BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – When a player is as in-form as Gannon University's Tinashe Katsande (Norwich, England/Dereham Sixth Form College), they can be almost impossible to stop. Bloomsburg University found that out firsthand on Wednesday evening, trying its best but could not overcome a hat trick from Katsande and an additional goal from Sergio Del Castillo (Madrid, Spain/) as the No. 21-ranked Golden Knights picked up their second straight shutout victory, 4-0. Gannon improves its overall record to 6-1 while Bloomsburg suffers its third consecutive loss after starting the season 6-0.
 
Gannon threatened in the very first minute of the game, as an unassuming ball in the midfield was volleyed ahead by Joe Knox (Gold Coast, Australia/The Southport School), hoping Katsande could run onto it. Not only did Katsande get there, but he zoomed past the Bloomsburg back line and calmly finished past the keeper for the 1-0 lead and his sixth goal of the season (including scoring in five of the team's last six games.)
 
The Golden Knights almost added a second goal in the 37^th minute, when a Bek Nurlanbek corner kick was whipped into the box and somehow found a completely unmarked Sergio Del Castillo (Madrid, Spain/). Del Castillo headed it down and tried to bounce it in past Bloomsburg's Nigel McQueary, but he got there in time to make the save. Del Castillo wouldn't have to wait long to get on the scoresheet, though. In the 40^th minute, a free kick deep in Gannon's defensive half was launched ahead by Bautista Corti (Manuel Alberti, Argentina/Adultos 2000) right to Del Castillo, who fired it off the far post and into the net to make the game 2-0.

Bloomsburg almost got a goal back in the 42^nd minute, when Salvatore Ficarotta created some space and fired on frame, but Gannon goalkeeper Maximiliano Rocco (Florence, S.C.) made a great diving save to his right to deny the chance and keep the clean sheet intact.

Gannon again would strike in the 44^th minute when Herman Aanberg's (Hamar, Norway/Wang Toppidrett Oslo) exceptional dribbling allowed him to beat two Bloomsburg defenders and thread a perfect through ball to Del Castillo. Sergio made the unselfish centering pass to a sprinting Katsande—whose first shot attempt was saved—but he charged onto the rebound and headed it over the keeper for his second goal of the game and a 3-0 lead at the half.
 
More dribbling exploits were on display in the 73^rd minute, this time from Katsande on the counterattack. He collected the ball near midfield, dribbled through the Huskies' defense, and smashed it home from fifteen yards out to secure his hat trick and a 4-0 advantage.  Katsande's eight total goals this season have already matched and exceeded his entire career total of six prior to this season (four in 2019 and two in the spring of 2021.)
 
Gannon's 6-1 start to the 2021 campaign equals its best in the last nine seasons—the 2019 team also began that season 6-1, while both pale in comparison to 2012's 9-0 beginning.
 
The Golden Knights do not have to wait long to get back on the pitch, with the first PSAC West action of the fall season coming up on Saturday, Oct. 2 at 1:00 p.m. at California (Pa.)