Gwynedd Valley, Pa. – (9/4/2026) – The Gwynedd Mercy University (2-0) women's soccer team continued its strong start to the 2026 season Friday evening, using goals from junior midfielder
Casey Thomas (Philadelphia, Pa.) and junior midfielder
Anna Nicosia (Columbus, N.J.) along with another shutout performance from sophomore goalkeeper
Zoe Davis (Riverside, N.J.) to defeat Penn State Brandywine (1-1), 2-0, at the Athletic Complex.
Griffin Highlights:
- Gwynedd Mercy controlled the offensive tempo for much of the contest, finishing with a commanding 16-5 advantage in shots and an 8-5 edge in corner kicks. The Griffins limited Penn State Brandywine to only three shots on goal while generating six of their own.
- The Griffins began creating opportunities almost immediately. Senior midfielder Jordyn Fregia (Levittown, Pa.) sent a header wide in the sixth minute before senior midfielder Rebecca Gordon (Sicklerville, N.J.) produced back-to-back attempts in the 12th and 13th minutes. Sophomore forward Michelina Soroka (Hatboro, Pa.) added two more opportunities shortly after entering the match, including a header in the 19th minute, as Gwynedd Mercy continued to put pressure on the Brandywine defense.
- That pressure paid off at 26:05. Just minutes after checking into the contest, Thomas found the back of the net off an assist from Nicosia to put the Griffins ahead, 1-0. It was Thomas' first goal of the season and gave Gwynedd Mercy an advantage it would never surrender.
- The Griffins continued searching for more before halftime. Freshman midfielder LaNya Bracero (Palmyra, N.J.) put a shot on goal in the 37th minute, forcing a save from Brandywine goalkeeper. On the other end, Davis stopped both shots she faced in the opening period.
- Gwynedd Mercy remained aggressive after the break. Nicosia recorded consecutive attempts early in the second half before the Griffins earned a pair of corner kicks. The junior midfielder eventually provided the insurance goal at 62:11, finding the back of the net to extend the Gwynedd Mercy advantage to 2-0. After assisting on the game's opening goal, Nicosia's second-half tally gave her a three-point performance.
- Nicosia led the Gwynedd Mercy attack with four shots, a goal, and an assist, while Thomas scored on her lone attempt. Gordon, Soroka, and Bracero each recorded three shots as the Griffins received offensive contributions throughout their lineup.
- The Griffin defense was equally impressive. Davis played all 90 minutes in goal and finished with three saves, earning her first individual shutout of the season. Gwynedd Mercy's defense held Penn State Brandywine to just five total shots and three on goal, preserving the clean sheet.
Gwynedd Mercy is back on Tuesday, September 8, when the team travels to Ursinus College with a scheduled 7:30 p.m. kickoff.
