Billy Colton

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

MEN'S SOCCER SEASON PREVIEW: Colton Has High Expectations for Experienced, Talented Golden Knights

ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon men's soccer team enters the 2025 season with plenty of high expectations and a roster to meet those. The Golden Knights get the season started on Thursday, September 4 at Lake Erie.

Head coach Billy Colton enters his seventh season with an impressive track record. The Golden Knights have earned four NCAA Div. II Tournament appearances and five PSAC Tournaments berths since Colton took over in 2019. Gannon has won back-to-back Western Division regular season crowns and has gone undefeated in divisional play the last two years.

With eight starters back, including two of the top three scorers, and not one but two accomplished goalkeepers, prospects for a third straight NCAA Tournament appearance are promising. First comes a goal that has eluded Gannon since joining the PSAC in 2008 – a conference championship. 

Colton is looking for an experienced squad with a host of exciting newcomers to make a long run in the NCAA Tournament, mirroring the 2023 season and the glory teams from the 1980's and '90's.

A LOOK BACK AT 2024
2024 Record: 14-4-3
2024 PSAC West Record: 7-0-3, first place in PSAC West. Gannon dropped a 2-1 decision at Bloomsburg in the PSAC Championship match.
NCAA Tournament: Gannon lost a heart-breaking 3-2 decision in overtime to Franklin Pierce in the second round of the NCAA Div. II Super Regional 1.
 
2025 Schedule | 2025 Roster | 2024 Final Statistics
 
PSAC PRESEASON POLL:
Gannon was voted the preseason favorite in the PSAC West, receiving five of a possible six first place votes. The Golden Knights seek a third straight Western Division regular season title, but more importantly, are in search of a first-ever PSAC championship. Seton Hill was picked to finish second in the division and Slippery Rock third.

HEAD COACH: Billy Colton, (82-20-10, 7th year)
Colton enters his seventh season as Gannon's head men's soccer coach in 2025 and his 11th year overall as a member of the staff. He owns an 82-20-10 record in his first six seasons with the Golden Knights, making the NCAA Division II Tournament in 2019, 2021, 2023, and 2024. Colton ranks third in career victories at Gannon and currently holds the top winning percentage at .777.

EXPERIENCED SQUAD THE KEY IN 2025
Three of the top four scorers return from last year's squad, along with three All-PSAC West performers and eight starters. Most notable is PSAC West Athlete of the Year Sverre Orten (Orsta, Norway/Aalesund vgs) who went on to earn All-American honors, along with Pau Ferrer (Valencia, Spain/ISES Isabel de Villena), now a two-time PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Year.
"We have a lot of returning players who played a lot of minutes last season," related Colton. "They understand how we like to play and what our standards are here. Along with those returners, we brought in some high-level players and we have competition all over the field. If you are going to play, you are going to have to perform, otherwise someone is ready to take your spot."
 
THIRD STRAIGHT NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE JUST THE START
"We need everyone to buy in to our methods and everyone to push each other every day in practice," stressed Colton. "To constantly want to improve and push each other. There is healthy competition all over the field which only makes everyone better. There also seems to be a hunger within the group to be better than last year."
 
DEMANDING SCHEDULE AWAITS GOLDEN KNIGHTS
Beginning with the opening match at Lake Erie on Thursday, September 4, Gannon will be challenged by a strong non-conference schedule plus the rigors of the PSAC season. In particular with the target squarely on Gannon's back. "It's tough, that's what we wanted," Colton commented. "We will cover a lot of miles on the road and play some strong opposition. That will help our strength of schedule but it also means we are going to have to perform every game. If we don't we will struggle."
 
COLTON FACES PLEASANT QUANDARY IN GOAL
A year ago Andres Moraes joined the Golden Knights after transferring from Cal Bakersfield and started 20 matches in goal. He had a 13-4-3 record with nine shutouts and a 0.95 GAA. The redshirt junior's addition was necessary with Samuel Alarcon (Madrid, Spain/Colegio el Valle II) missing the season with an injury. The year before Alarcon earned first team All-PSAC West honors after going 16-2-2 with five shutouts and a 0.97 GAA. Now Alarcon is healthy and joins Moraes in a battle for the netminding job.
"This is a position that is going to give me some headaches," admitted Colton. "We are fortunate where we have 2 all-conference goalkeepers. The plus side is that it is a position where they are pushing each other day in practice, its healthy competition that makes each of them better. It is going to be very difficult to disappoint one of them."
 
