ASHLAND, Ohio – Manuel Pereyra (Puebla, Mexico/Maria Luisa Pacheco) scored the game-winning goal in the 80th minute as the Gannon men's soccer team earned a 2-1 road victory over Ashland on Friday at Ferguson Field.
Rafa Hyde (São José dos Campos, Brazil/Objetivo Aquarius) opened the scoring midway through the first half before Ashland pulled even just before halftime. The teams remained deadlocked deep into the second half until Pereyra finished off assists from David Ivascu (Vaughan, Ontario/St. Elizabeth Catholic) and Hyde at the 79:06 mark to give Gannon its second straight victory and improve to 2-1-0 on the season.
THE GAME FACTS
Score: Gannon 2, Ashland 1
Records: Gannon 2-1-0 | Ashland 1-2-0
Location: Ferguson Field | Ashland, Ohio
Date: September 4, 2026
THE KNIGHT CAP
- Hyde Strikes First: Rafa Hyde (São José dos Campos, Brazil/Objetivo Aquarius) put the Golden Knights on top at the 21:15 mark with his second goal of the season. Manuel Pereyra (Puebla, Mexico/Maria Luisa Pacheco) and Mario Lindo (Madrid, Spain/IES Juan Gris) were credited with assists on the opening goal.
- Ashland Answers Late: Sergio Ruiz evened the match at 1-1 with just over two minutes remaining in the first half, scoring off assists from Cole Fisher and Owen Beskid at 42:58.
- Pereyra Delivers: With the match still tied late in the second half, Pereyra scored the game-winner at 79:06. David Ivascu (Vaughan, Ontario/St. Elizabeth Catholic) and Hyde combined on the assists to put the Golden Knights back in front, 2-1.
- Big Day For Hyde: Hyde played a role in both Gannon goals, finishing with a goal and an assist. He led the Golden Knights with six shots and placed three attempts on goal while playing all 90 minutes.
- Pereyra Makes An Impact: Pereyra recorded a goal and an assist on two shots. His second-half goal proved to be the game-winner.
- Bodurov Stays Aggressive: Ryko Bodurov (Columbus, Ohio/Olentangy Berlin) matched Hyde for the team lead with six shots, including two on goal, over 84 minutes of action.
- Evenly Matched: Gannon finished with a narrow 15-14 advantage in shots and a 7-6 edge in corner kicks. The Golden Knights put six shots on goal compared to four for the Eagles.
- Di Gioia Holds The Lead: Anthony Di Gioia (Welland, Ont.) played all 90 minutes in goal and recorded three saves while allowing just one goal. Two of his saves came during the second half as Gannon secured the victory.
- Closing It Out: After Pereyra's go-ahead goal, the Golden Knights held Ashland without a shot on goal over the final 10-plus minutes to preserve the one-goal victory.
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Closing In On 100: Head coach Billy Colton now sits at 99 career wins, putting him just one victory away from reaching the 100-win milestone.
THE NEXT GAME
The Golden Knights are back in action, Tuesday, September 8, against Post University, at Lock Haven University
This story was written using the support of AI.
