LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - Gannon's Bautista Corti (Manuel Alberti, Argentina/Adultos 2000) was honored as the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference's (PSAC) Western Division Defensive Athlete of the Year on Thursday afternoon when the league office announced its all-conference honors and men's soccer major awards for the 2021 season.
 
In addition, five Golden Knights were named to the PSAC West All-Conference teams, including Corti, Sergio Del Castillo (Madrid, Spain) and Joe Knox (Gold Coast, Australia/The Southport School) as first team selections. Toby Gower (Norwich, England/Long Stratton) and Bek Nurlanbek (Almaty, Kazakhstan/Loughborough College) were both second team selections.
 
Corti, a freshman from Manuel Alberti, Argentina, was honored as the league's top defender after leading a Golden Knight defense that ranked 28^th in the country in goals against average (0.915) during the 2021 season. Gannon also had seven shutouts and ranked 25^th in the country in goal differential (+20) during the regular season. Corti also chipped in on offense with two assists and 10 shot attempts this season. Corti was a two-time PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week this season (10/4/21, 10/18/21).
 
Del Castillo, a redshirt junior from Madrid, Spain, was selected as a first-team midfielder after finishing first on the team in goals and points scored (26) this season. Del Castillo finished the year with 11 goals and four assists, including four game-winning goals. He took 30 shots that were on-target this season. Del Castillo ranks 27^th in NCAA Division II in total points, 26^th in total goals and seventh in shots per game (4.32). He scored game-winning goals against Lock Haven (9/8/21), California (PA) (10/2/21), Daemen (10/20/21) and Seton Hill (10/30/21). Del Castillo was the 2019 PSAC West Freshman of the Year and was also a second team All-PSAC selection that season.
 
Knox, a redshirt senior from Gold Coast, Australia, was Gannon's third first-selection as a forward. Knox finished fourth on the team in points this season with 12. Knox was third on the team with five goals and also added two assists. He had 15 shots on goal this season and scored a trio of game-winning goals against Slippery Rock (10/6/21), Pitt-Johnstown (10/9/21) and Cal U (10/23/21). Knox was the PSAC West Offensive Athlete of the Week on Oct. 11.
 
Gower, a redshirt sophomore from Norwich, England, was a second team All-PSAC West pick as a defender after helping Gannon rank in the in the top 30 in the country in goals against average and goal differential this season. The Gannon defense also put together seven clean sheets on the year and allowed one goal of less 14 times this year. Gower also chipped in on offense with one goal and three assists. Gower was the PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week on Oct. 25.
 
Nurlanbek, a senior from Almaty, Kazakhstan, was also named to the second team as a midfielder for Gannon. Nurlanbek finished third on the team in scoring this season with 14 points, scoring three goals and adding a team-high eight assists. His eight assists ranked fourth in the PSAC and 21^st in NCAA Division II. He scored goals against Ashland (9/10/21), District of Columbia (9/12/21) and Daemen (10/20/21).