Fresh off a physical 52-46 loss to last year’s Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference champion, the Knights must quickly get ready for Saturday’s showdown with the nation’s 15th-ranked team. Both were slated to win their respective divisions in the PSAC preseason poll.

“East Stroudsburg is a tough, physical, strong team that likes to press the whole game,” coach John Reilly said. “We’re expecting a good, tough, physical game from IUP, like most of the teams we play.”

In addition to losing the game Sunday, the Knights also learned they’d lose the services of starting point guard Adam Blazek, who said he fractured a bone in his right hand Sunday. Blazek, who is left-handed, finished the game.

Blazek, last season’s PSAC Freshman of the Year, ranks second on the team, averaging 12.7 points per game. He is expected to miss about a month.

“It just means everybody else will play their best,” senior forward Darrell Blanton said. “We don’t feel any added pressure.”

Despite falling to East Stroudsburg and Blazek’s injury, the weekend wasn’t a total loss for the Knights, who defeated Kutztown University 67-56 Saturday at the Hammermill Center.

Gannon forced 18 turnovers and outrebounded the Bears 38-27. Blanton scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds.

Kutztown won the PSAC Eastern Division a season ago, but is just 1-5 to start this season.

Gannon (5-1 overall, 1-1 PSAC) dropped its first game Sunday when it went scoreless for the final six minutes, and the Warriors scored the game’s final nine points.

The Knights jumped out to a 9-2 lead before East Stroudsburg responded, taking a 26-25 lead at halftime.

In all, the Warriors and Knights exchanged leads four times in the second half. At the 6:12 mark, Gannon led 46-43, but the Warriors converted a 3-point play and eventually distanced themselves from the Knights, who missed seven shots and committed four turnovers during that stretch.

Gannon committed 21 turnovers Sunday, the third time the Knights had 20 turnovers in a game this season.

“We were too quick with our possessions; it’s going to take time,” Reilly said. “Everyone is going to work hard to get these ones fixed because turnovers are one of the most important stats.”

“A big part of our defense is causing turnovers,” Reilly said.

Gannon currently ranks first in the PSAC in scoring defense, allowing an average of just 55.2 points per game.

The Knights, who are in the middle of a nine-game home stand, are off to their best start since the 2008-09 Elite Eight team started 9-0, before also suffering its first loss to East Stroudsburg.

“Getting off to a good start does a lot for our confidence,” said Blanton, who led Gannon again Sunday with 19 points, including a thunderous alley-oop dunk on a pass from Robert Wilson. “It makes you feel good that you can win games by double-digits.”

After hosting IUP Saturday, Gannon will return to action Friday, Dec. 14, when it hosts the Porreco Cup, which began in 1967 as the Gem City Bowl. Last season, Gannon lost in the finals to Seton Hill University in double-overtime on a half-court shot that made ESPN’s SportsCenter’s Top 10.

“We have to get past IUP before we start worrying about the Porreco cup,” Blanton said.

JOE CUNEO

cuneo001@knights.gannon.edu

The Knights will play in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Championship match against Mercyhurst College at Southern New Hampshire University at 2:30 p.m. Friday.

Sophomore forward Robbie Bennett scored the first goal against Davis & Elkins off a pass by senior midfielder Tyler Hollingsworth in the 14th minute of the contest. Coach Rob van Rheenen said the goal helped Gannon play their game.

“Bennett’s goal settled the team down from our nervous and shaky start to the game,” van Rheenen said.

Gannon struck again in the first half with sophomore midfielder Alex Perri picking up the assist on junior defender Haffi Bjarnason’s goal in the 23rd minute. Gannon took a 2-0 lead into halftime.

Davis & Elkins scored its lone goal of the match in the second half from the foot of sophomore midfielder Wyatt Hill. Van Rheenen said that the team played well in the first half of the game but seemed to get pinned in their half of the field for most of the second period.

Junior goal keeper Jason Barbarino recorded a season-high 11 saves during the game.

