On a championship Sunday in Erie, the No. 14 Gannon men's soccer team rose to the moment, erasing an early deficit to defeat No. 23 Millersville 2–1 and capture the first PSAC title in program history.

A composed penalty from Shota Toyama (Kanagawa, Japan/Tama) and a second-half game-winner from Kasper Alfei Saebo (Hamar, Norway) powered the Golden Knights to the historic victory.

The win ends a long pursuit for head coach Billy Colton, whose program was playing in its fifth PSAC Championship Game—including last year's narrow 2–1 loss to Bloomsburg, but had never been able to finish the job.

The victory over Millersville also marked Colton's 95th career win, placing him just five victories shy of the 100-win milestone as a head coach.

A Historic Rally in a Historic Season

Millersville struck first in the 31st minute as Zander Leik converted from close range to put the Marauders ahead 1–0. Gannon, appearing in its ninth straight PSAC Tournament, refused to flinch. The Knights equalized just eight minutes later when Toyama buried a penalty kick in the 38th minute, tying the match at 1–1 and reigniting the home crowd of 115.

The championship moment arrived in the 72nd minute. Off a buildup sparked by relentless midfield pressure, Toyama slipped a perfect ball into the box for Alfei Saebo, who hammered home the go-ahead strike for a 2–1 lead. The sophomore entered off the bench and delivered the biggest goal of his career—and one of the biggest in program history.

QUOTES

Head Coach Billy Colton
"Today, we were brilliant. This win isn't just for this group—it's for the alumni who give so much to this program and came so close, for the alumni who constantly support us, send text messages, donate, and help the program any way they can. And it's for all the administration. It takes a lot of work and a lot of hours to put a weekend like this on, and I'm glad we could reward everyone with a trophy."
Captain Sverre Orten (Orsta, Norway/Aalesund vgs)
"I can't explain it. I'm so happy—relieved, honestly. I'm also quite sad it's over, but I'm just going to enjoy the whole day and make the most out of it."

Orten, who earlier this week was named PSAC West Men's Soccer Athlete of the Week, earned back-to-back honors and became the first player to win PSAC Men's Soccer Player of the Year in consecutive seasons since Slippery Rock's Jeremy Deighton in 2008–09. He is also just the third Golden Knight in program history to earn All-PSAC First Team honors in all four of his seasons.

PSAC Tournament MVP Kasper Alfei Saebo (Hamar, Norway)
"I mean, it's history at the end of the day. I think you can see it on all the players—this means a great deal to the alumni, the coaches, and the previous players. It means so much."

Breaking the Eastern Division's Hold on the Trophy

The championship also ends a recent run of dominance by the PSAC East. This is the first time since 2022 that a PSAC West team has won the men's title. Bloomsburg defeated Gannon for the crown in 2024, and Millersville beat West Chester in 2023.

Gannon and Millersville have seen each other on this stage before. The Marauders won the 2019 final 1–0 and the 2021 final 2–0 in a snowstorm at Mercyhurst. On Sunday, the Knights finally flipped the script.

Two Nationally Ranked Powers Collide

The championship matchup featured the two regular-season division champions, both ranked nationally.

• Gannon entered at No. 14 in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 and No. 7 in the Atlantic Region.
• Millersville came in No. 23 nationally and No. 9 in the region.

The Knights improve to 13-2-4, extending their unbeaten streak to nine straight matches, while Millersville closes the day at 11-4-4.

Gannon was also the lone PSAC West team to reach the semifinals in both the men's and women's brackets after the league implemented a crossover format for the quarterfinals.

NCAA Tournament Outlook

With the PSAC title secured, the Golden Knights now await their NCAA fate. With the PSACs automatic berth in hand they know they will be making their fifth NCAA tournament appearance under Colton. 

The NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Championship field will be announced on Monday, November 17 at 7 p.m. The Golden Knights entered the week ranked seventh in the Super Region One rankings.