Tinashe Katsande and Shota Toyama
Bryce Dolak
0
Pitt.-Johnstown PITT (4-9-1, 2-7-1)
10
Winner Gannon GANN (16-0-2, 9-0-1)
Pitt.-Johnstown PITT
(4-9-1, 2-7-1)
0
Final
10
Gannon GANN
(16-0-2, 9-0-1)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Pitt.-Johnstown PITT 0 0 0
Gannon GANN 6 4 10

Game Recap: Men's Soccer | | Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Katsande, Pool Record Hat Tricks as No. 5 Gannon Posts Impressive Win over UPJ in Regular Season Finale

ERIE, Pa. – Tinashe Katsande (Norwich, England/Dereham Sixth Form College) and James Pool (Hastings, England/Claverham) each recorded hat tricks as the fifth-ranked Gannon men's soccer team wrapped up the regular season with an impressive 10-0 win over Pitt-Johnstown on Friday afternoon. The victory boosted Gannon to 16-0-2 on the season and 9-0-1 in the PSAC West, while UPJ concludes the year at 4-9-1 and 2-7-1, respectively.

This marks just the second time a Gannon team has finished the regular season without a loss. The 1983 team won its first 20 games before losing in the NCAA Tournament. The 16 wins are tied for the fifth-highest win total in a season.

The Golden Knights are the number one seed out the Western Division and will host the PSAC Final Four on Friday, November 10 at McConnell Family Stadium, with games at 3:00 and 6:00 p.m. The 2023 PSAC champion will be crowned on Sunday, November 12 with the PSAC Championship game at McConnell Family Stadium.

On Friday Katsande scored three times and added an assist for his second hat trick of the season. He previously scored four goals against Lock Haven. Pool also scored three times for the second time this year, the first coming against just over a week ago vs. Slippery Rock.

Six different players scored goals and eight had a hand in either a goal or an assist. Shota Toyama (Kanagawa, Japan/Tama) had a goal and four assists, with Sverre Orten (Orsta, Norway/Aalesund vgs) adding a goal and two assists. Rafa Hyde (São José dos Campos, Brazil) contributed a goal and an assist with Samuel burton also finding the back of the net. Pau Ferrer (Valencia, Spain/ISES Isabel de Villena) and Toby Gower (Norwich, England/Long Stratton) were credited with assists.  

Samuel Alarcon (Madrid, Spain/Colegio el Valle II) opened the game in goal and played the first 60-plus minutes before he was relieved by Mateo Lite (Huesca, Spain/IES Luis Bunuel). The two combined for Gannon's seventh shutout of the season as Gannon held a 40-1 advantage in shots.

Playing in gusting winds the game got off to a slow start despite Gannon dominating play. The Golden Knights finally broke the ice with Toyama's second goal of the season, assisted by Katsande at 22:09. Less than two minutes later Pool scored his first goal, assisted by Orten, and the lead grew to 3-0 on the first of back-to-back goals by Katsande.

Gannon's lead would grow to 6-0 at the half as Katsande, Orten and Burton scored, Burton's with just seconds remaining in the half. Gannon held a 21-0 advantage in shots in the first half.

Katsande opened the second half scoring two minutes into half with his 17th goal of the season and third of the match. Pool scored the next two goals to give the senior a hat trick and 16 goals on the season making it 9-0. Hyde added the final goal with just under eight minutes remaining.

The 10 goals are tied for the sixth-highest total in a match and gives Gannon 68 on the season. That ranks sixth all-time.

Katsande came into the match tied for fifth in Division II in goals and tied for second in points. He boosted those totals to 17 goals and 10 assists for 44 points. For his career the graduate student has 38 goals and 18 assists for 94 points. He now ranks 11th in career goals and 12th in career points. He passed current Gannon women's soccer coach Colin Petersen in career points on Friday.

Gannon now waits to see what happens in the PSAC Quarterfinals on Monday. The Golden Knights will play the winner of the Bloomsburg-West Chester match in Friday's semifinals. Bloomsburg is seeded second in the Eastern Division and West Chester third. Bloomsburg eliminated Gannon in the semifinals last year by a 3-2 score.
 
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