Redshirt freshman Gavin Linsell said the team felt great after winning its first NCAA match. He also said the Knights are looking forward to their next matchup against their cross-town rival.

Linsell said that playing a familiar opponent will be beneficial because the team can focus on its shortcomings from the last encounter and make the corrections for a different outcome this time around.

The Knights lost to Mercyhurst, 4-2, in their final game of the regular season.

Van Rheenen said the game being played at a neutral venue will take the home field aspect out of it, but said he likes the Knights’ chances of moving deeper into the tournament.

Van Rheenen said he wants the seniors to end their careers on a high note. He also said the seniors don’t always receive the media publicity but they are the core that keeps the team together.

The Knights’ goal all season was to make it to the big dance and now that they have tasted success, anything is possible.

“Knock-out soccer tends to show which team wants it the most and which team is going to fight to the very end,” Linsell said.

Linsell said Gannon wants the win and will fight for it this Friday with kickoff scheduled for 2:30 p.m.

CONNOR SONDEL

sondel001@knights.gannon.edu

Gannon was awarded the top seed in the Atlantic Region and will host its NCAA match against the fourth-seeded Davis & Elkins Senators at 1 p.m. Sunday at Gannon University Field.

The Knights were bounced out of the PSAC Tournament with a 2-1 double-overtime loss to Slippery Rock University in their quarterfinal match Thursday.

Junior defender Ivan Tolic headed in the lone goal for Gannon from a cross delivered by redshirt freshman Gavin Linsell. Slippery Rock freshman midfielder Ryan Lutke netted the game-winning goal in the final minute of the second overtime period.

Slippery Rock goalkeeper Clayton Master registered seven saves while Gannon keeper Jason Barbarino made five stops.

“The team played hard against Slippery Rock but it wasn’t our day,” Alex Perri, a sophomore midfielder, said.

Coach Rob van Rheenen said the team worked hard and battled back to give themselves a chance to win.

“In the playoffs anything can happen and it was difficult to lose the game with only 39 seconds left on the clock after working so hard for the win,” van Rheenen said.

The team has now dropped its last three games, two to Slippery Rock and the other to Mercyhurst College.

“I feel that after losing our final three games that we are fortunate not only to receive a bid but host a game,” van Rheenen said.

Van Rheenen said the team’s No. 1 goal from the start of the season was to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. With this goal achieved, van Rheenen said this will be a great opportunity to prove themselves on a national level.

Davis & Elkins has a 14-3-2 overall record record. Gannon defeated the Senators 3-1 at home Sept. 9.

CONNOR SONDEL

sondel001@knights.gannon.edu

The team, which fell out of the national rankings Tuesday and is third in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference with a 6-3 record, lost to Mercyhurst University 4-2 Saturday.

The Knights had previously fallen to the PSAC’s Slippery Rock 2-1 on Oct. 24. The Rock sits in sixth place in the conference standings.

Despite their losses, the Knights secured their place in the upcoming Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). The conference tournament final four will take place Saturday and Sunday at Mercyhurst.

Defender Jonathan Simmons said the team had a good opportunity coming up in the PSAC tournament to end the season on a strong note and build toward next year.

“I am very optimistic with our chances,” Simmons said. “I don’t see any reason why we wouldn’t play well and not play to our potential to compete on the national level.”

The Knights’ coach, Rob van Rheenen, said that the team’s strongest asset was cohesiveness, which he hoped would show in the team’s upcoming games.

“Playoffs are always unpredictable, any team can beat another team any day,” van Rheenen said. “Sometimes it is that little bit of luck you need but it will always take a team effort.

“We need to find a way to win our next games.”

Senior midfielder Tyler Hollingsworth said he was very proud of the team’s performance this season and looking forward to its next games.

“I think we’re the best team in the PSAC but it’s just mental,” Hollingsworth said. “I don’t see why we should lose.”

