Completed Event: Men's Soccer versus Sacramento State on August 28, 2025 , Win , 2, to, 1
M Soccer
vs Sacramento State
W 2-1
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Thursday, September 12
Phoenix, Ariz.
7 p.m.
Grand Canyon
3-1-0, 0-0-0
1
vs
0
Oregon State
3-2-0, 0-0-0
1
2
F
Oregon St.
0
0
0
Grand Canyon
1
0
1
Defense blanks Oregon State
9/12/2019 10:56:00 PM | Men's Soccer, Paul Coro
Aristotelous scores to make GCU's 3rd shutout stand up
When situations are tough, the Grand Canyon men's soccer team gets tougher.
The Lopes were under siege Thursday night by Oregon State's offense, which took the first 11 shots of the game. GCU's first shot was better and so were the Lopes to pull off a 1-0 victory in front of 2,617Â fans at GCU Stadium.
Like last season's NCAA tournament team, this GCU squad is showing that it can ride its dependable defense to notoriety. The Lopes (3-1) have shut out the opponent in each win and surrendered one goal on a penalty kick at No. 7 Saint Mary's.
GCU staved off 20 shots and nine shots on goal against Oregon State (3-2) but made its opportunity count with 25 seconds remaining in the first half. On the Lopes' first shot of the match, senior midfielder Pambos Aristotelous scored on a straightaway, 22-yard strike from nearly the same spot that sophomore teammate Bert Wilton did on Sunday for a 1-0 win at Santa Clara.
"We never stopped dreaming," Aristotelous said. "We never stopped fighting. Every single day, we are getting better. We are going to fight for everything this year."
Oregon State, coming off a 4-1 win Monday against Pacific, relentlessly put GCU under duress with clean passing while often splitting the Lopes to threaten sophomore goalkeeper George Tasouris. But by flipping junior defenders Ariel Aguas and Nick Barreiro on the back line, the GCU defense dug in as the Beavers wore down.
It looked like halftime would be the necessary momentum shift, as GCU had yet to take a shot or corner kick for 44 minutes. But the game changed when Lopes senior reserve Marlon Atondo hit a left-footed cross to another reserve, sophomore Tyler Hughes, at the high right side of the penalty box.
That cross drew the Beavers goalkeeper to the middle of the goal as Hughes delivered a splendid pass to the center, where Aristotelous one-timed a shot into the upper-left corner of the goal.
"That's why you never give up," GCU head coach Schellas Hyndman said. "You just keep going. When we scored our goal, they were starting to get tired because they were attacking so much. They're a very good team. For them to do what they did against us at our home and in this weather, they're one of the best college teams I've seen in a long time."
The Lopes were better offensively in the second half but still needed Tasouris to handle point-blank shots. A longer free kick in the 84th minute provided Tasouris' toughest save, when he leaped to his left to corral a one-hopper.
Tasouris has posted shutouts in 12 of his 23 GCU starts in goal.
"I think we're making a name for ourselves in college soccer as a hard team to beat," said Lopes sophomore defender Esai Easley, who starred on the back line. "I have friends on Saint Mary's and their coach told them before our game there (Friday's 1-0 loss) that we were going to be the hardest team they played all season. We are becoming a team that's hard to play, especially at home with the fans and weather. Defensively, with George and the back line, we've been pretty solid."
GCU continues to test itself next week when it will play at No. 9 Virginia Tech (4-0), which has allowed at least a goal in each match.
The Lopes have allowed two goals in their past eight matches, dating back to last season's WAC Tournament title run.
"They were fighters," Hyndman said. "We were talking at halftime about how they (the Beavers) were going to come out storming. The guys really showed a lot of character. It was a great effort. Talent without teamwork is a disaster. We have the teamwork. We have the fighter mentality. And our talent is getting better and better each week."
The Lopes were under siege Thursday night by Oregon State's offense, which took the first 11 shots of the game. GCU's first shot was better and so were the Lopes to pull off a 1-0 victory in front of 2,617Â fans at GCU Stadium.
