ERIE, Pa. (Oct. 15, 2015) – Halle Hammer scored the winning goal less than two minutes into overtime to send Edinboro into the Sweet Sixteen for the first time ever with a 2-1 win over Gannon on Sunday at McConnell Family Stadium. The two were playing in the NCAA Division II second round. The victory boosted Edinboro to 15-7-1 while Gannon's season comes to an end at 18-3-0. The 15 victories ties the school record previously set by the 2011 team.
 

"I almost started crying," admitted head coach Gary Kagiavas, Edinboro's only head coach since the program's inception in 1996, when the game ended. "I was looking at the kids, and they had played 90 minutes and were hurting. The kids were cramping up and were sore. I can't tell you how much character this team has. They are so mentally strong. I'm speechless."
 
The Fighting Scots now move on to face East Stroudsburg in the Atlantic Regional championship game in the third round of the NCAA's in Bridgeport, CT in a very unlikely regional final. A week ago the two met in the PSAC Championship Game, with East Stroudsburg claiming its second straight PSAC title with a 2-1 victory in overtime. At the time, Edinboro was the fourth seed in the tournament and East Stroudsburg seventh.  
 
The exact date and time of the contest will be announced later, although it is anticipated the two will meet in the rematch on Friday, November 20. The winner of the Edinboro-ESU game then faces the winner of the East Regional final between Bridgeport and Adelphi two days later with a trip to the Final Four on the line.
 
Edinboro entered Friday's first round game against Charleston(WV) without a victory in three previous NCAA playoff appearances. Playing in brutal conditions, the Fighting Scots advanced on penalty kicks after tying Charleston, 0-0, in two overtimes.
 
That brought up a rematch with Gannon, the top seed and a team that had been ranked number one in the country for a number of weeks.  Unlike Friday's game, the weather this team featured sunny skies and pleasant temperatures.
 
The two teams battled through a scoreless first half, with Edinboro holding an 8-5 lead in shots while playing with a 10 mph. winds at their back.
 
After 62 minutes without a goal, the two teams exchanged goals in a span of 24 seconds. Edinboro opened the scoring on a breakaway as Jansen Hartman fed Ashley Mutkus on the far ride side. Mutkus took a few dribbles and blasted a shot from twenty yards out into the upper left corner of the net past a diving Shannon Differ.
 
The goal, coming at 62:14, was the seventh of the season for Mutkus, who sat out the first round game against Charleston(WV) with an injury.
 
Gannon came right back and knotted the score at 1-1 when Mani Brueckner, the PSAC Athlete of the Year, headed a pass from Sammy Valloud into the net, beating goalkeeper Sarah Baskey. Brueckner's goal came at 62:38.
 

While neither team would score the rest of the way, there was still plenty of action. Gannon would keep the play in Edinboro's end for the most part, and held an 11-2 edge in shots.
 
Edinboro was now playing in its third straight overtime game on Gannon's field. The overtime began with Alex Brown's shot being stopped by Differ. Moments later Edinboro had the ball again on a rush up the field, and this time they would not be denied.
 
Hartmann dribbled the ball up on the left wing and snuck a pass between two defenders to Hammer. The freshman made a sliding kick past Differ, who came out to defend. It rolled past Differ into the righty side of the net, sending the Fighting Scots into a frenzy for the second time in three days.
 
Gannon would end with a 16-12 edge in shots, and had 10 corner kicks to just two for the Scots. Baskey finished with another strong contest in goal with 7 saves.  In the process, she broke the school record for wins in goal in a season with 13. Differ had 3 saves for the Lady Knights.
 
Hartmann continues to add top her total, as she now has 12 goals and 9 assists for 33 points. She moved into third place in both season points and assists, along with standing fourth in goals. She now has 75 career points, which ranks seventh, while ranking second in career assists (23) and eighth in career goals (26).
 
Kagiavas singled out the play of his defenders following the match. "You know the thing is the defense is so organized," he pointed out. "They don't get the credit they deserve. Jess Sandhas shut down the conference's best player. Colleen Brodman, Shannon Regan, you never hear anything about them. Abby Gillespie is a freshman back there."
 
At the same time, it was a tough day for Kagiavas, who is a Gannon graduate and close friends with Gannon head coach Colin Petersen. "It's bittersweet," he admitted. "It's my alma mater and Colin and I are good friends. I feel for Colin. At the same time, I feel ecstatic for the kids."