PSAC WOMEN'S SOCCER PREVIEW

PSAC SEMIFINALS
2W GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (14-2-3, 12-2-2 PSAC West) vs. 1E NO. 4 KUTZTOWN GOLDEN BEARS (16-1-2, 12-1-1 PSAC East)
DATE/TIME: Friday, November 6, 2026 | 10 a.m.
STADIUM/LOCATION: James Egli Field | Slippery Rock, Pa.

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  THE PSAC WOMEN'S SOCCER TOURNAMENT

QUARTERFINALS – Tuesday, November 3

• Gannon 2, Shepherd 0
• Kutztown 3, Edinboro 0
• West Chester 0, Seton Hill 0 (WCU advances on PKs, 3-2)
• Slippery Rock 2, Millersville 0

SEMIFINALS – Friday, November 6 (at Slippery Rock)
Gannon vs. No.4 Kutztown – 10 a.m.
No. 23 Slippery Rock vs. No.15 West Chester – 1 p.m.

CHAMPIONSHIP – Sunday, November 8
Semifinal winners – 1 p.m.
  THE GANNON-KUTZTOWN SERIES

Kutztown leads all-time series 13-4-0

Last Meeting: November 24, 2024 – Gannon 3, Kutztown 2 (NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Second Round)
Gannon won the teams' last meeting in dramatic fashion, defeating Kutztown, 3-2, in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional at McConnell Family Stadium. Paige Taylor scored the game-winning goal with just 28 seconds remaining in regulation to send the Golden Knights into the regional championship match.

The victory came nine days after Kutztown defeated Gannon, 2-1, in the PSAC semifinals. The Golden Knights also earned a 2-0 victory over Kutztown in the 2023 conference semifinals, with Grace Emanuel (Erie, Pa./McDowell) scoring the game-winner off an assist from Brooklyn Respecki (McKean, Pa./General McLane).

Friday marks the fifth PSAC Tournament meeting between the programs, with Kutztown holding a 3-1 advantage in the previous four.
  Slippery Rock, Pa. – The Gannon women's soccer team returns to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Final Four for the fifth time in six seasons when the Golden Knights face nationally ranked No. 4 Kutztown on Friday, November 6, at 10 a.m. at James Egli Field in Slippery Rock, Pa.

Gannon (14-2-3, 12-2-2 PSAC West), the Western Division's No. 2 seed, advanced with a 2-0 victory over Shepherd in Tuesday's quarterfinals behind two goals from senior Brooklyn Respecki (McKean, Pa./General McLane). The Golden Knights will meet a Kutztown squad (16-1-2, 12-1-1 PSAC East) that captured the Eastern Division regular-season title and has won nine consecutive matches.

"I think if we play like we did against Shepherd, I'm pretty confident we'll get a result against Kutztown," said Gannon head coach Colin Petersen. "It's not going to be easy. They've beaten Shepherd as well, so we're going to have to play well to beat them. But at this point in the season, there are no easy games."

The Golden Knights enter Friday riding a 16-match unbeaten streak (13-0-3) dating back to September 9. Gannon has outscored its opponents 41-12 this season while recording 10 shutouts.

Respecki, the 2026 PSAC West Athlete of the Year, leads Gannon with 11 goals and eight assists for 30 points. Fellow senior Grace Emanuel (Erie, Pa./McDowell) has added seven goals and a team-high 11 assists for 25 points, while sophomore Olivia Dixon (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) follows with five goals and two assists for 12 points.

Gannon has also received strong defensive contributions from senior Hannah Shepard (Erie, Pa./McDowell) and goalkeeper Alwa Wennstroem (Öjebyn, Sweden), who owns a 12-0-2 record with a 0.45 goals-against average and seven individual shutouts.

Respecki, Emanuel and Shepard have each earned All-PSAC recognition in four consecutive seasons, providing valuable postseason experience for a Gannon squad seeking its first conference championship.

"That's what you hope for. You hope to lean on your seniors," Petersen said. "They've been in these situations before, and we've won some and we've lost some. Hopefully, they can bring the team along with them. I'm really confident in all three of those kids, but more so, I'm confident in the entire team."

