The Gannon University men’s soccer team came up on the short end of a 2-0 decision in a non-conference match against Cedarville University Tuesday night in Cedarville, Ohio.
The loss left the Knights with an overall record of 2-5 heading into their next battle, a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference meeting at Millersville on Oct. 3.
Gannon picked up its first PSAC win of the season over the weekend, beating East Stroudsburg 4-1, before falling to West Chester the following day, 1-0.
The Knights started off strong in their PSAC opener against East Stroudsburg.
Within the first 20 minutes of play, redshirt junior Gavin Linsell set the tone for the rest of the game with a direct kick to the net’s upper left corner.
Gannon kept its momentum moving, leading to a goal by redshirt sophomore Connor Pletz less than 15 minutes later, and another shortly thereafter by redshirt sophomore Nick Stephenson.
Early in the second half, East Stroudsburg got its game together and started making moves that set Casey Albino up for a goal in the lower left side of the net on a shot from around 25 yards out.
This goal did not deter the Knights at all, as they kept the pressure high and the ball moving over the next 30 minutes.
With 8 minutes remaining, Gannon senior Robbie Bennett received a cross pass from Stephenson and put it in the net, making the final score 4-1.
Saturday’s game at home against West Chester proved to be a bit more challenging for the Knights, but they didn’t go without a fight.
With a halftime score of 0-0 and 15 shots on goal, Gannon stayed persistent, keeping West Chester off the board until 20 minutes into the second half, when Max Adarkwah scored off of a deflected pass by one of his teammates.
Gannon kept up the pressure, ensuring no more West Chester goals were scored, but the Knights were unable to score any of their own, sealing a final score of 1-0, and splitting their PSAC record 1-1.
Despite being shut out in two of their previous three games, the Knights have shown some spark offensively, launching 16 shots in the win over East Stroudsburg.
“Error reduction, relentless defense, tough serving and great ball control are what often separate us.”
Junior Lynne Hibbard said she and her teammates certainly want to keep their success going as the season moves along.
“Overall we play to win in every set and everyone plays with confidence,” Hibbard said. “And that is what has led us to a pretty good start.”
Gannon only went into extra sets once over the weekend, against Kutztown University, en route to a 3-1 victory.
Cheyney, West Chester and East Stroudsburg were all swept by the Knights 3-0.
A continued focus and determination will be needed as the Knights head into PSAC West conference play.
Gannon will host Slippery Rock at 7 p.m. Friday at the Hammermill Center and then entertain rival Edinboro at 2 p.m. Saturday
The two teams come into this weekend with a combined 21-4 record and are tied with Gannon atop the PSAC West.
ADAM BLAZEK
