Completed Event: Men's Soccer versus Sacramento State on August 28, 2025 , Win , 2, to, 1
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Grand Canyon University Athletics
Insider: Lopes crack top 25
9/4/2018 11:14:00 AM | Men's Soccer, Paul Coro, Lopes Insider Blog
GCU debuts in United Soccer Coaches poll at No. 24
The 24th-ranked Grand Canyon men's soccer team took to the practice field Tuesday.
It took years of dedication and the past two Fridays' upset wins to get that distinction for the first time in the Division I era, but now the Lopes take on the tougher job of staying among the nation's elite.
The United Soccer Coaches top 25, the NCAA-recognized Division I poll, debuted GCU at No. 24 on Tuesday after the Lopes opened the season by upending then-No. 12 Wisconsin and then-No. 20 Creighton. The Lopes also jumped to No. 17 in this week's topdrawersoccer.com top 25.
"It's obvious that there is something going on here," GCU head coach Schellas Hyndman said. "It's excellent. It's about this team, the players and the staff who have worked so hard getting recruits here. This team is designed from the last six months of working and recruiting. It's also about GCU and (Vice President of Athletics) Mike Vaught, who believed in me and said, 'We'd like for you to find success here.' For him to believe in me means a lot to me. It's one of the main reasons I came here. It's having President (Brian) Mueller here, saying, 'We're going to give you everything you need to find success.' Look at the stadium and scholarships and support. We have everything. We're just missing one thing and that's tradition. Hopefully, this year, we start that."
The Lopes received votes for the first time in the preseason poll and then grabbed more votes last week after beating Wisconsin 2-1 at home. But following it up with a 1-0 victory at home Friday against Creighton surged GCU into this week's top 25. Last season, the Lopes lost to perennial powers Wisconsin and Creighton on the road.
"We all knew this was a talented group and that the facilities were top class," GCU junior defender Austin Day said. "We're just happy we could finally get it to be ranked in the top 25. We knew we'd be able to do that since I've been here. We just finally put it all together. We've come together as a team with everyone doing their part and doing their role to get us to that position."
"It's a lot of fun. It's why we all play. The fans are insane. It's crazy that people come out and watch us play a game, but it's so much fun and it's so great to see everyone storm the field. It's unreal to see that many people excited about doing what we're doing."
Senior midfielder Jackson Jellah, a Phoenix native, transferred to GCU before the 2017 season with a moment like this in mind.
"I envisioned something like this," Jellah said. "Why not put my hometown on the map? To be ranked is nice but rankings don't really matter. Ranking is not winning something. We're hoping to win the WAC and get into the NCAA tournament.
"Having the team chemistry that we have, we believe in each other and believe we can achieve the things we imagined. The locker room is nice. We're together. We're a family. We're going to keep dreaming and keep riding this wave and hopefully reach a higher level."
That means sustaining their level of play for the season's first road tests -- Friday at Evansville and Sunday at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville. Last season, GCU went 6-2-1 at home and 1-9 on the road.
"We played two really good teams and found a way to win, but what are we going to be like on the road without our fan support and comfort zone?" Hyndman said. "It's such a difference because our home is such an advantage. This environment is so unusual to find anywhere out there. You've got the Havocs cheering you on. You're got parents. You've got thousands of fans. And we're a Christian school so we don't ride the opposition much. Once you get on the road, all that is off the table. What you have to have is some type of composure and some type of understanding that you have a target on your back once you're ranked. Everybody is measuring themselves off of ranked teams. We did it."
Now, it is No. 24 GCU facing unranked teams.
"No more upsets," Day said. "We probably won't be an underdog much anymore."
Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.
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It took years of dedication and the past two Fridays' upset wins to get that distinction for the first time in the Division I era, but now the Lopes take on the tougher job of staying among the nation's elite.
The United Soccer Coaches top 25, the NCAA-recognized Division I poll, debuted GCU at No. 24 on Tuesday after the Lopes opened the season by upending then-No. 12 Wisconsin and then-No. 20 Creighton. The Lopes also jumped to No. 17 in this week's topdrawersoccer.com top 25.
"It's obvious that there is something going on here," GCU head coach Schellas Hyndman said. "It's excellent. It's about this team, the players and the staff who have worked so hard getting recruits here. This team is designed from the last six months of working and recruiting. It's also about GCU and (Vice President of Athletics) Mike Vaught, who believed in me and said, 'We'd like for you to find success here.' For him to believe in me means a lot to me. It's one of the main reasons I came here. It's having President (Brian) Mueller here, saying, 'We're going to give you everything you need to find success.' Look at the stadium and scholarships and support. We have everything. We're just missing one thing and that's tradition. Hopefully, this year, we start that."
The Lopes received votes for the first time in the preseason poll and then grabbed more votes last week after beating Wisconsin 2-1 at home. But following it up with a 1-0 victory at home Friday against Creighton surged GCU into this week's top 25. Last season, the Lopes lost to perennial powers Wisconsin and Creighton on the road.
"We all knew this was a talented group and that the facilities were top class," GCU junior defender Austin Day said. "We're just happy we could finally get it to be ranked in the top 25. We knew we'd be able to do that since I've been here. We just finally put it all together. We've come together as a team with everyone doing their part and doing their role to get us to that position."
"It's a lot of fun. It's why we all play. The fans are insane. It's crazy that people come out and watch us play a game, but it's so much fun and it's so great to see everyone storm the field. It's unreal to see that many people excited about doing what we're doing."
Senior midfielder Jackson Jellah, a Phoenix native, transferred to GCU before the 2017 season with a moment like this in mind.
"I envisioned something like this," Jellah said. "Why not put my hometown on the map? To be ranked is nice but rankings don't really matter. Ranking is not winning something. We're hoping to win the WAC and get into the NCAA tournament.
"Having the team chemistry that we have, we believe in each other and believe we can achieve the things we imagined. The locker room is nice. We're together. We're a family. We're going to keep dreaming and keep riding this wave and hopefully reach a higher level."
That means sustaining their level of play for the season's first road tests -- Friday at Evansville and Sunday at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville. Last season, GCU went 6-2-1 at home and 1-9 on the road.
"We played two really good teams and found a way to win, but what are we going to be like on the road without our fan support and comfort zone?" Hyndman said. "It's such a difference because our home is such an advantage. This environment is so unusual to find anywhere out there. You've got the Havocs cheering you on. You're got parents. You've got thousands of fans. And we're a Christian school so we don't ride the opposition much. Once you get on the road, all that is off the table. What you have to have is some type of composure and some type of understanding that you have a target on your back once you're ranked. Everybody is measuring themselves off of ranked teams. We did it."
Now, it is No. 24 GCU facing unranked teams.
"No more upsets," Day said. "We probably won't be an underdog much anymore."
Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.
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Players Mentioned
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