Men's Soccer Major Awards

Men's Soccer Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Colton, Orten and Ferrer Pick Up Major Awards as All-PSAC Teams Announced

Seven Golden Knights earn first team All-PSAC West accolades

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference today announced its men's soccer postseason awards with Gannon not only well represented, but nearly sweeping the major awards for a second straight year. Gannon received three of the four major awards for the 2024 All-PSAC West Men's Soccer Teams while a total of seven Golden Knights earned all-conference awards. Seven Gannon players were also honored a year ago.

Head coach Billy Colton was named the PSAC West Coach of the Year for the second straight year and third time overall. Sverre Orten (Orsta, Norway/Aalesund vgs) was voted the Athlete of the Year while Pau Ferrer (Valencia, Spain/ISES Isabel de Villena) repeated as the Defensive Athlete of the Year after being named the 2022 Freshman of the Year. Seton Hill's Nils Heinrich was selected the Freshman of the Year.

All seven of Gannon's honorees were named to the first team. Bautista Corti (Manuel Alberti, Argentina/Adultos 2000) earned a spot as a first team defender for the fourth time, while Orten is now a three-time first team honoree in the midfield. Herman Aanberg (Hamar, Norway/Wang Toppidrett Oslo) was named to the first team at forward and is now a three-time honoree, with first team honors in 2022 and 2024 and second team in 2023. Ferrer was named as a defender for the second time while James Pool (Hastings, England/Claverham) is now a two-time selection at forward.

First-time recipients include redshirt sophomore Andre Moraes (Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil/Colegio Singular) at goalkeeper and freshman forward Alander Soares (Caxias do Sul, Brazil/Escola Estadual de Ensino Medio Santa Catarina).

In his sixth season as head coach, Colton has guided the Golden Knights to another outstanding season. He was previously named the PSAC West Coach of the Year in 2019 and again last year. The Golden Knights were ranked 18th in last week's United Soccer Coaches Division II Top 25 with a 13-2-3 record.

Colton has boosted his career record to 81-18-10. He has led the Golden Knights to the NCAA Division II Tournament in 2019, 2021, and 2023.

Gannon finished at 7-0-3 in PSAC West action to earn the number one seed in the Western Division for the second consecutive season. It's also the second straight year the Golden Knights have gone undefeated in conference play. The Golden Knights are set to play West Chester in the PSAC Tournament semifinals on Friday, November 15 in a rematch of last year's semifinals. The match is set for 3:00 p.m. at Bloomsburg. The Golden Rams, the third seed in the Eastern Division, tied No. 2E Millersville 1-1 on Monday but advanced on penalty kicks.

The PSAC Championship game is set for Sunday, November 17 with the winner receiving the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.

Orten is a junior from Orsta, Norway. He is the fifth Golden Knight to be named the Athlete of the Year. Tinashe Katsande (Norwich, England/Dereham Sixth Form College) was selected last year, Alex Lee Yaw received the honor in 2019, Sean Pike in 2012, and Afrim Latifi in 2010.

Orten is now a three-time first team selection. He leads the team with 29 points on nine goals and 11 assists. He leads the PSAC in points while ranking second in assists and third in goals, along with being tied for seventh in Division II in assists. He is also tied for the conference lead in game-winning goals with three. Orten is now up to 18 career goals and 31 career assists for 67 points.

Ferrer has once again been a force on both ends of the pitch. The native of Valencia, Spain is the first Golden Knights to earn PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Year accolades more than once. Two other Gannon players have received the honor -- Corti was selected in 2021 and Chandler Hallwood in 2019. Defensively he has helped Gannon allow just 14 goals while shutting out nine of 18 opponents. The Golden Knights hold opponents to just under nine shots per game. On the offensive end Ferrer has contributed seven assists. That gives him 27 assists for his career, along with 11 goals.

Men's Soccer All-Conference


A senior from Manuel Alberti, Argentina, Corti is now a four-time first team All-PSAC West selection, joining Robbie Bennett as the only Gannon four-time All-PSAC honorees. Corti has controlled play in the back end a while also playing a role on offense. He has a goal and two assists.

Aanberg, a senior from Hamar, Norway, is now a three-time All-PSAC West selection. He has scored two goals along with 12 assists, ranking first in the PSAC and tied for third in Division II. He shows eight goals and 29 assists for his career.

James Pool (Hastings, England/Claverham) was named to the first team in the midfield for the second straight year. He enjoyed a breakout season a year ago with 17 goals, and while he hasn't reached that level this year he has remained a key player in the attack.  

A graduate student from Hastings, England, Pool has contributed four goals and 10 assists for 18 points. The 10 assists rank third in the PSAC. He now has 23 career goals and 23 career assists for 69 points.

