Seven sign with Lopes

The Grand Canyon men's soccer program officially welcomed seven individuals to the program as a part of signing day on Friday. Head coach Schellas Hyndman and first-year recruiting coordinator Kevin Doyle reached to all ends of the map to bring in top talent to the GCU campus. The Lopes will have a nice balance of local Arizona players, signees from nearby states, and international additions from Cyprus and New Zealand. This marks the first recruiting announcement of the offseason for the program.

"We are very happy with this group of young men joining our program here at GCU," Hyndman said. "Not only are they all top-level players, they are very good people. We put an enormous amount of emphasis in our recruiting process on identifying, recruiting, and signing young men of character -- and we believe we have done just that with this group."

The seven incoming Lopes include George Andrew (D), Esai Easley (D), Michael Haynes (GK), Tyler LaCourse (D), Andres Morales (M), Diego Saavedra Garcia (M/F), and George Tasouris (GK).

The class includes three defenders, a pair of goalkeepers, one midfielder and one hybrid midfielder/forward.

"We'll be announcing a few more other signees over the coming weeks," Hyndman noted. "We are excited to get them all here and start preparing for our 2018 season."

Andrew and LaCourse are already enrolled at GCU and have joined the program for its spring training regimen. The remaining five members of the class announced this week will join the Lopes in early August for preparation of the 2018 fall season. The fall season will open at GCU Stadium on Friday, August 24.

MEET THE 2018 CLASS

George Andrew

Defender - Gisborne, New Zealand

New Zealand » Phoenix. Welcome, George! He joined the Lopes for this spring semester and is training with the team. #LopesRising pic.twitter.com/wyC2LOeRNN
— GCU Men's Soccer (@GCU_MSoccer) February 7, 2018

After starting his high school years at Gisborne High School, Andrew was invited to Saint Kentigerns College to play on their elite team. Additionally, his club team in New Zealand, Western Springs, won the U-19 national title.

Andrew comes from an athletic background with his dad playing rugby and competing in rodeo while his mom was a cyclist who competed in road races all over the country.

Andrew chose GCU because of the "great coaching staff, great facilities, and a good young team". While at GCU, he intends to major in Exercise Science.

Coach Hyndman: "George started with us here in January and is settling into the team very well. He has had very high-level coaching throughout his youth career in New Zealand which will translate into a smooth transition to the college level here. We are excited to have George and can't wait to see what he can add to the defensive side of our team."

ESAI EASLEY

Defender - Concord, Calif.

Excited to officially welcome @esaieasley8 to the program! #LopesRising pic.twitter.com/7zl9IOP8ZJ
— GCU Men's Soccer (@GCU_MSoccer) February 9, 2018

Easley grew up in Hawaii surfing and playing soccer. At the age of 10 he chose to hone in on his soccer development. His top sports moments include being selected to go to England and train with Manchester Youth Academy. He also was one of a few select players who were invited to train with Chievo Verona Youth Academy in Italy.

Easley moved to Seattle, Wash. to take part in the Seattle Sounders Academy. His dad, Taylor, played collegiate golf at Mississippi.

Easley chose GCU because it "provides an amazing academy and athletic environment in a fashion I have never seen before. The campus and excitement around athletics blew me away when I visited." At GCU, he is interested in studying Finance. He hopes to use his platform in soccer to inspire other Hawaiians to get more involved with the sport.

Coach Hyndman: "Esai has made an enormous commitment to his development in that he left his home in Hawaii a few years ago to come to the mainland to really develop his game. His effort and sacrifice have really paid off. He has played with a couple of the top youth teams in the country in Seattle and San Jose and is recognized as a top defender. We are very excited to have Esai join our program."

MICHAEL HAYNES

Goalkeeper - Phoenix, Ariz. - Sandra Day O'Connor HS

Hometown talent staying in-state to play for GCU. Welcome, Michael! #LopesRising pic.twitter.com/6WvzSRPtfC
— GCU Men's Soccer (@GCU_MSoccer) February 7, 2018

Haynes is another local high school product, coming to GCU from Sandra Day O'Connor High School. While with the Eagles, he played in 38 matches and recorded seven shutouts. As a junior, he won the team's Most Improved Player award and, as a senior this season, has the Eagles headed to the Round of 16 in the state playoffs.

Haynes has had the opportunity to train with FC Cincinnati, a USL club, over the summer to gain an appreciation for how the team trains and communicates. He's also had the chance to trial for Arsenal and Reading FC. He's played club soccer with the CCV Stars.

The goalkeeper chose GCU because "I fell in love with the coaching and the school when I attended a summer soccer camp. I saw how committed the school was to having an excellent Division I program, and I wanted to be a part of it and develop and grow as a person and a player." At GCU, he's interested in studying in the Colangelo College of Business in the Sports Management program.

Coach Hyndman: "Michael is a good goalkeeper who comes to us from very strong high school and club programs. He has competed at a high level, and we expect Michael to add to the depth of our goalkeeping and to challenge our returning goalkeepers."

