Lopes top UNLV, win 3rd straight

Friday, November 2

Las Vegas, Nev.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

9-8, 6-5WAC

UNLV

10-9-1, 5-5-1WAC

Grand Canyon

UNLV

11/2/2018 9:45:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

Afonso, Easley score as GCU logs 1st Division I winning season

By: Josh Hauser

LAS VEGAS — The Grand Canyon men's soccer team ended the regular season with its third consecutive win, defeating UNLV 2-1 on Friday night.

The Lopes (9-8, 6-4 WAC) clinched their first winning record in their six seasons at the Division I level. GCU also snapped a seven-match winless streak against UNLV, defeating the Rebels for the first time since 2000.

"The guys were focused and inspired," head coach Schellas Hyndman said. "Beating UNLV on their field in the last regular season game showed a lot of character on our part."

Sophomore Marco Afonso and freshman Esai Easley were the GCU goal scorers, with Easley scoring for the first time in his career.

With the win over UNLV (10-9-1, 5-5-1 WAC), the Lopes are guaranteed no worse than the No. 5 seed at the WAC Championships next week.

"The momentum is big," Hyndman said. "This is the first time we've won three games in a row. It's a good way for us to end with three good teams and especially tonight doing it on the road. They wanted to win and they showed it tonight."

GCU was able to log the victory despite sitting out starting freshmen Marios Andreou and George Tasouris who were held out to avoid accumulating their fifth yellow cards of the season which carries an automatic one-game suspension.

In the 25th minute, Afonso got the ball on the left side of the field and dribbled past two defenders for the score. It was Afonso's second official goal of the season after a previous goal at Houston Baptist was negated due to the game going unfinished.

Less than seven minutes later, Easley logged his first career goal in just his seventh game after missing much of the season due to injury. The Lopes drew a foul about 40 yards out and wide. Sophomore Josh Drack served a ball into the box which junior defender Julien Armaroli deflected to the crossbar. Easley followed it up for the score to put GCU up 2-0.

The Rebels scored less than a minute into the second half on a penalty kick. Sophomore Marco Gonzalez converted for his 10th goal of the season to draw UNLV within a goal.

Sophomore goalkeeper Corey Marques and the Lopes defense held UNLV scoreless for the final 44 minutes despite facing 12 shots. Marques made four saves on the game and improved to 2-0 in his two starts this season.

GCU's three-game winning streak is the longest since the Lopes defeated Portland, Green Bay and Sacramento State to open the month of September in 2015.

The WAC Championships get underway in Seattle on Wednesday with the Lopes' opponent and game time still to be determined.

AROUND THE WAC

Seattle U scored a 90th-minute game-winner to defeat San José State 2-1, ending GCU's prospects of a No. 3 seed at the WAC Tournament.

The Lopes will be either the No. 4 or 5 seed pending Saturday's action around the conference.

SCENARIOS

If Utah Valley loses or ties at Air Force, the Lopes will be the No. 4 seed and face No. 5 Utah Valley.
If Utah Valley wins at Air Force and UTRGV wins or draws vs. Incarnate Word, the Lopes will be the No. 5 seed and face No. 4 Seattle U.
If Utah Valley wins at Air Force and UTRGV loses vs. Incarnate Word, the Lopes will be the No. 5 seed and face No. 4 UTRGV.