Rasmussen goals put '21 home mark at 12-0

Sunday, October 24

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

12-2-0, 7-1-0

Dixie State

2-12-1, 1-6-1

Dixie St.

Grand Canyon

10/24/2021 10:42:00 PM | Men's Soccer, Paul Coro

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Lopes keep WAC 1st-place tie by topping Dixie State 3-0 on Senior Night

By: Paul Coro

The Grand Canyon men's soccer team has proven unbeatable for two consecutive regular seasons on the field where their WAC Tournament fate will be decided in three weeks.

First, the Lopes have three regular-season road games remaining to defend their regular-season WAC title, but they remain tied for first place after registering their 12th consecutive home win with a 3-0 Senior Night victory against Dixie State.

GCU (12-2, 7-1 WAC) recorded its fifth shutout of the season on Sunday night to close out its home campaign at 8-0, its second consecutive undefeated season at GCU Stadium after going 4-0 in the delayed spring season. The Lopes remain tied atop the conference with Air Force, their regular-season finale opponent on Nov. 6.

"The journey on this field is not over," GCU head coach Leonard Griffin told his players, referring to the Nov. 10-14 WAC Tournament that determines the conference's NCAA tournament automatic qualifier.

It was not Lopes fifth-year forward Justin Rasmussen's last home game, or even his first Senior Night, but having a two-goal game was an appropriate feat for his final regular-season home game. Rasmussen ended last regular season not knowing if he would use the COVID-19 waiver option to return, but he is glad he opted to return and leads a more balanced team with seven goals this season.

The Las Vegas native gave GCU a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute, when sophomore forward Maximilian Moeller led freshman midfielder Kaden Cameron into the right side of the box. Cameron crossed it backward to the top of the box, where Rasmussen connected for a goal into the left side of the net and ran to celebrate with the Havocs.

"I needed to show them the love," Rasmussen said of The Platform student section. "They've been giving me the love for five seasons. I wanted to embrace them a little bit. It was a bittersweet signing off.

"It's going to be hard not having the Havocs after this year. They're the reason I wanted to come here to play soccer. Having our fans in our home and being comfortable is definitely going to give us an advantage in the WAC Tournament."

The Lopes showed more of why they entered their 2-0 weekend as the No. 13 team in the NCAA's Ratings Percentage Index. They took a 2-0 edge in the 35th minute when senior midfielder Alexis Canales passed out of a trio of Dixie State defenders to junior forward Alex LaBarge, who crossed to junior forward Cameron Weller for Weller's fifth goal in the past five games. Weller redirected LaBarge's pass with his left foot to beat a diving goalkeeper inside the far post.

That play showed off how GCU's passing patterns have refined during the season and how its depth is showing up more with LaBarge and Weller being reserves.

The Lopes took further control in the second half with Rasmussen's second goal. Rasmussen had been stopped on a penalty kick in the first half, but still notched his second goal of the night with greater difficulty.

"The thing I'm most happy about is that most guys can miss something like that and get in their head," Rasmussen said. "I was able to bounce back and get a second goal after that. It stings a little bit, but I got two goals on my Senior Night so I'm more than happy."

GCU fifth-year forward Rey Gaytan tapped a backward pass to Rasmussen, who moved to his left and scored on the goal's right side.

"I noticed that he was on top of 18 (-yard box) so I knew if I gave him the ball on his strong foot, he was going to cut in and take a shot," said Gaytan, a Phoenix product from Barry Goldwater High School. "Luckily, he buried it. I knew he was there and that's his forte."

Behind the always-stellar Lopes back line, senior goalkeeper Anthony Munoz played perhaps his best game with two saves in one-on-one situations, including one where he needed to leap high to knock a potential goal away with his left hand.

A two-win, five-goal weekend will keep GCU in the national top 15 of RPI and scoring offense before closing the regular season with games at California Baptist, Utah Valley and Air Force.

"That is the way you want to send your senior off," Griffin said. "I'm proud of the group. We keep battling and working. I still think we have a lot to continue to prove, but these seniors have given so much to the program, so seeing them off like this is something special. And also to have the alums back here from the 1996 national championship team makes it an extra special night to celebrate."

The Lopes entered the weekend ranked 14th in the nation for attendance and their two matches put their final attendance average at 1,511 fans per game. It is an atmosphere the Lopes hope to carry over to the WAC Tournament.

"Going to all the schools across the nation, there's no doubt that the fans here are the best in the country so we're very thankful for that," Gaytan said.