HIBA ALMASRI

almasri002@knights.gannon.edu

The match came to its conclusion when redshirt freshman Gavin Linsell found senior midfielder Sean Washek in the 104th minute.

Senior midfielder Tyler Hollingsworth scored the first goal of the match from a cross by Linsell. Shippensburg’s lone goal of the contest came off a penalty kick converted by senior defender Sam Talbot.

The first 90 minutes ended with a level score and the game went into an initial overtime period with both team struggling to find scoring opportunities.

Coach Rob van Rheenen said that Washek’s goal was very important because it allowed the team to bounce back after a loss to California University of Pennsylvania, and put Gannon (12-2 overall, 6-1Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference) in position to reach its goal of competing in the NCAA tournament.

Van Rheenen said that junior goalkeeper Jason Barbarino did not face many quality shots on net the most recent match, but he played well while only giving up one goal scored by a penalty kick.

Van Rheenen said he was pleased with the uncharacteristic offensive contribution that Linsell added in his two-assist effort.

“He has played more as a defensive midfielder, which makes it more difficult to make an impact in the attack,” van Rheenen said.

Linsell said that he did not have his best game against Shippensburg, but he was pleased that he managed to snap out of it in the two important situations. Linsell’s touch and ball movement lifted the team to victory.

“I try to use my vision on the field to play to the best of my ability,” Linsell said.

Linsell also said that a strong finish to the season is vital. He said the final two games of the season are must wins because he believes if the Knights come up short, then Millersville University (9-6, 6-2),which is tied with Gannon for first place in the PSAC could possibly host conference tournament.

“We would like to host the tournament and have these teams come to our backyard,” Linsell said.

The Knights look to continue their success with a home PSAC match against Slippery Rock University at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. Gannon will follow by playing Mercyhurst 1 p.m. Saturday.

CONNOR SONDEL

sondel001@knights.gannon.edu

But the Knights’ bliss was soon interupted when they fell to California University of Pennsylvania by the score of 2-1 Tuesday. Gannon’s record fell to 11-2.

Senior forward Tyler Hollingsworth scored the only goal for the Knights in the second half, but by that time Cal was up 2-0.

However, coach Rob van Rheenen said  he liked the Knights’ effort.

“The boys played hard throughout the whole game,” he said. “We just needed to come out stronger at the beginning.”

The Knights’ PSAC record is now 5-1, currently good for first place in the conference.

Junior goalkeeper Jason Barbarino allowed two goals in the most recent game after registering two straight shutouts against Wheeling Jesuit University and Urbana University.

The Knights look to get back to their winning ways and close out their season with three consecutive PSAC games and will continue their conference action with an away game against Shippensburg University at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

The Knights are ranked sixth among all Division II programs and first in the PSAC. Robbie Bennett, Alex Perri, Sean Pike and Jason Barbarino have aided the team by earning PSAC player of the week honors this season.

The Knights had improved to 11-1 with a close win against Wheeling Jesuit University on Oct. 9. Bennett tallied his eighth goal of the season and the lone goal of the match from an assist by senior midfielder Sean Washek.

Washek said the Knights’ defecit Tuesday was to big too overcome.

“It’s not that we got beat because we didn’t work hard, its because we had a slow start and just couldn’t get back,” he said.

Bennett leads the Knights in scoring with eight goals and five assists. Four of Bennett’s eight goals have been game-winning scores for Gannon this season.

CONNOR SONDEL

sondel001@knights.gannon.edu

The Knights had a 3-0 win over Millersville University with goals from Robbie Bennett, Sean Pike and Alex Perri Friday. The following day senior forward Adam Sharbaugh scored a critical goal with only 11 minutes remaining against West Chester University to give the Knights a 1-0 victory.

Coach Rob van Rheenen said close victories have made the Knights believe that they are tough to beat when they work together. So far, the team is on an offensive assault, leading the PSAC in scoring with 25 scores in compiling a 9-0 record.

The Knights’ scoring effort has been spread out in the past few games, but Bennett has continued finishing opportunities and leading the team with seven goals and five assists.

