it's longest of the season, a stretch that began October 1 and included several of the team's strongest attacking performances. 

The Golden Knights are the No. 6 seed in Super Region 1 and enter as the newly crowned PSAC Champions, the first title in program history.
 
A RECENT NCAA SERIES WITH HISTORY

Sunday marks the third straight NCAA Tournament meeting between Gannon and Franklin Pierce.

• 2023 Elite Eight: Franklin Pierce won 1–0
• 2024 Second Round: Franklin Pierce won 3–2 (OT)
• Franklin Pierce leads the all-time series 5–0-0, with all five matches decided by one or two goals.

Gannon enters looking to flip the script in a series that has grown tighter with each postseason meeting.

FRANKLIN PIERCE: THE OPPONENT
Franklin Pierce enters at 12-3-4 and advanced past Wilmington (Del.) on penalty kicks in the Second Round. The Ravens are the No. 2 seed in Super Region 1 and won the NE10 Championship with a convincing 4–1 win over No. 11 Bentley.
Key players:

• Guillermo Avendaño – 13 goals, D2CCA East Region First Team
• João Araújo, Guillermo Ríos, Julen Martin – All-NE10 First Team
• Stepan Fiker – NE10 Rookie of the Year (4 goals, 5 assists)

FPU has allowed just 0.94 goals per match with five shutouts.

GANNON BY THE NUMBERS
One of the strongest attacks in Division II will take the field on Sunday:

• 63 goals (3.15/game) – 2nd in Division II
• +42 goal differential
• 17.7 shots per match

POST SEASON AWARD LEADERS: 

• Sverre Orten (Orsta, Norway/Aalesund vgs) – D2CCA Atlantic Region Player of the Year; 16 goals, 12 assists (Leads Division II in goals and tied for third in assists)
• Enzo Rekka (Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina/Gymnasium of the Catholic School Centre "Sveti Franjo") – PSAC Freshman of the Year (9 goals, 12 assists)
• Rafa Hyde (São José dos Campos, Brazil/) – 10 goals, 9 assists
• Five D2CCA All-Atlantic Region First Team selections

Defensively, Gannon has allowed 21 goals in 20 matches with eight shutouts, backed by goalkeeper Andre Moraes (Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil/Colegio Singular) and defender Gonzalo Pérez, a First Team All-PSAC honoree and First Team D2CCA All-Atlantic Region selection who has appeared in 18 matches and been a dominant force on the defensive end.

STATISTICAL COMPARISON
Offense
• Gannon – 63 goals (3.15/g)
• Franklin Pierce – 42 goals (2.21/g)
Defense
• Gannon – 1.05 GAA, 8 shutouts
• Franklin Pierce – 0.94 GAA, 5 shutouts
Shots
• Gannon – 17.7 per match
• Franklin Pierce – 17.4 per match
Corners
• Gannon – 131
• Franklin Pierce – 132

WHAT'S AT STAKE
The winner advances to the Elite Eight to face the winner of No. 1 Southern New Hampshire vs. No. 4 Charleston (WV) on December 6 (time TBA).

FINAL PREVIEW NOTES

• Gannon has scored 4+ goals in six of its last eight matches.
• Franklin Pierce has allowed more than one goal only twice since mid-October.
• The win at Bentley marked Gannon's third-ranked victory this season.
• Head coach Billy Colton enters the Sweet 16 with a career record of 96–23–14.
• Both teams enter as conference champions meeting in the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year.

GANNON IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Gannon is making its 14th NCAA Division II Tournament appearance, competing 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 Tech (L, 0–1)
1989 – Oakland (W, 2–1 OT); East Stroudsburg (W, 1–0); NCAA Semis: UNC Greensboro (L, 2–4)
1990 – at Oakland (W, 2–1); NCAA Semis: Southern Connecticut St. (L, 1–2 OT)
1993 – Oakland (W, 3–2 OT); NCAA Semis: Southern Connecticut St. (L, 0–2)
2007 – at Northern Kentucky (L, 2–5)
2012 – Davis & Elkins (W, 2–1); Atlantic Final: Mercyhurst (L, 1–2)
2019 – Assumption (W, 5–0); Charleston (WV) (L, 0–3)
2021 – at Millersville (T, 2–2 — MU advanced on PKs)
2023 – at Millersville (W, 2–1); Charleston (WV) (W, 2–1); at Franklin Pierce (L, 0–1)
2024 – Franklin Pierce (L, 2–3 OT)
2025 – Bentley (W, 2–1)