ERIE, Pa. – The first month of play is almost behind us and Gannon's fall sports continue to excel. A week ago the women's soccer and volleyball teams were nationally ranked while the golf teams are among the best in the Atlantic Region. Look out for the men's soccer team. Highly regarded at the beginning of the year the Golden Knights have recovered from a slow start with the PSAC campaign approaching.

Below is the schedule for the week ahead, along with a quick preview of each team.

THIS WEEK IN GANNON ATHLETICS 

Football (0-4)
Idle this week. The Golden Knights return to action on Saturday, October 4 hosting Slippery Rock.  

• The bye week couldn't come at a better time for the Golden Knights. They have faced a tremendously challenging first four games, including back-to-back games against NCAA Playoff teams East Stroudsburg and Kutztown, the top two teams in the PSAC East.
• The bad news for the Golden Knights is when they return to action on October 4 they host a Slippery Rock team that like Kutztown is ranked in the top ten and reached the NCAA Div. II Semifinals last year.            

No. 22 Volleyball (7-4)
Friday, Sept. 26 vs. Shepherd -- 7:00 p.m. - Video | Livestats 
Sunday, Sept. 28 vs. Edinboro -- 2:00 p.m. - Video | Livestats 

• Finally a home game for the 22nd-ranked Golden Knights! Gannon's first 11 matches have been on the road, so a 7-4 getaway isn't too shabby. Particularly when they faced three NCAA Playoff teams, including the defending national champion. 
• Gannon debuts at the Highmark Events Center on Friday hosting yet another 2024 NCAA Tournament team. Shepherd reached the PSAC Semifinals last year and comes in with a 9-2 record. Gannon plays a rare Sunday match two days later hosting local rival Edinboro at 2:00 p.m.              
• Friday's match against Shepherd is Parents Night and will also feature a pre-match ring presentation for the 2024 Atlantic Regional championship team.
• Last week's action saw Gannon compete in four matches in West Virginia. The first two days were perplexing to head coach Matt Darling – a 3-1 loss at Wheeling followed by a 3-0 defeat to Fairmont State. His young squad showed great tenacity on Saturday, holding off West Virginia State, like Wheeling an NCAA Playoff team last year, 3-2, then sweeping West Liberty 3-0. Setter Bengisu Arslan (Ankara, Turkey/Private Çankaya Doga Anatolian) earned All-Tournament honors.           

No. 9 Women's Soccer (5-0-0)
Wednesday, Sept. 24 at Edinboro – 7:00 p.m. - Video | Livestats 
Saturday, Sept. 27 at Pitt-Johnstown – 2:30 p.m. - Video | Livestats 

• The Golden Knights continue to dominate the competition. They improved to a perfect 5-0-0 while outscoring their two opponents 11-0. The week began with a 5-0 shutout of Roberts Wesleyan behind three goals from Brooklyn Respecki (McKean, Pa./General McLane).
• On Saturday Gannon improved to 2-0-0 in the PSAC West with a 6-0 shutout at Seton Hill. Six different players scored a goal apiece as the Golden Knights held a 25-2 advantage in shots.  Morgan Sinan (Cranberry Twp., Pa./Seneca Valley) played the majority of time in goal in both contests after previously setting the school record for shutouts. 
• Gannon enters the week ranked ninth in Division II and wraps up a three-game road trip at Edinboro on Wednesday and at Pitt-Johnstown on Saturday. Head coach Colin Petersen's squad has outscored its first five opponents 20-1. 

Men's Soccer (2-1-2)
Tuesday, Sept. 23 at Adelphi – 12 noon - Video | Livestats

• Don't look now but here come the Golden Knights. Gannon suffered a loss and played to a tie in its first two games but have since improved to 2-1-2. The latest win came on Saturday with an impressive 3-1 win over West Chester in a rematch of last year's PSAC Semifinals. Sverre Orten (Orsta, Norway/Aalesund vgs) scored Gannon's lone goal in a 1-1 tie with Post earlier in the week and had a goal and an assist on Saturday. The three goals tied a season high.
• After playing five times in 17 days Gannon gets a bit of a break with just one game over the next week. The Golden Knights make the long trip to Garden City, NY on Long Island to face an Adelphi team that is also 2-1-2. The Panthers have allowed just three goals and come in riding back-to-back shutouts.
• Gannon doesn't play again in September. The Golden Knights don't return to the pitch until Wednesday, October 1 when they open PSAC West action hosting Seton Hill.

