The Shippensburg University women’s soccer team bested Gannon University, 3–2, in a physical matchup between the two Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) teams. The Golden Knights controlled the tempo early on Friday’s gloomy afternoon and jumped out to a quick 2–0 lead off goals by Aesling McCullough and Hannah Hays in the third and sixth minutes, respectively.
SU rallied quickly, however, with midfielder Beth McGee shooting and scoring off an assist from fellow midfielder K.K. O’Donnell at the 10-minute mark. The goal was McGee’s first of the season, while O’Donnell grabbed her third assist. O’Donnell got a goal of her own — her second of the year — later in the half off an assist from midfielder Keegan White to knot it up at two goals apiece. Forward Chloe Flemion tapped in a goal off a deflection at the 39-minute mark to cap off the action in the first half and complete the comeback for the Raiders, who now owned the 3–2 lead.
K.K. O’Donnell played a huge role in helping the Raiders defeat PSAC rival Gannon University. She totaled one goal and one assist while putting up three shots on goal on Wednesday. O’Donnell — a freshman midfielder — has been a key part of the Raiders’ offense, totaling two goals and three assists so far this season.
The second half of the game turned into a defensive clinic for SU with Gannon threatening to score on several occasions, but the Raiders came up big on defense when needed and kept the Golden Knights at bay. Raiders goalkeeper Delaney Shifflett tallied a career-high 14 saves in the win. Gannon outshot SU with a total of 27 shots in the game compared to SU’s 12. The Raiders only had seven shots on goal, but converted three of those opportunities for the win.
The match was physical throughout with a lot of pushing and shoving between both teams. There were also arguments with the referees about questionable fouls or a lack of fouls called during the day.
Golden Knights coach Colin Peterson received a red card and was ejected late in the second half after his team was not awarded a penalty kick after a possible foul in the penalty box. This kept the confidence and momentum on SU’s side as the Raiders remained solid in defense in the final minutes to secure the crucial win.
The win for SU moves the team to 5–1 on the season (4–1 PSAC) while dropping Gannon to 4–3 (3–3 PSAC).
The Slate welcomes thoughtful discussion on all of our stories, but please keep comments civil and on-topic. Read our full guidelines here.