Perri and Pike have been successful in manufacturing scoring opportunities and both have been productive scorers this season.

The strong defensive effort also contributed to the win over West Chester that improved the team’s PSAC record to 5-0. Van Rheenen said that after an initial struggle the defensive unit has improved in its communication and understanding of the team’s defensive scheme.

“We have three seniors starting in the back and a transfer student, so we have experience,” van Rheenen said.

The experience and improved communication enabled the defenders, with the help of the goalkeeper, to not allow a goal in the past three contests. Barbarino registered 13 saves this week and earned himself the PSAC Athlete of the Week honors.

Jonathan Simmons, a senior defender, said that the last three games have been encouraging for the defensive unit and noted that all 11 men on the field need to continue to focus on their defense to remain successful.

“I think that experience and depth have been key,” Simmons said. “A lot of us have been in this position before. My sophomore year we were a highly ranked team.”

Simmons said that the Knights believe when they play to their potential that they are capable of winning a conference championship and qualifying for the NCAA’s this season, but he also added that the team is taking it one game at a time.

Gannon will look to continue its winning ways with its next match at Ashland University 7 p.m. Thursday.

The Knights will follow it up with another non-conference match at Urbana University 1 p.m. Saturday.

CONNOR SONDEL

sondel001@knights.gannon.edu

Young talent, veteran leadership and strong coaching from Rob van Rheenen have been a recipe for a good start to the 2012-13 season. The Knights are coming off a losing season and are moving in the right direction to change the atmosphere around the team.

“The feeling of having to prove something was shared by myself and the coaching staff,” van Rheenen said.

The team has proven itself up to this point in the season and has earned the No. 9 overall ranking in the NSCAA Division II coaches’ poll. A big reason for the strong start is the goaltending performance from junior goalkeeper Jason Barbarino.

“Barbarino has been playing amazing; his shot stopping has really saved us during our last six games,” said Alex Perri, a sophomore midfielder.

The goalkeeper has been there when the team has needed him in the second half of games and his timely saves have been noticed and appreciated by the coach and team.

Van Rheenen said with players returning from their ineligibility or injuries the team will have no reason to make excuses this year. The Knights are quickly forgetting about last season because they have begun their PSAC schedule with a 3-0 record.

The theme of this year’s team has been resiliency and this point was emphasized with two comeback wins this past weekend— a 4-2 win over Bloomsburg University Saturday and a 3-1 victory over East Stroudsburg University Sunday.  The team also thrives in the second half of games, where they have registered 17 of their 20 goals.

The sophomore tandem of Robbie Bennett and Perri have been leading the scoring effort for the Knights with five goals respectively. The confidence from good freshmen seasons allowed the pair to make such a great impact in their second year.

“Rob and I have had a really positive attitude coming into the year knowing how much talent we have on the team and we just feed off of our teammates,” said Perri.

Tyler Hollingsworth, Adam Sharbaugh and Sean Pike balance out the scoring and offensive opportunities while adding veteran leadership to the team. van Rheenen said that he believes the players enjoy playing together as a team and it shows in the chemistry that the team has displayed in its perfect start to this season.

The defensive unit has played well, led by seniors Jonathan Simmons and Craige Dixon. These two are able to show the younger defenders the work ethic needed to be successful and the success has begun for this 2012-2013 season.

The Knights will play at Alderson-Broaddus College 3 p.m. Saturday.

CONNOR SONDEL

sondel001@knights.gannon.edu

The Gannon University soccer team scored twice late to defeat rival Mercyhurst College in Saturday’s 2-0 season finale win.

The win snapped a two-game losing streak to the Lakers, and left the Knights with a fresh taste in their mouths.

“It feels good to go out on a high note,” senior defender Mario Gastaldo said. “It would have definitely been better to make the playoffs, but any time you can beat your rival to end the season is a good win.”

