Men's Soccer | 8/25/2026 5:54:00 PM

Expectations remain high for the Gannon men's soccer team as the Golden Knights prepare to defend their PSAC championship in 2026. Ranked No. 11 in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll, Gannon returns an experienced core from last season's Elite Eight squad while adding  newcomers poised to make an immediate impact.

2025 Season Recap

Gannon put together one of the most successful seasons in program history in 2025, finishing 15-3-4 while capturing its first PSAC championship and advancing to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.

Following a 1-1 tie with Lock Haven on Oct. 11, Gannon reeled off 11 consecutive victories. The run included a 2-1 win over West Chester in the PSAC semifinals before the Golden Knights rallied past Millersville 2-1 to claim their first PSAC championship.

The sixth-seeded Golden Knights carried that momentum into the NCAA Tournament, upsetting No. 3 seed Bentley 2-1 before taking down No. 2 seed Franklin Pierce by the same score to advance to the Elite Eight for the eighth time in program history.

Gannon finished with 65 goals, the third-highest single-season total in program history.

Colton Enters Eighth Season

Billy Colton enters his eighth season as Gannon's head coach and 12th year overall with the program. He owns a 97-23-14 career record and enters 2026 just three victories shy of becoming the third coach in program history to reach 100 wins.

Colton also has an opportunity to become the fastest coach in program history to reach 100 victories. He enters the season having coached 134 matches, while Rob Russo reached his 100th career victory in his 138th match in 1988.

Gannon is 46-4-10 in PSAC West play during Colton's tenure, including 24-0-6 over the last three seasons. The Golden Knights carry a 31-match regular-season unbeaten streak against Western Division opponents into 2026 and have reached the NCAA Tournament in three straight seasons.
 
 Preseason Recognition

Expectations remain high for the defending PSAC champions. Gannon enters 2026 ranked No. 11 in the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II Preseason Poll after finishing last season at No. 11 nationally.

The Golden Knights were also selected as the PSAC West preseason favorite, receiving five first-place votes.

Golden Knights Face Task of Replacing Veteran Leadership

One of Gannon's biggest challenges entering 2026 will be replacing the leadership and production of midfielders and team captains Sverre Orten (Orsta, Norway/Aalesund vgs) and Shota Toyama (Kanagawa, Japan/Tama), along with defender Gonzalo Perez (Madrid, Spain/Virgen de Europa), three key pieces of last season's PSAC championship and Elite Eight squad.

Orten, one of the most decorated players in program history, led NCAA Division II with 17 goals while adding 12 assists for a team-high 46 points in 2025. He was named the D2CCA Ron Lenz National Player of the Year, D2CCA Atlantic Region Player of the Year and PSAC West Athlete of the Year. He also earned United Soccer Coaches All-America honors and was named the Division II Academic All-America Men's Soccer Team Member of the Year.

The two-time PSAC West Athlete of the Year was later named the 2025-26 PSAC Pete Nevins Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Fellow captain Toyama was another key veteran presence for the Golden Knights, appearing in all 22 matches and finishing with five goals and seven assists for 17 points. He was named Gannon's 2025 Team MVP while earning D2CCA All-Atlantic Region First Team, United Soccer Coaches All-Atlantic Region Second Team and All-PSAC West First Team honors.

Toyama was also a CSC Academic All-America Second Team selection, United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-East Region honoree and the 2025-26 Doc Beyer Award recipient.

Perez brought a physical edge to the back line and established himself as one of the anchors of the Gannon defense. He appeared in 20 matches for a defensive unit that held opponents to just 1.23 goals per game. Perez earned D2CCA All-Atlantic Region First Team and All-PSAC West First Team honors and was also a two-time PSAC Scholar-Athlete.

Together, the departures leave Gannon with significant leadership and experience to replace as the Golden Knights begin their PSAC title defense.

Transfers Add Experience

Gannon added several experienced transfers as the Golden Knights look to fill key roles from last year's championship team.

Midfielder Ryko Bodurov (Columbus, Ohio/Olentangy Berlin) joins Gannon after spending two seasons at Bowling Green. He appeared in 15 matches with seven starts in 2025 and tied for the team lead with three assists.

Forward David Ivascu (Vaughan, Ontario/St. Elizabeth Catholic) arrives after spending his freshman season at Fairleigh Dickinson. He appeared in eight matches and scored the game-winning goal against NJIT for his first collegiate goal.

Goalkeeper Ivan Capurro (Uruguay/Escola Ginebró) joins Gannon after a strong 2025 season at LSU Alexandria, starting all 19 matches while posting a 14-3-1 record with a 1.08 goals-against average and seven shutouts. He earned RRAC All-Freshman Team and Honorable Mention All-Conference honors and was named the program's Players' Player of the Year.

Midfielder Oliver Balazs (Budapest, Hungary/Újpesti Könyves Kálmán Gimnázium) joins Gannon from Concordia (Neb.), where he was named the program's 2025 Newcomer of the Year and helped the Bulldogs capture the GPAC Tournament championship. Balazs appeared in 19 matches with 17 starts, totaling two goals and one assist.

Midfielder Mathias Asphjell (Oslo, Norway/lambertseter vgs) joins the Golden Knights after spending the spring 2026 semester at St. John's. Prior to coming to the United States, the Norway native appeared in 23 first-team matches and scored three goals for Nordstrand in 2025. He also added seven goals in 12 appearances for Nordstrand 2.

Challenging 17-Match Slate Awaits

Gannon will play 17 regular-season matches in 2026, including eight at McConnell Family Stadium.

The Golden Knights open with home matches against Lake Erie and East Stroudsburg before a non-conference slate that includes Ashland, 2025 NCAA Tournament participant Post, first-time opponent Felician, D'Youville and West Chester.

Gannon begins defense of its PSAC West title on Sept. 23 when it hosts Lock Haven.

Up Next

Gannon opens the 2026 season on Thursday, August 27, hosting Lake Erie at McConnell Family Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.

The Golden Knights and Storm played to a 3-3 tie last season after Gannon earned a 5-0 victory in the series in 2024.