UTRGV road game awaits Lopes

Saturday, October 19

Edinburg, Texas / UTRGV Soccer Complex

5 p.m.

Grand Canyon

UT Rio Grande Valley

10/18/2019 9:45:00 AM | Men's Soccer

Match Notes

GCU hits the road for WAC matchup

By: Cassidy Mace


Grand Canyon Lopes (4-4-3, 1-2-2 WAC)	vs.	UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros (7-3, 3-2 WAC)
Match Notes R ecords	Live Video Live Stats	R ecords

The Grand Canyon men's soccer team travels to Edinburg, Texas, to take on UT Rio Grande Valley this Saturday. The Lopes play at 5 p.m. (Phoenix time) at UTRGV Soccer Complex in their sixth WAC contest of 2019.

GCU is 1-2-1 against the Vaqueros, having tied and lost matches at UTRGV in 2016 and 2017.

The match will be streamed live on the WAC Digital Network.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

HYNDMAN TO THE HALL OF FAME: GCU head coach Schellas Hyndman will be inducted into the United Soccer Coaches Hall of Fame in January. Hyndman hit a landmark win in the Lopes' season opener over Northern Kentucky, becoming the fifth Division I coach in NCAA history to earn 500 collegiate career wins. Hyndman is one of only two active D-I coaches with at least 500 career wins, trailing South Carolina's Mark Berson by nine.
EASLEY EARNS WAC AWARDS: Sophomore defender Esai Easley was named WAC Athlete of the Month for September. The award is Easley's second WAC recognition of 2019 after he was named WAC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 16. The Kailua, Hawaii, native has started all nine matches for the Lopes this season and recorded full 90-minute outings in four of the Lopes' six September games, along with a 110-minute effort in a double-overtime tie at UC Riverside.
SHUTOUT SQUAD: GCU has recorded a shutout in all four wins this season. The Lopes have held five opponents scoreless, three at home and two on the road. The four shutout victories put the 2019 team on pace to match last season's nine shutouts, the most a GCU team has recorded since the 2010 squad shut out 10 teams. Sophomore goalkeeper George Tasouris has been in goal for each shutout, having recorded 45 saves this season. Tasouris was named WAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and ranks in the top 100 nationally in goalie minutes played (71st), goals against average (47th), save percentage (24th), saves per game (56th) and total saves (40th).

SCOUTING

UT Rio Grande Valley is tied for third in the WAC with a 3-2 conference record. The Vaqueros went 4-1 in nonconference play with wins over Wofford, Stetson, Marshall and Central Arkansas and their only loss coming from No. 14 Central Florida. In WAC play, UTRGV has defeated UNLV, Air Force and Houston Baptist, shutting out all three teams. The Vaqueros' two conference losses came against Utah Valley and Kansas City, which was a 2-1 defeat in their last competition on Oct. 13.

Forward Kyle Edwards leads UTRGV on offense with 16 points this season. The senior is tied for second in the WAC with seven goals and has recorded two assists on the season. Defensively, senior goalkeeper Andy Rios has started all 10 matches in the box for the Vaqueros, making a total of 36 saves and ranking third in the WAC for least goals allowed (10) and fourth in goals-against average (0.98).

Head coach Paul Leese is in his fifth season with the Vaqueros, holding a 39-37-7 during his tenure. He led the program to its most wins (14) and conference wins (eight) in program history during the 2018 season.

In the last meeting between the teams, GCU fell to UTRGV 2-1 at GCU Stadium. Current junior Justin Rasmussen scored the Lopes' lone goal of the match to tie the game in the 54th minute but the Vaqueros won in overtime.