Gateway grad Emily Mannion earns PSAC postseason honors at IUP

Emily Mannion hoped to make the most of a new opportunity this fall on the IUP women’s soccer team.

The Gateway graduate and Crimson Hawks sophomore midfielder, who transferred from Clarion after one season, got her chance to shine, and she took full advantage.

She scored four goals, one in each of four victories, and helped control the midfield for a young IUP team that improved throughout the season, qualified for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament for the first time since 2019, and earned a spot in the NCAA Division II playoffs.

For her efforts throughout the season, she recently was voted a PSAC West first-team all-star.

“I am just so incredibly grateful, I can’t even put it into words,” said Mannion, who joined four of her teammates on the first team.

“We were all sitting in the locker room when we found out. It was a rush of realizing just how much the hard work I put in paid off. It’s such an honor to have all the other coaches see me as worthy to be on the first team.”

Mannion played in 14 of Clarion’s 18 games in 2023 and made 10 starts while also working through an injury. The Golden Eagles went 4-10-4 overall and 4-9-3 in the PSAC.

She took 14 shots and recorded two goals to go along with two assists.

“Overall, it was a good experience as I got to learn a lot about college soccer,” Mannion said.

“It definitely was a grind. It took a lot of hard work and understanding that not all games are going to go your way, even if you work your hardest.”

The nutrition major said she knew it was time to make a change.

“Unfortunately, (Clarion) just wasn’t fitting for me, more so academically, so I decided to go elsewhere,” Mannion said. “It was definitely a tough decision. It took a lot of thinking. But overall, it was a great experience for me at Clarion. The team was amazing. They gave me a really good first look into college soccer.”

IUP was one of the schools Mannion looked at during the recruiting process coming out of Gateway. She said the school and soccer program this time around checked off all the boxes, including the chance to play under the tutelage of veteran coach Noreen Herlihy.

“It was 100% the environment that the coaches and players made me feel,” Mannion said. “I felt at home. I was immediately part of their family. I knew that as soon as I walked on campus, with everyone’s energy, I knew I was going to be part of something that was up and coming. I knew I wanted to be a part of that.

“I knew about how much work coach Herlihy had done throughout the PSAC and at Akron. I was so excited to see her coaching style in person. She is so calm and composed, and she makes a positive out of everything. There is never a negative. She is so motivating.”

Mannion said the success started from the first workout with the team before preseason practices began.

“My goal before the start of the season was to just become better and make sure that I was working hard and also pushing my teammates to their full potential,” she said.

Mannion faced her former team for the first time Sept. 11.

The home game for the Crimson Hawks was a winning one. She didn’t record any shots that day, but she worked her magic in the midfield to help lead IUP to a 2-0 victory in its PSAC opener.

“I had to really work hard at putting my emotions away for the game,” Mannion said

“But after the game, all my former Clarion teammates came up and gave me a big hug and let me know I was still a big part of their family even through we weren’t no longer on the same team. They were excited for me that I could find a new home that worked for me. That really meant a lot.”

Mannion recorded a shot in the rematch at Clarion on Oct. 16. While she didn’t score a goal in that game, the Crimson Hawks again were victorious over the Golden Eagles, 2-0.

Herlihy said she saw Mannion’s work ethic show through right from the start and that it continued as her on-field talents were on display.

“Her skill set is such to where she can win the ball quite well and then is good on the dribble and breaking those lines in the midfield. That is a good asset to have,” Herlihy said.

“She’s not just win it and pass it. She complements the other midfielders really well.”

IUP finished conference play 9-1-4. The PSAC tournament run, however, was a short one as it suffered a 2-1, double-overtime loss to Slippery Rock in the quarterfinals.

“That game was really rough for us,” Mannion said. “It was a battle the whole game. It was back and forth. We thought we were going to at least get to (penalty kicks), and then in the last minute of the double overtime, we got caught off guard, and they got a breakaway and scored. It was heartbreaking. We were so close, and we knew we deserved to go on.”

Despite the PSAC loss, IUP wasn’t done as its body of work throughout the season was good enough to make the NCAA tournament as an at-large qualifier.

But for the second time in as many games, IUP experienced double-overtime heartbreak. This time, it was at West Virginia State, 2-1, in a first-round contest.

The Crimson Hawks finished the season 11-3-4 overall.

“Those games and all that I experienced this season give me so much motivation to move on and work hard to get ready for next year,” Mannion said.

“It’s just the motivation of never wanting to have those feelings again. But there also is that good feeling of seeing how much hard work we put in before and during the season to meet a lot of our goals and to have that winning mindset.”