Lopes ready to shed underdog tag at NCAAs

Sunday, May 2 \| 1 p.m. (Phoenix time) \| NCAA tournament second round \| Matthews, N.C.

	WASHINGTON HUSKIES (10-3)	vs.	GRAND CANYON LOPES (8-1)

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On Wednesday morning, Grand Canyon head coach Schellas Hyndman exited his GCU Stadium office, turned down the shadowed, concrete corridor that leads to a gloriously green soccer pitch and led his last training session on home turf.

But that does not mean that the next GCU game will be Hyndman's last.

GCU is making its second NCAA tournament appearance in the past three seasons on Saturday in Matthews, North Carolina, where Hyndman's team was given the benefit of a first-round bye but the challenge of facing Washington, one of the tournament's top eight seeds. Schellas Hyndman

The Lopes (8-1) are tied for fourth in win-loss-tie percentage, rank 11th in the NCAA Ratings Percentage Index and were voted 20th in the United Soccer Coaches poll. However, they will be out to prove themselves again Saturday while trying to extend their retiring Hall of Fame coach's career with an upset of the seventh-seeded Huskies (10-3).

"These last 10 days of training have been really good, quite honestly," Hyndman said. "I know I'll look back at these as some wonderful experiences and years. Right now, there's so much going on that I don't have an opportunity to sit down and evaluate everything."

That is because he is tasked with preparing GCU for Washington in his 57th NCAA tournament game, tying him for the fourth-highest total in history. This is his 27th NCAA tournament team, putting him one shy of retired Indiana coach Jerry Yeagley and current Maryland coach Sasho Cirovski.

The Huskies are explosive, outscoring opponents 31-10 this season for 2.4 goals per game and their fifth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance. Facing this level is not unfamiliar to GCU, which has three starters (midfielder Marios Andreou, defender Esai Easley and goaltender George Tasouris) who started on the 2018 and 2019 teams that went 5-2 against top-25 teams and two more starters (seniors Justin Rasmussen and Tosh Yasuda) who played on those teams.

Easley even grew up playing with Washington's top scorer Dylan Teves, a fellow Hawaiian. Teves has a team-high seven goals, four of which were game-winners.

"When we've played top teams, we've done a fantastic job of beating them or meeting their level," Easley said. "We've established ourselves to be one of those top teams. We've been ranked all year. We are underdogs, but at the same time, we're a ranked team going against another ranked team.

"We've already proven that we're a good team. We just have to continue to show that we're able to beat these top teams."

The Lopes fire 15.7 shots per game, ranking ninth in the nation, but will face a swarming Washington defense that wants to prompt mistakes for quick counterattacks. On the Huskies' attack, Hyndman said eight Washington players will be around the ball for a team that reached the NCAA quarterfinals last season.

GCU lost two of its starters in the WAC Tournament championship game with senior defender Ariel Aguas drawing a red card and junior midfielder Alexis Canales injuring his ankle. The Lopes lost four other projected starters before the season began.

"Players who haven't played much might get a chance to play in the most important game of our season," Hyndman said.

GCU junior defender Alejandro Fernandez Alcaide did not know if he would get another game this season when a back injury sidelined him for the WAC Tournament championship game, which the Lopes lost to leave them hanging until the NCAA Selection Show.

"It could be very special," Fernandez Alcaide said of Sunday's game at 1 p.m. (Phoenix time). "We are very motivated because of the opportunity we have. We're ready. Just go and play and show who's better on the field. We're all very excited to play against a very good team. It's going to be a battle."

A GCU win would put the Lopes in the Sweet 16 and could pit Hyndman and Cirovski, the active coaches with the most NCAA tournament appearances.

But coming off their first loss of the season, the Lopes are unable to look ahead and have taken a humbled approach to the Charlotte-area NCAA tournament bubble.

"It was a good wake-up call," Easley said of losing the WAC final to Air Force. "Being able to recognize some things we needed to fix will benefit us in this game. It was a blessing in disguise."

The Lopes appreciate where they are. Only 19% of Division I programs reached the NCAA tournament. Several GCU players are on their second NCAA tournament visit after losing on penalty kicks at UC Irvine in 2018, but they know many players at high-profile programs with no tourney visits.

And GCU has Hyndman, who has gone 30-20-6 in NCAA tournament games and reached the national semifinals three times. He ranks 15th all-time for wins at 511-170-58.

For however long the Lopes' NCAA tournament visit lasts, it will be an appropriate farewell for Hyndman amid his coaching brethren in the same hotel.

"I'm going to miss the game," Hyndman said. "How lucky have I been to spend my whole life around a soccer ball? I'm going to miss the training. I'm going to miss my players. I'm going to miss my colleagues."

Sunday, May 2 | 1 p.m. (Phoenix time) | NCAA tournament second round | Matthews, N.C.

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Players Mentioned

Ariel Aguas

Marios Andreou

Alexis Canales

Esai Easley

Alejandro Fernandez Alcaide

Justin Rasmussen

George Tasouris

Tosh Yasuda

Grand Canyon University Athletics