General | 10/19/2026 12:00:00 PM
ERIE, Pa. – Gannon Athletics enters another busy week of competition after the men's golf team highlighted the previous weekend by capturing the PSAC Championship at Iron Valley Golf Club in Lebanon, Pa.
The Golden Knights finished the three-round championship at 12-over, earning the conference title by nine strokes over runner-up West Chester. Rasmus Seppanen led Gannon with a tie for third individually at 2-over.
Attention now turns to another full week of fall competition. Men's and women's soccer each have two PSAC matches on tap, while volleyball hits the road for a pair of conference contests. The Gannon swimming teams return to the pool at Clarion following a strong season-opening weekend, and men's water polo begins a three-game WWPA Conference Weekend in West Virginia.
Cross country returns to action at the Go Fast River Run on Saturday, while football makes the short trip to Edinboro.
Women's Soccer
Wednesday, Oct. 21 – at Slippery Rock – 3 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 24 – vs. Pitt-Johnstown – 3 p.m. – Senior Day
Gannon enters the week at 11-2-2 overall and 10-2-1 in PSAC play following a pair of road victories last week.
The Golden Knights opened the week with a 1-0 non-conference victory at Adelphi behind Maggie Piper's (Stahlstown, Pa./Mt. Pleasant Area) first-half goal. Gannon followed that performance with an explosive 4-1 victory at Lock Haven on Saturday.
Gannon scored four times in the first 30 minutes against the Bald Eagles. Piper opened the scoring before Bella Prince (Bradford,Pa./Bradford Area), Grace Emanuel (Erie, Pa./McDowell) and Aubrey Pyne (Chambersburg, Pa./Chambersburg Area) added goals to give the Golden Knights a commanding advantage.
The Golden Knights return to conference play Wednesday afternoon at Slippery Rock before coming home Saturday for Senior Day against Pitt-Johnstown at McConnell Family Stadium.
Men's Soccer
Wednesday, Oct. 21 – vs. Slippery Rock – 6 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 24 – at Seton Hill – 1 p.m.
The Gannon men's soccer team carries a 10-1-3 overall record and 6-0-1 PSAC mark into another two-match conference week.
Gannon picked up two victories last week, beginning with a 3-0 shutout of California (Pa.) at McConnell Family Stadium. Rafa Hyde (São José dos Campos, Brazil/Objetivo Aquarius) scored twice in the victory, while Per Kristian Lauvstad (Nesoya, Norway) added the opening goal.
The Golden Knights followed with a 3-1 road victory over Pitt-Johnstown on Saturday. Ryko Bodurov (Columbus, Ohio/Olentangy Berlin) and Mario Lindo (Madrid, Spain/IES Juan Gris) scored inside the opening nine minutes before David Ivascu (Vaughan, Ontario/St. Elizabeth Catholic) added his seventh goal of the season late in the first half.
Gannon remains unbeaten in PSAC play heading into Wednesday's home matchup with Slippery Rock. The Golden Knights then travel to Seton Hill on Saturday afternoon.
Men's and Women's Swimming
Friday, Oct. 23 – at Clarion – 5 p.m.
The Gannon swimming teams return to action Friday evening for their first dual meet of the season when they visit Clarion.
The men opened the 2026-27 season by winning both the Crimson Hawks Fall Invitational and IUP Sprint Frenzy last Friday. Gannon finished first at the Fall Invitational with 443 points before totaling 608.5 points to take the Sprint Frenzy title.
Marcos Rodriguez (Madrid, Spain/Santa María del Pilar) Fernandez, Dylan Ray (Pinckney, Mich./Pinckney Community), Mert Ata Pehlivanoglu (Izmir, Turkey/Takev Anatolian) and Nikita Poparcea helped lead the opening-day effort. Rodriguez Fernandez won the 100 backstroke at the Fall Invitational, while Ray claimed the 200 IM and Poparcea won the 100 freestyle during the Sprint Frenzy.
Gannon's women placed third at the Fall Invitational before responding with a first-place finish at the Sprint Frenzy with 553 points.
Mariia Melnyk (Kyiv, Ukraine/Education Center Optima) turned in several top finishes, including second in the 100 backstroke during the Fall Invitational and runner-up in the 50 freestyle during the Sprint Frenzy. Aurelia Ribellia (East Wenatchee, Wash./Eastmont Senior), Amari Ash (Tacarigua, Trinidad and Tobago/Northgate College, Tacarigua) and Maria Valcheva (Sofia, Bulgaria/Sports School Vasil Levski) also finished second, third and fourth, respectively, in the 100 breaststroke during the opening session.