Like last season's NCAA tournament team, this GCU squad is showing that it can ride its dependable defense to notoriety. The Lopes (3-1) have shut out the opponent in each win and surrendered one goal on a penalty kick at No. 7 Saint Mary's.
GCU staved off 20 shots and nine shots on goal against Oregon State (3-2) but made its opportunity count with 25 seconds remaining in the first half. On the Lopes' first shot of the match, senior midfielder Pambos Aristotelous scored on a straightaway, 22-yard strike from nearly the same spot that sophomore teammate Bert Wilton did on Sunday for a 1-0 win at Santa Clara.
"We never stopped dreaming," Aristotelous said. "We never stopped fighting. Every single day, we are getting better. We are going to fight for everything this year."
Oregon State, coming off a 4-1 win Monday against Pacific, relentlessly put GCU under duress with clean passing while often splitting the Lopes to threaten sophomore goalkeeper George Tasouris. But by flipping junior defenders Ariel Aguas and Nick Barreiro on the back line, the GCU defense dug in as the Beavers wore down.
It looked like halftime would be the necessary momentum shift, as GCU had yet to take a shot or corner kick for 44 minutes. But the game changed when Lopes senior reserve Marlon Atondo hit a left-footed cross to another reserve, sophomore Tyler Hughes, at the high right side of the penalty box.
That cross drew the Beavers goalkeeper to the middle of the goal as Hughes delivered a splendid pass to the center, where Aristotelous one-timed a shot into the upper-left corner of the goal.
"That's why you never give up," GCU head coach Schellas Hyndman said. "You just keep going. When we scored our goal, they were starting to get tired because they were attacking so much. They're a very good team. For them to do what they did against us at our home and in this weather, they're one of the best college teams I've seen in a long time."
The Lopes were better offensively in the second half but still needed Tasouris to handle point-blank shots. A longer free kick in the 84th minute provided Tasouris' toughest save, when he leaped to his left to corral a one-hopper.
Tasouris has posted shutouts in 12 of his 23 GCU starts in goal.
"I think we're making a name for ourselves in college soccer as a hard team to beat," said Lopes sophomore defender Esai Easley, who starred on the back line. "I have friends on Saint Mary's and their coach told them before our game there (Friday's 1-0 loss) that we were going to be the hardest team they played all season. We are becoming a team that's hard to play, especially at home with the fans and weather. Defensively, with George and the back line, we've been pretty solid."
GCU continues to test itself next week when it will play at No. 9 Virginia Tech (4-0), which has allowed at least a goal in each match.
The Lopes have allowed two goals in their past eight matches, dating back to last season's WAC Tournament title run.
"They were fighters," Hyndman said. "We were talking at halftime about how they (the Beavers) were going to come out storming. The guys really showed a lot of character. It was a great effort. Talent without teamwork is a disaster. We have the teamwork. We have the fighter mentality. And our talent is getting better and better each week."
44' | GOALLLLLLL! Pambos Aristotelous puts the Lopes on the board with 25 seconds left in the first half! #LopesUp
— GCU Men's Soccer (@GCU_MSoccer) September 13, 2019
GCU 1 | OSU 0 pic.twitter.com/U2YXtp9FD3
Team Stats
OSU
GCU
Goals
0
1
Shots
20
5
Shots on Goal
9
3
Saves
2
9
Corners
11
1
Fouls
8
9
Scoring Plays
Pambos Aristotelous (1)
Assisted By: Marlon Atondo , Tyler Hughes
GOAL by GCU Aristotelous, Pambos Assist by Atondo, Marlon and Hughes, Tyler.
44:33
Game Leaders
Players
Shots
2
SOG
2
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
1
Shots
0
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
1
Shots
1
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
0
Players Mentioned
D
/ Men's SoccerM
/ Men's SoccerM/D
/ Men's Soccer
D
/ Men's Soccer
M/D
/ Men's SoccerM
/ Men's Soccer
GK
/ Men's Soccer
F
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