Former Gannon soccer great Colin Petersen begins his 27th season with the Gannon soccer program and 25th as the head coach of the women’s soccer program in 2026. Petersen, who has also spent time in a dual position as an assistant for the men’s program, was hired as the seventh head coach in the history of the women’s program on February 13, 2002.
Petersen is the winningest and longest-tenured coach in the 39-year history of the Gannon women’s soccer program. As the only coach in school history to lead the program for more than five years, Petersen has a school-record 237 career coaching victories, holding over 100 wins more than the closest coach. Petersen owns an overall record of 237-167-45.
Gannon has produced a .500 record or better during 17 of the past 18 seasons under Petersen. The Golden Knights have qualified for the PSAC Tournament 14 times in Petersen’s tenure, with nine NCAA Tournament appearances. They had a string of seven straight years in the PSAC Tournament and nine in ten years before failing to qualify in 2018 and ’19. The 2020 campaign was abbreviated and played in the spring of 2021 due to COVID-19.
Though enjoying great success through the years, the past five years definitely represent some of the most successful in Petersen’s tenure.
A year ago he guided the Golden Knights to a second straight 16-win season as they ended the year at 16-3-2, including 11-1-2 in the PSAC West. The 16 wins are tied for the third-highest season total, eclipsed only by 18 wins in 2015 and the 17-win campaign in 2023.
In a rematch of the 2024 Atlantic Regional championships Gannon fell to eventual PSAC champion Shepherd 2-0 in the PSAC Quarterfinals. The Golden Knights were selected for the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight year and were awarded the number four seed.
Gannon defeated fifth-seeded Bloomsburg 2-0 in the opening round before the season came to an end with a 4-0 setback at Shepherd in the second round.
Petersen’s squad jumped out to 13-0-1 start and climbed as high as sixth in the national rankings. They would end the year 25th in the final United Soccer Coaches Div. II Top 25.
Seven Golden Knights earned All-PSAC West honors with six voted to the first team. Midfielder Ella Fadale would go on to earn United Soccer Coaches second team All-American accolades. She was a first team D2CCA All-American with Grace Emanuel named to the third team. The duo were a major reason Gannon posted the second-most goals in team history (61). Fadale also earned first team CSC Academic All- America® honors.
The Golden Knights finished at 16-2-4 in 2024, reaching the NCAA Sweet 16 for the second straight year. They were undefeated throughout the regular season, posting a 14-0-4 record and climbing to fifth in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 heading into the PSAC Tournament. The PSAC West regular season champions, Gannon hosted the PSAC Final Four while making a fourth straight appearance in the PSAC semifinals.
Unfortunately the Golden Knights were denied a chance at their third straight appearance in the championship game, dropping a 2-1 decision to Kutztown in the semifinals.
Gannon was awarded the second seed in the Atlantic Regional and hosted one of the two pods. The Golden Knights handled No. 7 seed Frostburg State 4-1 to earn a rematch with third seed Kutztown in the second round. Paige Taylor shocked the Golden Bears with just her second goal of the season with 28 seconds remaining in regulation for a 3-2 win.
The season came to an end in the Atlantic Regional championship match as top seed Shepherd, the PSAC champions, scored the lone goal of the match in the 74th minute to move on to the Elite Eight with a 1-0 win.
The Golden Knights captured numerous awards along the way. Emanuel was named a first team D2CCA All-American and also earned second team CSC Academic All-America® honors for her work in the classroom.
Eight Golden Knights were accorded All-PSAC West honors, with two players taking away major honors. Destinee Robertson was named the Defensive Player of the Year and Jessie Watkins was the Freshman of the Year.
Petersen also guided the 2023 Golden Knights to one of the finest seasons in Gannon women's soccer history. For his efforts he was named Gannon’s Coach of the Year. The Knights made an unforgettable run against top competition through the NCAA Tournament to win the Atlantic Regional title and advance to the Elite Eight. Petersen's team finished with a 17-5-3 overall record after placing second in the PSAC West with a 13-2-1 mark.
