November 14, 2025/Midnight
Erie, PA. — The Gannon Golden Knights women’s soccer team fell in the PSAC Quarterfinal to the Shepherd University Rams on Tuesday night. Gannon’s offense produced 16 shots, but Shepherd goaltender Hannah Wilt was perfect in the shutout victory. The Golden Knights entered the postseason tournament ranked ninth.
It was a low-scoring first half of postseason soccer as neither team could find a goal 30 minutes into the game. Gannon’s first scoring opportunity came after 15 minutes when Brooklyn Respecki’s shot on goal was saved, keeping it scoreless. A short time later, Grace Emanuel had another chance to score but could not connect. With just over five minutes in the half, Shepherd’s Reagan Ackermann broke the tie to put the Rams ahead by one. The Golden Knights trailed 1-0 at halftime.
The chilly evening continued after a short break as Gannon attempted to find an equalizer. A corner kick by Emanuel provided a few chances including a shot by Respecki with less than six minutes left that just went wide near the post. Moments later, Josie Beezel found a breakaway, dribbled around, and scored Shepherd’s second goal of the night.
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Despite 11 shots in the second half, Gannon could not find the back of the net. The Rams would hold on for a 2-0 upset victory on the road. Emanuel and Respecki each led the team with three shots, while Gannon’s defense held Shepherd to only three total shots.
The Golden Knights fell to 15-2-2 on the campaign with the team’s first loss since Oct. 25. Gannon will learn on Monday, Nov. 12 if they qualify for the NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer Tournament. The NCAA Selection Show takes place at 6:30 p.m. that night.