Soares hails from Caxias do Sul, Brazil who has taken the team lead in goals with 11. That figure leads the PSAC. He add three assists for 25 points, good for second on the team and in the PSAC. Soares has been on a hot streak with seven goals and two assists over the last seven matches.

Andre Moraes (Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil/Colegio Singular) stepped in at goalkeeper after Samuel Alarcon (Madrid, Spain/Colegio el Valle II), the first team All-PSAC West goalie a year ago was lost for the season with an injury during the offseason. A redshirt sophomore from Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil who played a year ago at CSU Bakersfield, Moraes has a 12-2-3 record with eight shutouts and a 0.82 GAA. He has 43 saves and a .754 save percentage. He ranks third in the PSAC in GAA and third in shutouts per game.


WESTERN DIVISION

Western Division Athlete of the Year: Sverre Orten (Orsta, Norway/Aalesund vgs), Gannon
Western Division Defensive Player of the Year: Pau Ferrer (Valencia, Spain/ISES Isabel de Villena), Gannon
Western Division Freshman of the Year: Nils Heinrich, Seton Hill
Western Division Coach of the Year: Billy Colton, Gannon

PSAC Men's Soccer Western Division First-Team All-Conference
 
Position Name Cl. University
Defense Bautista Corti (Manuel Alberti, Argentina/Adultos 2000)*** Sr. Gannon
Defense Pau Ferrer (Valencia, Spain/ISES Isabel de Villena)* R-Jr. Gannon
Defense Brandon Knapp Sr. Seton Hill
Defense Danny Ogan So. Lock Haven
Forward Herman Aanberg (Hamar, Norway/Wang Toppidrett Oslo)*^ Sr. Gannon
Forward Nils Heinrich Fr. Seton Hill
Forward Arturo Pla Hernandis^* Sr. Slippery Rock
Forward Alander Soares (Caxias do Sul, Brazil/Escola Estadual de Ensino Medio Santa Catarina) Fr. Gannon
Midfield Julian Marker^ Jr. Seton Hill
Midfield Sverre Orten (Orsta, Norway/Aalesund vgs)** Jr. Gannon
Midfield James Pool (Hastings, England/Claverham)* Gr. Gannon
Midfield Connor Swope* Sr. Lock Haven
Goalie Andre Moraes (Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil/Colegio Singular) R-So. Gannon
 
PSAC Men's Soccer Western Division Second-Team All-Conference
 
Position Name Cl. University
Defense Roy Klinger Fr. Seton Hill
Defense Owen Lichtenwalner So. Lock Haven
Defense Paul Morelli Sr. California
Defense Colton Spence Sr. Slippery Rock
Forward James Aubrey So. Seton Hill
Forward Kade Black So. Lock Haven
Forward Rasmus Fugl Fr. Slippery Rock
Forward Carter Rosno Fr. Lock Haven
Midfield Vasilis Christodoulou Jr. Seton Hill
Midfield Aitor Jorde* Jr. Slippery Rock
Midfield Ignacio Rullan Sr. Slippery Rock
Midfield Cullin Woytovich^ Sr. California
Goalie Ethan Beck Fr. Lock Haven
  
* Indicates previous All-PSAC First Team selection
^ Indicates previous All-PSAC Second Team selection

 
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Players Mentioned

Tinashe Katsande

#7 Tinashe Katsande

F
6' 3"
Graduate Student
Sverre Orten

#8 Sverre Orten

MF
5' 9"
Junior
Business Administration 
Herman Aanberg

#10 Herman Aanberg

MF
5' 10"
Senior
Samuel Alarcon

#1 Samuel Alarcon

GK
6' 0"
Junior
Cyber Engineering
Bautista Corti

#5 Bautista Corti

D
6' 2"
Senior
Pau Ferrer

#4 Pau Ferrer

D
5' 9"
Redshirt Junior
Computer Science
James Pool

#6 James Pool

MF
5' 10"
Graduate Student
Alander Soares

#11 Alander Soares

MF
5' 10"
Freshman
Andre Moraes

#20 Andre Moraes

GK
6' 1"
Redshirt Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Tinashe Katsande

#7 Tinashe Katsande

6' 3"
Graduate Student
F
Sverre Orten

#8 Sverre Orten

5' 9"
Junior
Business Administration 
MF
Herman Aanberg

#10 Herman Aanberg

5' 10"
Senior
MF
Samuel Alarcon

#1 Samuel Alarcon

6' 0"
Junior
Cyber Engineering
GK
Bautista Corti

#5 Bautista Corti

6' 2"
Senior
D
Pau Ferrer

#4 Pau Ferrer

5' 9"
Redshirt Junior
Computer Science
D
James Pool

#6 James Pool

5' 10"
Graduate Student
MF
Alander Soares

#11 Alander Soares

5' 10"
Freshman
MF
Andre Moraes

#20 Andre Moraes

6' 1"
Redshirt Sophomore
GK