KEY RETURNEES:
Sverre Orten (Orsta, Norway/Aalesund vgs) (MF, Sr.): the honors poured in for the midfielder from Norway after he led Gannon with 32 points on 9 goals and 14 assists. He was named the PSAC West Player of the Year and was later named the D2CCA Atlantic Region Player of the Year and a first team D2CCA All-American and a United Soccer Coaches Association first team All-American. Orten is climbing among the career leaders with 70 career points on 18 goals and 34 assists.
 
Pau Ferrer (Valencia, Spain/ISES Isabel de Villena) (D, R-Sr.): the native of Spain has now been named the PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Year the last two years. Along with the departed Bautista Corti (Manuel Alberti, Argentina/Adultos 2000) he helped Gannon allow just 19 goals while recording 10 shutouts. He added 8 assists and has 28 career assists.

Rafa Hyde (São José dos Campos, Brazil) (F, Jr.): Hyde finished third on the team in scoring with 11 goals and 4 assists for 26 points. The junior from Brazil was named the 2023 PSAC West Freshman of the Year.

Shota Toyama (Kanagawa, Japan/Tama) (MF, Sr.): Toyama is an unsung hero who is effective on both ends of the field. The midfielder from Japan ended his junior season with 5 goals and 3 assists for 11 points.

Per Kristian Lauvstad (Nesoya, Norway) (F, So.): as a freshman Lauvstad contributed 9 goals and 3 assists for 21 points.

NEWCOMERS TO WATCH:
Head coach Billy Colton always plays it close to the vest when it comes to key newcomers. It's safe to say that he will have several new players who will make their presence felt, as in year's past. Last year it was Per Kristian Lauvstad (Nesoya, Norway), Alander Soares (Caxias do Sul, Brazil/Escola Estadual de Ensino Medio Santa Catarina) and Andres Moraes, and the year before that Rafa Hyde (São José dos Campos, Brazil).

2025 SEASON OPENER: Thursday, September 4 at Lake Erie (9-7-3 in 2024) – 4:00 p.m. Gannon hosted the Storm in the 2024 season opener and came away with a 5-0 win behind two goals from Per Kristian Lauvstad (Nesoya, Norway).

2025 HOME OPERNER: Friday, September 12 vs. Ashland – 6:30 p.m. The Golden Knights will get the Centennial Homecoming Weekend underway on Friday night against an Ashland team that was 10-7-1 a year ago. Gannon claimed a 4-0 win in last year's meeting. 
 
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Players Mentioned

Bautista Corti

#5 Bautista Corti

D
6' 2"
Senior
Alander Soares

#11 Alander Soares

MF
5' 10"
Freshman
Samuel Alarcon

#1 Samuel Alarcon

GK
6' 0"
Senior
Cyber Engineering
Pau Ferrer

#4 Pau Ferrer

D
5' 9"
Redshirt Senior
Computer Science
Rafa Hyde

#9 Rafa Hyde

F
6' 1"
Junior
Per Kristian Lauvstad

#7 Per Kristian Lauvstad

F
6' 3"
Sophomore
Sverre Orten

#8 Sverre Orten

MF
5' 9"
Senior
Business Administration 
Shota Toyama

#17 Shota Toyama

MF
5' 9"
Senior
Business

Players Mentioned

Bautista Corti

#5 Bautista Corti

6' 2"
Senior
D
Alander Soares

#11 Alander Soares

5' 10"
Freshman
MF
Samuel Alarcon

#1 Samuel Alarcon

6' 0"
Senior
Cyber Engineering
GK
Pau Ferrer

#4 Pau Ferrer

5' 9"
Redshirt Senior
Computer Science
D
Rafa Hyde

#9 Rafa Hyde

6' 1"
Junior
F
Per Kristian Lauvstad

#7 Per Kristian Lauvstad

6' 3"
Sophomore
F
Sverre Orten

#8 Sverre Orten

5' 9"
Senior
Business Administration 
MF
Shota Toyama

#17 Shota Toyama

5' 9"
Senior
Business
MF