The Golden Knights have reached the PSAC championship match twice, finishing as runners-up in 2022 and 2023. Friday's winner will face the winner of the other semifinal between Slippery Rock and West Chester in Sunday's championship match at 1 p.m. Scouting the PSAC Final Four

2W GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (14-2-3, 12-2-2 PSAC West)
Head Coach: Colin Petersen (25th season)
Leading Scorers: Brooklyn Respecki (McKean, Pa./General McLane) (11G-8A-30 pts), Grace Emanuel (Erie, Pa./McDowell) (7G-11A-25 pts), Olivia Dixon (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) (5G-2A-12 pts), Maggie Piper (Stahlstown, Pa./Mt. Pleasant Area) (4G-1A-9 pts).
Goalkeeper: Alwa Wennstroem (Öjebyn, Sweden) (12-0-2, 0.45 GAA, .806 save pct., 7 SHO).
All-PSAC: Respecki (West Athlete of the Year, First Team), Emanuel (First Team), Shepard (First Team), Dixon (Second Team), Prince (Second Team).
Fast Facts: Gannon has outshot opponents 370-90 this season while limiting teams to 4.7 shots per match. The Golden Knights defeated Shepherd, 2-0, in the quarterfinals as Respecki scored twice and Wennstroem recorded three saves.

1E NO. 4 KUTZTOWN GOLDEN BEARS (16-1-2, 12-1-1 PSAC East)
Head Coach: Erik Burstein (19th season)
Leading Scorers: Carly Louey (15G-6A-36 pts), Corinne Morgan (11G-4A-26 pts), Maura Day (5G-7A-17 pts), Giavanna Marciano (6G-3A-15 pts).
Goalkeeper: Morgan O'Donnell (14-1-2, 0.64 GAA, .792 save pct., 8 SHO).
All-PSAC: Day (East Defensive Player of the Year, First Team), Louey (East Freshman of the Year, First Team), Marciano (First Team), Alexis Varela (First Team), Morgan (Second Team), O'Donnell (Second Team). Burstein was named East Coach of the Year.
Fast Facts: Kutztown has outscored opponents 55-11 and recorded 12 shutouts. The Golden Bears advanced with a 3-0 win over Edinboro, as Day scored twice and Morgan added a goal. Louey leads Kutztown with eight game-winning goals.

1W NO. 23 SLIPPERY ROCK THE ROCK (15-2-2, 13-1-2 PSAC West)
Head Coach: Noreen Herlihy (21st season)
Leading Scorers: Abby Paterline (7G-4A-18 pts), Lilia Battalini (7G-3A-17 pts), Bailey McGee (5G-7A-17 pts), Sophia Palermo (6G-2A-14 pts).
Goalkeeper: Leah Allman (15-2-2, 0.67 GAA, .765 save pct., 8 SHO).
All-PSAC: Libby Earley (West Defensive Player of the Year, First Team), McGee (First Team), Palermo (First Team), Peyton Los (First Team), Allman (First Team), Lillian Snyder (Second Team), Paterline (Second Team). Herlihy was named West Coach of the Year.
Fast Facts: Slippery Rock captured the PSAC West regular-season title and will host the Final Four. The Rock has outscored opponents 47-14 and advanced with a 2-0 victory over Millersville.

2E NO. 15 WEST CHESTER GOLDEN RAMS (13-2-2, 11-2-1 PSAC East)
Head Coach: Betty Ann Kempf Townsley  (20th season)
Leading Scorers: Kianna Barber (7G-7A-21 pts), Jordan Nguyen (7G-2A-16 pts), Adriana Ryder (5G-5A-15 pts), Lauren Reimold (4G-2A-10 pts).
Goalkeeper: Grace Keen (13-2-2, 0.32 GAA, .914 save pct., 8 SHO).
All-PSAC: Katie Dougherty (First Team), Reimold (First Team), Barber (First Team), Keen (First Team), Ryder (Second Team).
Fast Facts: West Chester has allowed just six goals in 17 matches and recorded 11 shutouts. The Golden Rams advanced to the semifinals after a scoreless draw against Seton Hill, prevailing 3-2 on penalty kicks.
   
Gannon in the PSAC Tournament

Gannon is making its 15th PSAC Tournament appearance and sixth consecutive trip to the semifinals in 2026. The Golden Knights have reached the conference championship match twice, finishing as runners-up to West Chester in 2022 and 2023.

Gannon owns an 11-13-1 all-time PSAC Tournament record following Tuesday's 2-0 quarterfinal victory over Shepherd. The Golden Knights will look to reach their third conference championship match and capture the program's first PSAC Tournament title.

