ERIE, Pa. - The Millersville men's soccer team fell short of the PSAC title following a 2-1 loss to Gannon.
The PSAC Championship featured representatives from both the East and West divisions. Gannon generated the early pressure, forcing goalkeeper Gavin Massimi to make a crucial save eight minutes in to keep the match scoreless. The redshirt freshman delivered a strong first half, coming up with multiple key stops when the Golden Knights broke through for quality looks.
Millersville soon built momentum on the attack as Brian O'Neill recorded the first shot on goal for the Marauders, followed shortly after by an attempt from Alex Delavan. In the 30th minute, Millersville struck first when Juan Ortiz Escobar found Zander Leik, who finished for his third goal of the tournament to give the Marauders a 1-0 lead.
Gannon responded quickly, pushing downfield to create an opportunity of its own. An accidental handball in the box by Millersville awarded the Golden Knights a penalty kick, which they converted to even the match at 1-1 despite Massimi guessing correctly on the attempt. The score remained tied heading into halftime.
The second half opened with both teams searching for the go-ahead goal. Gannon tested Massimi early, but he turned away each chance. With 20 minutes remaining, however, the Golden Knights broke past the Marauder back line and capitalized to take a 2-1 lead.
Millersville continued to press in the final stretch. Ortiz generated the first of several late scoring chances, but his shot was saved by the Gannon goalkeeper. Leik followed with another attempt that missed wide. The Marauders earned five corner kicks in the final 17 minutes but were unable to convert. Millersville ultimately fell 2-1 as Gannon secured its first PSAC title.
Millersville now turns its attention to Monday's NCAA Selection Show, where the Marauders will learn their first-round opponent.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
- Leik scored the lone goal for Millersville
- Ortiz earned the assist
- Massimi recorded 8 assists
THOUGHTS FROM HEAD COACH STEVE WIDDOWSON
- It didn't end the way the team hoped-how did you think the guys played right up to the final minute after conceding that last goal? "I thought we continued to battle and make something happen right up until the final second. We had time after they took the lead but we just didn't quite create enough good opportunities today and when we did, we didn't quite execute as well as we could."
- How can the loss motivate the boys for the opening round of the NCAA Tournament? "Hopefully we can quickly put the disappointment of today behind us and refocus our energies to extending the season as long as possible. As much as we would have loved to win today, we should still be very proud of what we were able to achieve this season. We should be motivated now to get back out on the field again and prove that we aren't just one of the best teams in the PSAC but also in our super region. Today is just part of our journey and this team still has a long and successful journey ahead of them both in this season and then also in 2026."