The Knights posted two wins in the PSAC Tournament to advance to the PSAC title game for the second consecutive year. West Chester used a late goal to pull out a 2-1 win over the Knights.
Gannon regrouped for the NCAA Tournament and reeled off three consecutive upsets to claim the Atlantic Regional title. The Golden Knights defeated rival Mercyhurst 1-0 in the first round and topped a tough Charleston (W.Va.) 3-1 to advance to the regional championship game. Gannon emerged with the title after tying West Chester 1-1 and then defeating the Golden Rams 5-4 on penalty kicks. In the Elite Eight, GU played a tough Adelphi team to a 0-0 tie for 85 minutes before Adelphi emerged with a 1-0 win on a late goal.
Brooklyn Respecki was named the PSAC West Freshman of the Year and seven Golden Knights earned All-PSAC West honors. Respecki was also selected the D2CCA Atlantic Region Player of the Year and she and Emauel earned D2CCA All-American honors.
Not to be outdone, the Golden Knights enjoyed one of their finest seasons ever in 2022, posting a 15-4-4 record, advancing to the PSAC Tournament championship game, and reaching the second round of the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional. Gannon won the PSAC West regular season crown with an 11-1-4 record.
The 15 wins were at the time the second-highest total in team history, and the Golden Knights came up just short of winning their first PSAC Championship. They would lose to a West Chester team that went on to finish as the national runner-up in the championship game.
Gannon went on to host one pod of the Atlantic Regional as the third seed and battle the elements and some strong competition. The opening round was played in a downpour as the Golden Knights subdued Fairmont State 3-0. The second round featured strong winds and snow, with an early Kutztown goal the difference in a 1-0 loss.
For his efforts Petersen was voted the PSAC West Coach of the Year, the fourth time he received the award and the second year in a row. Gannon captured three of the four major PSAC postseason awards, with Sarah Fails named the PSAC West Athlete of the Year and Fadale selected the Freshman of the Year.
Fails went on to earn third team United Soccer Coaches All-American accolades, the first Golden Knight to be named All-American since 2015.
Petersen led a resurgence in 2021 as the Golden Knights finished with a 12-4-3 record, including 11-2-3 in the PSAC West. The second seed out of the Western Division, Gannon outscored Slippery Rock 5-3 in a quarterfinal contest to reach the semifinals for the fifth time. They dropped a 1-0 decision to Millersville in the semifinals. That loss snapped a nine-game stretch which saw Gannon post eight wins and a tie.
Gannon would receive its fifth NCAA Tournament berth under Petersen. Seeded sixth in the Atlantic Regional, the Golden Knights dropped a 2-1 decision in overtime to third-seed Bloomsburg in the opening round.
Petersen was named the PSAC West Coach of the Year for the third time, after previously being selected in 2008 and 2015. The season included a 3-2 win over 11th-ranked Edinboro.
Through the years numerous Golden Knights have received postseason honors. The list includes six United Soccer Coaches All-Americans and ten D2CCA All-Americans, along with five PSAC Players of the Year, one PSAC Defensive Player of the Year, and five PSAC Freshmen of the Year. A total of 50 players have earned All-PSAC accolades, including 25 named to the first team. Five more players received All-GLIAC honors. In addition, Gannon has had 55 All-Region selections.
Petersen’s teams have excelled in the classroom, as well. Ten Golden Knights have been named CSC Academic All-America honors during his tenure. Emilie Hilliard was named to the Academic All-America® Second Team in 2024 by the College Sports Communicators after previously being named the PSAC Women’s Soccer Champion Scholar for the second consecutive year.
They captured the inaugural PSAC Women’s Soccer Top Team GPA Award in 2011 as its 3.505 grade point average was the best among all PSAC programs. In all, 226 PSAC Scholar Athlete awards have been handed out to Gannon women’s soccer student-athletes under Petersen’s guidance. That included an incredible 31 this past year.
