WOMEN'S GOLF SEASON PREVIEW: Experienced Golden Knights Open 2026-27 With Championship Expectations

Women's Golf | 9/8/2026 12:45:00 PM ERIE, Pa. – Coming off a seventh consecutive PSAC championship, the Gannon women's golf team enters the 2026-27 season with a proven core, three returning All-PSAC performers and another opportunity to continue one of the conference's most successful runs. Director of Golf and head women's golf coach Scott Stano again leads a roster that blends experienced upperclassmen with several younger players. Gannon's 2026-27 roster features 11 golfers, including five seniors, two juniors, two sophomores and two freshmen. LeCureux Returns as Defending PSAC Champion Junior Alexandria LeCureux (Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston) headlines the Golden Knights after capturing the individual PSAC championship last season. LeCureux won the conference title at 11-over par and helped lead Gannon to its seventh consecutive PSAC team championship. She finished the 2025-26 campaign with a 78.5 scoring average over 27 rounds, recording six top-10 finishes and four top-five finishes. Her performance earned her First Team All-PSAC honors for the second straight season. Mateo Brings Proven Consistency Senior Cloe Mateo (Sabadell, Spain/Montcau la Mola) gives Gannon another established presence near the top of the lineup. Mateo led the Golden Knights with a 77.8 scoring average across 30 rounds and 13 tournaments last season. She posted seven top-five finishes and eight top-10 results, including a victory at the Vulcan Fire Classic, and placed sixth at the PSAC Championships. Mateo was named First Team All-PSAC for the third consecutive year. She enters 2026-27 as one of the most experienced players on a roster that also includes seniors Victoria Colmenares (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil/ICL Academy) , Jillian Gambino (Mayfield Village, Ohio/Mayfield) , Lia Macek (Erie, Pa./Mercyhurst Prep) and Samantha Turk (Euclid, Ohio/Villa Angela-St. Joseph) . Lopes Looks to Build on Strong Freshman Season Sophomore Anastasia Lopes (Noverasco di opera (MI), Italy/ISTITUTI DEAMICIS MILANO) returns after making an immediate impact during her first collegiate season. Lopes competed in 13 tournaments and 30 rounds in 2025-26, finishing with an 80.5 scoring average. She placed third at the PSAC Championships at 17-over par after spending a significant portion of the tournament in contention for the lead. Her performance earned her Second Team All-PSAC honors. With LeCureux, Mateo and Lopes all returning, Gannon brings back three players who earned All-PSAC recognition last spring. Experienced Roster Provides Depth Behind the three All-PSAC returners, the Golden Knights have a veteran group capable of competing for lineup spots throughout the season. Colmenares, Gambino, Macek and Turk all return as seniors, while Gunnhildur Gunnarsdóttir joins LeCureux in the junior class. Sophomore Sophia Reed (Estero, Fla./Estero) also returns after gaining experience during her freshman season. That experience gives Gannon depth around the top of the lineup as it looks to maintain its position atop the PSAC. Two Freshmen Join the Program Gannon adds two freshmen to the roster in Cristina Carrasco (Barcelona, Spain/CEEDCV) and Madi Peterson (Rockwood, Mich./Oscar A. Carlson) . Carrasco comes to Erie from Barcelona, Spain, while Peterson joins the program from Rockwood, Mich. Carrasco will immediately get an opportunity in the team lineup during the season-opening tournament. Championship Tradition Continues Gannon has established itself as the standard in PSAC women's golf. The Golden Knights entered last season having already won six consecutive conference championships before extending that streak to seven in 2025-26 behind LeCureux's individual championship performance.