Men's Golf
Monday, Sept. 22 to Tuesday, Sept. 23 at UIndy Invitational Midwest/Central Regional Preview Tournament in Big Rapids, Mich. -- Livestats  

• The men's golf team is off to a fast start with a first-place finish in the UC Invitational followed by a second-place showing out of 19 teams a week ago at the Midwest/Central Regional Preview. The latter tournament featured some of the top teams in the two regions. 
• After finishing in fourth place at the UC Invitational Rasmus Seppanen (Bastad, Sweden/Akademi Bastad Gymnasium) tied for first a week ago. He would lose the playoff to determine the medalist on the second playoff hole but finished with an impressive 212 (1-under) total for the 54 holes. He has been under par in four of his six rounds this season. Giovanni Delorenzi (Reggio Emilia, Italy/International School of Modena) placed fourth at 218 (3-over).      
• Head coach Scott Stano's squad returns to action on Monday and Tuesday this week facing another strong midwestern-flavored field in the UIndy Invitational.     

Women's Golf
No events scheduled (Return to action at Bulldog Fall Classic, Saturday, Sept. 27 to Sunday, Sept. 28 in Big Rapids, Mich.) -- Livestats

• The women's golf team is off to an impressive start following two tournaments. Head coach Scott Stano's squad brought home first place in the season-opening UC Invitational and followed that up over this past weekend with a fourth-place showing out of 15 teams while competing in the ODU Invitational hosted by Ohio Dominican. A total of 15 teams teed it up in the tournament.
• Tournament number one saw freshman Anastasia Lopes (Noverasco di opera (MI), Italy/ISTITUTI DEAMICIS MILANO) take home second place in her collegiate debut. Lopes turned in another solid showing but it was veteran Cloe Mateo (Sabadell, Spain/Montcau la Mola) who paced the Golden Knights this time around. The junior from Spain fired rounds of 74 and 76 to finish in a tie for third with a 10-over 150 total, four strokes back of the medalist.  

Cross Country
Idle this week, returns to action on Friday, Oct. 3 at Paul Short Run hosted by Lehigh

• The men's and women's cross country teams ran for the second time in 2025 and sept first place in both races at the YSU Alumni Cross Country Meet.     
• The men's team rode top ten finishes by Adam Kanterman (Milford, Pa./Delaware Valley) (7th) and Luke Malena (Medina, Ohio/Cloverleaf) (9th) to the title in the five-team field.  Four other runners were in the second ten. 
• The women's squad also claimed first in a five-team field with three top-ten runners. Emily Bowers (Silver Creek, N.Y./Silver Creek), who did not compete in the season-opening Race in the Park, captured second place while Alexis Abbett (Sharpsburg, Pa./Aquinas Academy) was third. Megan Ickes (Greenville, Pa./Greenville) crossed the finish line in tenth place.

Men's Water Polo (3-6)
vs. Erie Invitational
Saturday, Sept. 27 vs. Washington & Jefferson – 10:30 a.m. - Video | Livestats 
Saturday, Sept. 27 vs. Penn State Behrend – 3:30 p.m. - Video | Livestats 
Sunday, Sept. 28 vs. Mercyhurst – 10:30 a.m. - Video | Livestats 
 

• Head coach Zarko Sadikovic's Golden Knights lost a pair of nailbiters while competing in the Bicknell Invitational on Sunday. In one of the marquee matchups for the Golden Knights in 2025 they dropped a 19-18 decision to Air Force on a late goal. Later in the day Salem broke a halftime tie and defeated Gannon 19-16 in a non-WWPA match.
• Alexandros Kotskar (Voula, Greece/Athinaiki Agogh) fell a goal shy of tying the Gannon match record for goals, finding the back of the net 10 times! It was the second time in his career he scored 10 goals.        
• Gannon serves as the host of the Erie Invitational this coming weekend at Cathedral Prep's Hallman Aquatics Center. The Golden Knights play twice on Saturday, with the Penn State Behrend match designated as Senior Day. Sunday morning they renew acquaintances with rival Mercyhurst.