Must-win stretch lies ahead

Sunday, October 27

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

4-6-4, 1-4-3

Kansas City

5-8-0, 4-4-0

Kansas City

Grand Canyon

10/27/2019 10:22:00 PM | Men's Soccer, Paul Coro

Box Score

GCU loses 2-0 to Kansas City despite 19-4 shot lead

By: Paul Coro

With frustration mounting and the odds stacking against it, the Grand Canyon men's soccer team needs only to look to itself for motivation.

The Lopes fell deeper into a WAC hole Sunday night by losing 2-0 to Kansas City at GCU Stadium despite outshooting the Roos 19-4. GCU might need to win its final three regular-season games to reach the WAC Tournament, the same task that last season's Lopes faced before doing so and riding that roll to a WAC Tournament championship.

"We've been here before," GCU senior defender Austin Day said. "This is where we were last year. We have three games left and all we can do is worry about those three games. Last year, we had a run that got us in the NCAA tournament so hopefully we can do it again."

The Lopes (4-6-4, 1-4-2 WAC) need a sudden turn of fate after dropping two home weekend matches in which the opposing teams only took seven shots on goal combined but scored on six of them.

On Sunday, GCU dominated ball control and created far more scoring threats throughout the game, including when the Lopes took the game's first eight shots. But Kansas City's first opportunity was too good when successive defensive fouls gave the Roos a straightaway 18-yard free kick that David Ray-Campoy converted in the 43rd minute.

"That first 30 minutes, we were really playing well but nothing was coming out of it," Lopes head coach Schellas Hyndman said. "We were dominating. They withstood it and then we gave up a silly goal. We came back and had so many chances. We're just not finishing and it changes the whole outcome of the game."

In the first half, sophomore defender Esai Easley, junior forward Jaime Delor, junior midfielder Justin Rasmussen, sophomore forward Bert Wilton and Day all made plays to create GCU scoring threats but the Lopes could not finish one.
Even after falling behind 1-0 just before halftime, the Lopes emerged with more possession domination in the second half, as junior defender Ariel Aguas joined the attack threats, firing a 35-year blast that required a leaping one-handed deflection by Kansas City goalkeeper Filippo Enrico in the 51st minute.

GCU earned eight corner kicks in the second half but remained scoreless with the closest call coming when Day used a header to redirect a Rasmussen free kick but Enrico stopped the shot.

"It's frustrating when you dominate a team like that and you can't get any goals in," Day said. "The ball's just not bouncing your way or whatever it is. It's felt like that for a couple games. We just need that one break and haven't got it yet but we've still got three games and it'll happen."

The Lopes became more aggressive as the score remained at 1-0 by bringing an extra player forward but a Kansas City counteract foiled that in the 81st minute with a breakaway goal by Ryan Khedoo to complete the scoring.

GCU dropped its weekend home set despite outshooting the two opponents 40-14.

"Each shot means it was a chance," Hyndman said. "We're just not scoring. It was really disappointing and really frustrating because the guys are giving everything they have. You see how well we're doing things but one little slip-up goes against us and they're big things against us.

"It's very frustrating on my end and I can magnify that on the players' end. I know they're questioning themselves with a, 'What do we have to do?' mentality. I told them, 'Before we know it, the season's going to come to an end and you can talk about it but right now we have to do something.' "

Sunday's loss left GCU with road work to do this week with a Thursday game at Air Force (5-9, 4-4) and a Saturday game at Utah Valley (8-6-1, 5-3) before the regular-season finale at home Nov. 9 against UNLV (5-10-1, 3-4-1).