Tyler LaCourse

Defender - Tulsa, Okla. - Oral Roberts Univ.

Welcome to the program, Tyler! He joined the Lopes this semester and is training with the team during this spring. #LopesRising pic.twitter.com/rdxCSiyhNy
— GCU Men's Soccer (@GCU_MSoccer) February 7, 2018

LaCourse spent his first two collegiate seasons at Oral Roberts where he earned Summit League All-Newcomer team, All-Academic team, and was a CoSIDA All-District Academic team member. As a freshman with the Golden Eagles, he started 12 of 16 matches. In a matchup against the Lopes at GCU Stadium this past season, he played the full 92-minute match on the Oral Roberts defense.

He was born in Tulsa, Okla. and attended Metro Christian Academy where he played basketball and soccer. He made All-District three times as well as All-State honors and Oklahoma Player of the Week recognition. His top sports moment was scoring the opening goal at the state quarterfinals to help his team upset the No. 1 seed.

LaCourse chose to transfer to Grand Canyon because of the "excellent program, school, coaches, and facilities." His older brother, Ben, also played soccer at Oral Roberts. While at GCU, he will study Accounting. Off the field, he enjoys golfing and playing the guitar.

Coach Hyndman: "Tyler is a player who came to GCU at the semester break. He has transferred to Grand Canyon from Oral Roberts, who we played this last fall. Tyler had a very good game against us, making for an easy decision to bring him into the GCU program. We expect Tyler to make an immediate contribution to our back line."

ANDRES MORALES

Midfielder - Sugar Land, Texas -

Another one's official! Welcome to GCU, Andres. #LopesRising pic.twitter.com/D2GojojFMn
— GCU Men's Soccer (@GCU_MSoccer) February 8, 2018

Originally born in Mexico, Morales now resides in Sugar Land, Texas where he plays soccer for Clements High School. He began his high school career in New Jersey where he was a varsity starter. During his junior year of high school, Morales played for the Houston Dynamo Academy. In living in Mexico, New Jersey, and Texas, Morales has become acclimated to several different cultures and is bilingual.

His older brother, Ramiro Daniel Morales, rows at Loyola University in Maryland. His rather, Ramiro Morales, played collegiate, professional, and international basketball in Mexico. Both of his parents are dentists, his brother is studying to be one, and it is a long-term goal to set up a family dental clinic.

While at GCU, Morales will be pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Biology. He chose GCU because of his immediate comfort with the staff and team upon stepping on campus. "The coaching staff is what any player wanting to go pro after college would look for... the support and importance for athletics at GCU is what stood out for me the most out of anything."

Coach Hyndman: "Andres has had an exceptional youth career, playing in New Jersey and Texas with some of the top clubs in the country. He is a very good player with great size and athleticism that we think will come in and make a difference from the first day."

DIEGO SAAVEDRA GARCIA

Midfielder/Forward - Murrieta, Calif. -

We'd like to officially welcome Diego to the program! #LopesRising pic.twitter.com/Ob4IA7H0YU
— GCU Men's Soccer (@GCU_MSoccer) February 8, 2018

Saavedra Garcia has played academy soccer in Southern California including stints with Nomads SC and his current team, Arsenal FC. He's started all 15 of the club's matches and has four goals. His top sports moment thus far is competing in the academy playoffs.

Diego's brother, Dane McCleary, played soccer at San Diego as a defender.

Saavedra Garcia chose GCU after seeing the campus and enjoying his visit. At GCU, he intends to study Sports Management.

Coach Hyndman: Diego is another one who, like Esai, left his home in Hawaii to pursue his soccer dreams on the mainland. Not only does he come to us from a great youth soccer program in Southern California, but also from a great soccer-playing family. Diego is a versatile player who can play in the center of midfield as well as at center forward. We think Diego is going to be a top college soccer player."

GEORGE TASOURIS

Goalkeeper - Nicosia, Cyprus

Welcome to GCU, George! #LopesRising pic.twitter.com/0WCfGqenrX
— GCU Men's Soccer (@GCU_MSoccer) February 7, 2018

Tasouris comes to GCU with a wealth of high-level minutes under his belt, competing for his country at the U-19 and U-21 levels. He captained APOEL Nicosia in the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Youth Champions League where the club competed against Barcelona, Ajax and Paris Saint-Germain.

The 6-foot-3 goalkeeper chose GCU because of the "fantastic facilities, high expectations, and the opportunity to work under Coach Hyndman and Coach Doyle." At GCU, he's interested in studying Exercise Science.

Coach Hyndman: "We are very excited about George coming to GCU. He brings an enormous amount of experience playing goalkeeper at the highest levels of the game. George has played for his country at the youth level and has also played in the UEFA Youth Champions League against some of the top clubs in the world. He will make an immediate impact on our team here at GCU and will help take the program to the next level."

Grand Canyon University Athletics