Yasuda strikes early in tie match

Sunday, September 22

Riverside, Calif. / UCR Soccer Stadium

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

3-2-1, 0-0-0

UC Riverside

5-1-2, 0-0-0

Grand Canyon

UC Riverside

9/22/2019 9:48:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

GCU, UC Riverside end at 1-1 after 2 OTs

By: Cassidy Mace

RIVERSIDE, Calif. - The Grand Canyon men's soccer team recorded its first tie game of the season on Sunday at UC Riverside. Senior midfielder Tosh Yasuda gave the Lopes an early lead with a goal in the third minute of the match for a lead GCU held until the 69th minute, when a UC Riverside goal sent the game to two overtimes before ending in a 1-1 tie.

Yasuda gave the Lopes (3-2-1) a lead two minutes and 18 seconds into the action when his second goal of the season came on an assist from sophomore forward Bert Wilton. Both of Yasuda's goals this season have come in the first four minutes of a match.

UC Riverside (5-1-2) attempted to answer with a shot on goal in the sixth minute, but GCU sophomore goalkeeper George Tasouris made the first of his three saves in the game to maintain the 1-0 lead.

The Lopes had another chance to score in the ninth minute when senior midfielder Pambos Aristotelous missed on a shot off a corner kick. Two more corner kicks in the 25th and 26th minutes allowed Wilton to put a shot on goal, but a save from the Highlanders kept the Lopes' lead at one.

The Lopes and the Highlanders each recorded six shots in the first half of the match, with GCU putting three on goal. Yasuda was responsible for two of the Lopes' first-half shots, while Aristotelous contributed another two with one on goal.

GCU was able to create three chances to score in the first 10 minutes of the second half. Aristotelous took two more shots in the 51st and 53rd minutes and freshman forward Hugo Logan took his first shot of the game in the 52nd minute. UC Riverside also had an early shot in the second half in the 47th minute, but Tasouris made the save and the Lopes held onto their 1-0 lead.

UC Riverside evened the score in the 69th minute, when midfielder Caio Gauzzelli netted his second goal in the past three games to tie the score at 1-1. Despite shots on goal from Yasuda, junior forward Jaime Delor and senior defender Austin Day, the Lopes were unable to regain the lead in regulation, sending the match into overtime.

The Highlanders started the extra minutes with back-to-back corner kicks, but an offsides call gave the Lopes possession. Junior midfielder Justin Rasmussen took a scoring chance in the 100th minute but missed wide left before the game moved to double overtime.

Yasuda came out striking with a shot on goal in the 101st minute, but the Highlanders' goalie made the save to keep the match even. He recorded his fifth and final shot in the 105th minute, marking a career high for shots in a match. Sophomore defender Easi Easley took his first shot of the season in the 108th minute, missing high for a final score of 1-1.

GCU returns to action on Friday night at GCU Stadium. The Lopes open WAC play at 7 p.m. against Incarnate Word for Student and Family Value Night and Alumni Night.