The 2015 Gannon squad set the standard for victories with arguably the best season in school history at 18-3-0. The Golden Knights ran off 17 straight wins to open the season, climbing to number one in the NSCAA Division II Top 25 for four consecutive weeks while becoming just the third PSAC squad to win 17 matches in a row. It was the first number one ranking in program history.
Petersen's club spent two weeks as the only team at any level of the NCAA without a loss or tie, before falling at East Stroudsburg in the regular-season finale. The top seed in the PSAC West, Gannon hosted the PSAC Final Four and first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever. Unfortunately, Edinboro proved a stumbling block for the Knights. They handed Gannon a 3-1 setback in the PSAC Semifinals, and a week later won a 2-1 decision in overtime in the NCAA Atlantic Regional.
Petersen was named the 2015 NSCAA Atlantic Region Coach of the Year in addition to capturing PSAC Coach of the Year honors. He is the first women's soccer coach in school history to be named a regional coach of the year.
The 2015 team began a string of three years in a row that the Golden Knights reached the PSAC Semifinals. After doing so again in 2016 while finishing at 10-6-3, the 2017 team ended the year at 13-5-2. Gannon reached the PSAC Semifinals for the fourth time in the last five years while qualifying for the conference postseason tournament for the seventh straight year.
The Golden Knights went on to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The squad rose as high as 20th in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 while reaching 13 wins for the third time in five years. 0
One of the best campaigns in school history unfolded in 2012. The Knights went 13-4-2 overall and 10-3-1 in league play. In the process, Gannon set school single-season records at the time for victories (13), shutouts (12), fewest goals allowed (12) and fewest losses (4). The squad also achieved the highest national ranking in school history at the time when it was tabbed seventh in the NSCAA Top 25 Poll.
Gannon finished third in the PSAC regular-season standings, before falling in the conference quarterfinals via penalty kicks after battling to a scoreless tie against East Stroudsburg. The Knights went on to make the second NCAA Division II Tournament appearance in program history.
The initial appearance for the Gannon women’s soccer program in the NCAA Tournament occurred in 2009. The Knights battled Indiana (Pa.) to a scoreless tie, before the Crimson Hawks advanced to the second round via penalty kicks. The squad finished 10-7-2 overall.
In 2008, Gannon won the PSAC Western Division during its first season in the league. The squad finished 11-6-2 overall and 9-3-2 in conference play, equaling the second-highest victory total in school history and reaching double digits in victories for the first time since 1999. As a result, Petersen was named PSAC Western Division Coach of the Year.
Prior to 2002, Petersen was an assistant under former head coach Rob van Rheenen for two seasons. The men’s program posted a 13-21 record during those two years, while the women’s program was 4-13-1 during its only season under van Rheenen in 2001. Petersen also worked in the Gannon Admissions Office for two years (2000-01).
A native of Vereeniging, South Africa, Petersen was a four-year starter for the Golden Knights from 1993-96. Gannon advanced to the NCAA Final Four during his freshman season in 1993, losing to Southern Connecticut State in the semifinals.
He earned all-region accolades in 1993 and 1996. He was also named to the All-GLIAC first team during Gannon’s first two seasons in the league in 1995 and 1996. While playing forward, he is 11th all-time at Gannon in points (92), 11th in goals (35) and 13th in assists (22). His best season came during the 1993 campaign, when he recorded 13 goals, six assists and 32 points.
Petersen received his bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Gannon in 2000. He is married to the former Lia Lombardo, who was an outstanding player on the Gannon women’s soccer team. The couple resides in Erie with their four children, three of whom competed in athletics for the Golden Knights. Maddie was a member of the Gannon cross country team, while Charlie and Owen were members of the men’s soccer team. Lincoln is their youngest child at the age of nine.
Updated July 2026
