GCU hosts next top-25 foe

Friday, August 31

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Creighton

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Photo by: Slaven Gujic

8/31/2018 8:30:00 AM | Men's Soccer

GCU Match Notes Creighton Match Notes 2018 Media Guide

Lopes look to back up season-opening upset

By: Josh Hauser


(20) Creighton Bluejays (1-0-1, 0-0-0 Big East)	vs.	Grand Canyon Lopes (1-0-0, 0-0-0 WAC)
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The Grand Canyon men's soccer team looks to back up its season-opening upset of No. 12 Wisconsin when the Lopes welcome another top-25 team to GCU Stadium at 7 p.m. on Friday.

Creighton and GCU meet for the second consecutive year with the Bluejays narrowly claiming a 1-0 win in double overtime in Omaha last year.

The game will be available on GCU.tv and the WAC Digital Network along with Spanish radio on Univision Arizona.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

IN THE POLLS: For the second straight week, the Lopes are receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches top 25 poll. GCU debuted in the Far West Region poll (Pac-12, WAC, West Coast, Big West) at No. 8 this week.
A FRESHMAN GOAL: Calvin Kissi became the first GCU freshman to score in a season-opening game since Kyle Cilento helped the Lopes take down No. 1 Cal State Dominguez Hills in 2009. Unlike Cilento, who was a redshirt freshman, Kissi is a true freshman.
ABOUT THAT CROWD: GCU broke its state college soccer attendance record when 6,648 fans attended last week's home opener. It surpassed the mark of 6,402 fans set at the opening of GCU Stadium in 2016. Friday's attendance mark would have been the sixth-largest crowd for any NCAA Division I men's soccer game last season, including postseason games.

SCOUTING

Creighton enters the weekend as the No. 20 team in the United Soccer Coaches poll after downing No. 11 Clemson at home last weekend. The Bluejays also tied UC Davis in a scoreless affair.

The Bluejays' defense has limited opponents to just 14 total shots in the first two matches and one shot on goal. Creighton has not surrendered a goal through two matches.

Last season, Creighton went 9-7-2 and missed the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2009 and just the second time since 1991.

In Omaha a year ago, the Lopes played then-No. 14 Creighton four minutes shy of a draw. The Bluejays scored off of a set piece in the 106th minute.

LAST TIME OUT

GCU recorded its first win over a Division I top-25 (coaches poll) opponent in program history, upsetting No. 12 Wisconsin 2-1 in front of 6,648 fans.
Alex Ramirez played a part in both goals for his first career multi-assist game.
Alex Radilla scored GCU's first goal on a cross from Marco Afonso before Kissi scored less than two minutes later.
The Lopes out-shot the Badgers 16-6.

WHAT'S NEXT

The Lopes will take to the road for the first time in 2018, heading to the Midwest to take on Evansville on Friday and Southern Illinois-Edwardsville on Sunday.
GCU returns home to take on Loyola Marymount on Thursday, Sept. 13.

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