Both teams now turn their attention to their first PSAC dual meet of the season.
Volleyball
Friday, Oct. 23 – at California (Pa.) – 6 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 24 – at Seton Hill – 1 p.m.
Gannon volleyball enters the week at 16-4 overall and 6-2 in the PSAC West following a straight-set victory at Edinboro.
The Golden Knights completed the season sweep of the Fighting Scots with a 25-16, 25-13, 25-20 victory, marking Gannon's ninth three-set sweep of the season.
Abbey Williams (Chicago, Ill./Mother Mcauley Liberal Arts) led the offense with 12 kills and added 12 digs for another double-double, while Nehir Yazicioglu (Ankara, Turkey) finished with 10 kills.
Gannon remains on the road this week with conference matches at California (Pa.) on Friday and Seton Hill on Saturday.
Men's Water Polo
Friday, Oct. 23 – at Salem – 8 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 24 – vs. McKendree – 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 25 – vs. Mercyhurst – 9:20 a.m.
Gannon men's water polo returns to competition for the first time since earning a 15-14 victory over George Washington on Oct. 4.
The Golden Knights now begin an important stretch of WWPA competition with three matches in Bridgeport, W.Va.
Gannon opens the weekend Friday night against host Salem before facing McKendree on Saturday afternoon. The Golden Knights conclude the conference weekend Sunday morning against Mercyhurst.
The three opponents will also return to Erie in November for the WWPA Erie Classic.
Women's Cross Country
Saturday, Oct. 24 – Go Fast River Run – 10 a.m. – Lock Haven, Pa.
The Gannon women's cross country team returns to competition at Lock Haven's Go Fast River Run after splitting its squad between the Lewis Crossover and Houghton Highlander Invitational on Oct. 10.
Alexis Abbett (Aspinwall, Pa./Aquinas Academy) paced Gannon at the Lewis Crossover, finishing the 6K race in 23:58.9, while Josephine Holody () led the Golden Knights at Houghton with a 19th-place finish in 23:49.2.
Saturday represents Gannon's final scheduled competition before the PSAC Championships on Nov. 7.
Men's Cross Country
Saturday, Oct. 24 – Go Fast River Run – 10:45 a.m. – Lock Haven, Pa.
The men will follow the women at the Go Fast River Run on Saturday morning.
Freshman Dane Hieronimus (Toledo, Ohio/Bedford Senior) led Gannon at the Lewis Crossover two weeks ago, finishing the 8K course in 26:19.1. The performance ranked third all-time by a Gannon runner on that course and represented the highest finish by a Golden Knight at the Lewis Crossover in program history.
Lauge Rasmussen (Virum, Denmark/Oregard Gynbasium) led Gannon's group at the Houghton Highlander Invitational, where the Golden Knights finished eighth among 13 teams.
Like the women, the men will use Saturday's meet as their final tune-up before the PSAC Championships.
Football
Saturday, Oct. 24 – at Edinboro – 12 p.m.
Gannon football makes the short trip to Edinboro on Saturday looking to bounce back from a 21-17 loss to Seton Hill.
The Golden Knights erased an early 14-0 deficit last Saturday and took a 17-14 lead in the third quarter. Ty Hurst (Tallmadge, Ohio/Tallmadge) scored on a 6-yard run, Makei Thompson (San Diego, Calif./Mira Mesa) returned an interception 52 yards for a touchdown and Brock Kiefer (Eighty-Four, Pa./Canon McMillan) connected on a 36-yard field goal.
Seton Hill regained the lead with a fourth-quarter touchdown before holding off Gannon's late comeback attempt.
Nasean Hill led the Golden Knights with 74 rushing yards, while Chazz Corley (Indianapolis, Ind./Warren Central) caught four passes for 47 yards. Defensively, RJ Roberts (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) finished with 11 tackles, while Aydin Edison (Dickinson, Texas/Dickinson) and Ronaldinho Jones (Brooklyn, N.Y./Abraham Lincoln) each added 10.
Gannon enters Saturday's matchup at 0-7 overall and 0-5 in PSAC play.