PSAC Tournament Results
2008
Quarterfinals – Indiana (Pa.) 1, Gannon 0
2009
Quarterfinals – at California (Pa.) 2, Gannon 0
2011
Quarterfinals (at West Chester, Pa.) – Kutztown 2, Gannon 1
2012
Quarterfinals – East Stroudsburg 0, at Gannon 0 (OT; ESU advances on penalty kicks, 5-4)
2013
Quarterfinals – Gannon 1, at Slippery Rock 0
Semifinals (at California, Pa.) – West Chester 3, Gannon 0
2014
Quarterfinals – at West Chester 3, Gannon 0
2015
Quarterfinals – at Gannon 3, Bloomsburg 1
Semifinals – Edinboro 3, at Gannon 1
2016
Quarterfinals – Gannon 1, at Edinboro 0 (OT)
Semifinals (at West Chester, Pa.) – Kutztown 2, Gannon 0
2017
Quarterfinals – at Gannon 3, Indiana (Pa.) 1
Semifinals – at West Chester 2, Gannon 1
2021
Quarterfinals – at Gannon 5, Slippery Rock 3
Semifinals (at Bloomsburg, Pa.) – Millersville 1, Gannon 0
2022 – PSAC Runner-Up
Quarterfinals – at Gannon 2, Seton Hill 0
Semifinals – at Gannon 3, Bloomsburg 1
Finals – West Chester 3, at Gannon 0
2023 – PSAC Runner-Up
Quarterfinals – at Gannon 4, Slippery Rock 2
Semifinals – Gannon 2, at Kutztown 0
Finals (at Kutztown, Pa.) – West Chester 2, Gannon 1
2024
Quarterfinals – at Gannon 3, Pitt-Johnstown 0
Semifinals – Kutztown 2, at Gannon 1
2025
Semifinals – Shepherd 2, at Gannon 0
2026
Quarterfinals – at Gannon 2, Shepherd 0
Semifinals – Gannon vs. Kutztown, Friday, November 6, 10 a.m.
  Gannon Head Coach

Former Gannon soccer standout Colin Petersen is in his 25th season as head coach of the Golden Knights. The winningest and longest-tenured coach in program history, Petersen was inducted into the Gannon Athletics Hall of Fame as a player in 2017.

Under his guidance, Gannon has reached the PSAC semifinals five times in the past six seasons and appeared in back-to-back championship matches in 2022 and 2023. Petersen has coached six United Soccer Coaches All-America selections, 10 D2CCA All-America selections and 10 CSC Academic All-America selections while earning PSAC West Coach of the Year honors four times.
  Five Golden Knights Earn All-PSAC Honors

Senior Brooklyn Respecki (McKean, Pa./General McLane) highlighted Gannon's five All-PSAC West selections after being named the Western Division Athlete of the Year. She becomes the fourth player in program history to receive the honor, joining Courtney Rowan (2008), Mani Brueckner (2012, 2013 and 2015) and Sarah Fails (2022).

Respecki was joined on the first team by Grace Emanuel (Erie, Pa./McDowell) and Hannah Shepard (Erie, Pa./McDowell), while sophomores Olivia Dixon (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) and Bella Prince (Bradford,Pa./Bradford Area) earned second-team honors.

Respecki, Emanuel and Shepard each earned All-PSAC recognition for the fourth consecutive season, joining Amanda Sharbaugh (2008–11), Brueckner (2012–15) and Taylor Lewis (2016–18, 2021) among the program's four-time all-conference selections. Gannon Fifth in Atlantic Region NPI Rankings
Gannon is ranked fifth in the Atlantic Region and No. 28 nationally in the latest NCAA Division II National Power Index (NPI) rankings, released November 5.

The Golden Knights hold an NPI rating of 58.286, with three of the four PSAC semifinalists ranked among the top five in the Atlantic Region.

Atlantic Region NPI Rankings

1. Kutztown (No. 7 nationally)
2. Fairmont State (No. 16)
3. Slippery Rock (No. 18)
4. Frostburg State (No. 26)
5. Gannon (No. 28)
6. West Chester (No. 29)
7. Point Park (No. 56)
8. Millersville (No. 67)

The PSAC Tournament champion will earn an automatic berth to the NCAA Division II Tournament.
   
Keeping Up with the Record Book

Senior Brooklyn Respecki (McKean, Pa./General McLane) enters Friday's semifinal tied with Mani Brueckner (2012–15) for Gannon's all-time career points record with 137. Respecki has compiled 48 goals and 41 assists during her four seasons with the Golden Knights.
The McKean, Pa., native also holds the program's single-season assists record with 16 in 2023, when she finished with 42 points, the second-highest total in school history.

Fellow senior Grace Emanuel (Erie, Pa./McDowell) has also moved among Gannon's career scoring leaders, totaling 111 points on 40 goals and 31 assists. She stands fifth in career points and goals and fourth in career assists. Next for the Golden Knights

A victory Friday would send Gannon to the PSAC championship match for the third time in program history. The Golden Knights would face either Slippery Rock or West Chester on Sunday, November 8, at 1 p.m. at James Egli Field.
The winner of the conference tournament will earn an automatic berth into the NCAA Division II Tournament.