Published Oct. 13, 2012 on www.GannonSports.com

The Gannon men’s soccer team clinched its first-ever Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament berth Saturday without even playing. It will be the Golden Knights’ first postseason berth since they entered the conference prior to the 2008 season.

Gannon currently sits in first place among PSAC teams with a perfect 5-0 conference record. The Golden Knights own a three-point lead over Mercyhurst and Millersville.

The top six teams qualify for the postseason tournament with the top two squads earning a first-round bye. The top seed will host the PSAC Final Four. The PSAC Quarterfinals pit the sixth seed at the third seed and the fifth seed at the fourth seed.

Gannon will be participating the postseason for the first time since 2007 when it captured the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Tournament and regular-season championships. The squad also qualified for the NCAA Division II Tournament that season, falling at top-ranked Northern Kentucky during the first round.

Head coach Rob van Rheenen’s squad is currently ranked 10th in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Top 25 Poll and second in the NSCAA Atlantic regional rankings. The first NCAA Division II regional rankings of the season are scheduled to be released Wednesday, October 17. The NCAA regional rankings determine national postseason bids while the NSCAA regional rankings are determined by the coaches and have no impact on postseason bids.

Published Oct. 13, 2012 on www.GannonSports.com