GCU opens 4-game homestand Thursday


Grand Canyon Lopes (1-4, 0-0 WAC)	vs.	UC Riverside Highlanders (0-4, 0-0 Big West)	CSUN Matadors (3-2, 0-0 Big West)
		Thur, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. MST	Sun, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. MST
GCU Match Notes Media Guide		~~Game Notes~~ Live Stats Live Video	Game Notes Live Stats Live Video

After beginning the season with a heavy dose of road matches, the Grand Canyon men's soccer team is home for the next four games including two this weekend. The Lopes host UC Riverside (0-4) on Thursday night before welcoming in CSUN (3-2) on Sunday. Both games have a kickoff time set for 7 p.m. MST and will be broadcasted on GCU.tv and the WAC Digital Network.

Grand Canyon knew the opening part of its schedule would be difficult, but it's shaping up to be even tougher than expected. Entering this week, GCU's strength of schedule was 11th-toughest nationally, leading the Lopes to a Top-70 RPI despite the 1-4 start. 4 of GCU's first 5 opponents (Omaha, Creighton, Evansville, Pacific) have been ranked in the Top-25 at some point this season with Omaha and Pacific remaining a perfect 6-0.

Dating back to last season, the Lopes have won four consecutive games at GCU Stadium, including last Thursday's home opener against Evansville. The Lopes topped the previously-undefeated Purple Aces 1-0 behind Niki Jackson's third goal of the season and Jeremy Pollard's 9 saves, a GCU Division I single-game record.

With momentum from its first victory, the Lopes immediately took to the road for one game -- this one coming at No. 23 Pacific. Damian German put GCU in front early with a goal in the 25th minute, but Pacific scored two second-half goals to win the match.

Jackson leads the conference with 7 points, coming off of his 3 goals and 1 assist.

UC Riverside enters Thursday's matchup looking for its first win of the 2017 campaign. The Highlanders opened the season with a shutout loss to fellow WAC member, CSU Bakersfield, 2-0. Since, UC Riverside has dropped matches against Gonzaga, Oregon State and Omaha.

Thursday will feature the first ever meeting between the Lopes and Highlanders.

Onto Sunday, GCU welcomes in CSUN who just defeated No. 9 Denver last weekend to improve to 3-2. The Matadors already defeated fellow WAC member, Utah Valley, 2-1 and will play another WAC opponent in San José State prior to Sunday's matchup.

This will be the fifth meeting between the two programs. CSUN holds the slight edge over the Lopes with a 2-1-1 record all-time. The two programs have not met since 1997, a 2-1 GCU victory.

For more GCU men's soccer news, notes and numbers, click here to view this week's match notes and click here to view the media guide.

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Players Mentioned

Damian German

Niki Jackson

Jeremy Pollard

Grand Canyon University Athletics