BR-76 Gannon University is on the rise in the D2 Women’s Soccer field, thanks in large part to forward Mani Brueckner.
The senior attacker tallied three goals and one assist in the Golden Knights’ first two games to lead the squad to a 2-0 record entering their 2015 campaign. In the team’s opener against BR-137 Walsh, Brueckner scored the game-winning goal unassisted to snap a 1-1 tie and start the season off on a high note as the squad came out on top 3-1.
In its second contest against BR-155 Seton Hill, the Pennsylvania native found the back of the net twice in a 3-1 win. The final goal of the two-game series put Brueckner in the record books at Gannon, making her the second player in program history to record 100 career points, joining Amanda Sharbaugh as the only other Golden Knight to accomplish the feat.
Brueckner now had 31 goals and 38 assists (a program record) and can add another ECAC Offensive Player of the Week and PSAC Player of the Week awards to her resume — which she won in Week 1 for her performance over the two-game span.
This isn’t the first time that Brueckner has turned heads, though. Even as a freshman, the Golden Knights knew that they had a special athlete on the roster as Brueckner earned the PSAC Athlete of the Year and PSAC Freshman of the Year awards. She was also named to the NSCAA All-American Second Team. All the way back in high school at Mars Area she was named to the All-State, All-Conference and All-Section teams during both her junior and senior seasons.
Next up for Gannon is BR-123 Bloomsburg on Friday and BR-32 West Chester on Saturday. Keep an eye on this senior throughout the season. She’s sure to make waves throughout the PSAC and will undoubtedly add more points to her career total over the course of the 2015 campaign. Sharbaugh’s school record of 124 career points, obtained from 2008-11, isn’t too far off and it’s feasible for Brueckner to eclipse the mark this year if she stays on her current pace.