Gannon’s win, coupled with the results from other conference matches on Saturday, eliminated the Lakers from the final spot in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference tournament. The win was a payback of sorts for the Knights, after Mercyhurst’s 1-0 win in 2010 dashed Gannon’s playoff hopes.

Coach Rob van Rheenen also increased his all-time Gannon wins mark to 150.

“It was a great way to finish an otherwise disappointing season,” he said. “The team worked hard and it was a good way to send off our seniors.”

Under the lights at Gannon University Field, some 485 fans braved the wet and rainy conditions to witness both teams struggle to get anything going on offense.

Gannon mustered only one shot, while Mercyhurst managed six in the first half.

Out of the locker room, the Gannon defense bent but did not break, as redshirt junior goaltender Michael Kickel made five second-half saves to deny the Lakers any scoring opportunity. Kickel, who finished with seven saves for the game, made a critical diving save in the 66th minute to keep the game scoreless.

Junior midfielder Sean Washek broke the game open 15 minutes later, when he beat the goalie off a pass from sophomore forward Faycal Benjelloun

After Kickel made another crucial save several minutes later, freshman forward Robbie Bennett took advantage of a vacated Mercyhurst defense and sealed the win with an unassisted breakaway.

In his first collegiate season, Bennett led Gannon with 12 goals and 29 points.

Gastaldo said the Knights executed their strategy well.

“We’ve struggled all year letting goals in, so our plan was to score on counter attacks off their shots,” he said.

Gannon finished the regular season at 7-9-2 overall and 3-5-1 in PSAC play, while Mercyhurst concluded with 10-7 and 4-5 marks.

Van Rheenen said he is disappointed with Gannon’s season, but he believes the Knights will bounce back.

“Anytime a program that is well supported in regards to scholarships finishes with a losing record, it is very disappointing,” he said. “Looking at the players returning for the fall of 2012, the future of the Gannon soccer program in my opinion is bright.”

JOE CUNEO

cuneo001@knights.gannon.edu

Gannon fell behind early Saturday at Slippery Rock’s Mihalik-Thompson Stadium, and could not recover. The loss officially eliminates the Knights from Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference playoff contention.

The scene was a familiar one for the Knights, as they once again dug themselves a hole they could not climb out of.

“It was a similar game as many of our other games,” coach Rob van Rheenen said. “We fall behind in a game and play catch up.”

Slippery Rock struck first when the Rock’s Alex Swartz intercepted a pass at midfield, streaked down the right sideline and beat junior goaltender Jason Barbarino and snuck the ball past the back post. The Rock took the goal advantage into the half.

Gannon had several chances but was unable to convert, as Slippery Rock goalie Clayton Master rejected four shots in the first half.

Shortly after the teams made their way out of the locker room, the Rock’s Austin Pierce took a pass from Cody Clark, and booted it into the net from 25 yards out. Slippery Rock added another goal in the 80th minute.

In the second half, Gannon tried to make up the deficit by taking more chances on offense, van Rheenen said.

“When SRU scored the second goal, we pushed players up into the attack and that left us open for counter attacks, which resulted in the third goal,” he said.

Junior Adam Sharbaugh prevented the Slippery Rock shutout, when he found the net shortly after the Rock’s final score.

The loss was the latest in a string of defeats, as the Knights’ late-season swoon continued. Since the Knights were last at .500 on Sept. 25, they have gone 1-3-1.

With one game remaining, the Knights will be relegated to the role of spoiler when they host rival Mercyhurst College Saturday.

The Knights, who stand 6-9-2 overall and 2-5-1 in PSAC play, can possibly eliminate the Lakers (10-6, 4-4) with a win and help from some other teams.

“Regardless of records, the Gannon-Mercyhurst game is always a special game,” he said. “With one more game and no chance of the playoffs, the Mercyhurst game will show again the mentality of our players and will give them another opportunity to prove to the coaching staff that they have what it takes to take the program back to the playoffs for the 2012 season.”

JOE CUNEO

cuneo001@knights.gannon.edu