CLARION, Pa. – The Golden Eagle soccer team struck first, but they were unable to hold off Gannon as the Golden Knights claimed a 4-1 victory at Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Clarion (2-4-1, 2-4-1 PSAC West) and Gannon traded scoring chances for much of the early parts of the game, but the Golden Knights ultimately cashed in late to seal the win.

The start of the game saw both teams exchanging chances, with Clarion and Gannon each forcing the issue offensively and putting their opposing goalkeepers to the test. The Golden Eagles made their mark on the scoresheet first, starting on a free kick and featuring an exceptional individual effort in the 11th minute. Gannon’s Leah Bermudez was whistled for a foul near midfield, giving Clarion the chance to set up a in Golden Knight territory.

The initial touch went to Alexis Moyer on the left wing, and the two-time All-PSAC defender worked her way through a host of Golden Knights to gain deep penetration in the Gannon end. Moyer then connected with Jaci Bowser on a cross-field pass, as Bowser cut in from the back side and put the ball behind keeper Kennedy Solymosi to make it 1-0.

Taylor Lewis responded 19 minutes later with the first of her two goals on the day, converting a pass from Logan Nicklas and beating Alex Velez to tie the game at 1-1. Clarion continued to put the pressure on the Golden Knights, nearly converting a couple chances with players cutting deep. The most dangerous of these opportunities came near the end of the first half, when Abby Sullivan slipped past two defenders and walked in alone on Solymosi. Sullivan fired from close range but Solymosi guessed correctly, making the stop to keep the game tied entering the break.

Gannon controlled much of the game for the rest of the way, with Lewis breaking the tie on a skillful header in the box in the 57th minute to make it 2-1. Kayla Bevacqua and Megan McCartney added tallies down the stretch to lock it up.