Completed Event: Men's Soccer versus Utah Tech on October 23, 2025 , Tie , 2, to, 2
M Soccer
vs Utah Tech
T 2-2
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Coro: New coach, big belief define upbeat club
8/25/2021 9:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer, Paul Coro
GCU returns all scorers, adds key talent to start season ranked at No. 22
Grand Canyon men's soccer coach Leonard Griffin does not have to strain his eyes to see his team's abilities or close them to envision a top-25 program.
In his first year at the helm of GCU, Griffin has a talented team that is ranked No. 22 in the nation and returns nearly every starter from the Lopes' second NCAA tournament team in three years. So the bar just goes higher, pushed there by a coach with an ambitious vision and a veteran team craving more.
"I have to pinch myself sometimes," Griffin said as he embarks on his regular-season debut Thursday night against Illinois-Chicago at GCU Stadium. "I couldn't be in a happier place to see where the team is at, what's been built and the pieces we've added and how they're contributing."
The Lopes are the preseason WAC favorite and a top-25 team because they return every goal scorer from a team that went 8-2, one of 10 programs nationally to win at least 80% of their games. They are led by an experienced core that has reached two NCAA tournaments in three seasons, featuring WAC Preseason Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year in fifth-year player Justin Rasmussen and senior Esai Easley.
Getting there is no longer enough.
"The standard now is to get close to winning the NCAA championship or win it," Easley said. "Our whole team has tasted what it's like to be in the round of 32. If you look at that, there are four more games we have to win for a national championship."
GCU will find out where it is at quickly. CSU Bakersfield, which beat preseason No. 17 Loyola Marymount 4-1 in an exhibition, will be the second visitor on Sunday before the Lopes take a trip to Pac-12 powers Oregon State and Washington. The Lopes lost to the Huskies 2-0 at the NCAA tournament in May.
"I feel really ready," said Griffin, the former San Francisco head coach and MLS player. "The guys have been very receptive to everything we're throwing out, whether it's on the field or culture. They're really eager to learn and very coachable. When you have a team of high-character kids who are excited for learning new things, it makes our jobs easier and more fun. It excites us as a staff."
GCU maintains a possession-oriented attack with eight returning players who started nine or 10 of the 10-game spring season. Six more returnees received multiple starts.
That group features fifth-year wings, Rasmussen and Marco Afonso, and WAC Freshman of the Year Maximilian Moeller up front with new company. Shaun-Chris Joash, an England native, was second in goals for a 7-2-1 Furman team last season with five.
Griffin has an ideal forward pairing with Moeller's size and strength complementing Joash's speed.
"They are going to be a handful up top from what we've seen so far," Griffin said. "If they can continue that partnership, we're going to be very difficult to deal with in our attack. Our front four and front five is going to be scary."
That is because another Griffin recruit strengthens that group. Freshman Stefano Caille, from Paris, is an impact player who initiates attacks.
The Lopes already ranked 20th nationally for shots per game (6.3) last season, when another fifth-year returnee, Tosh Yasuda, led them in assists.
"A lot of the guys were just buzzing to be on the pitch again and be around each other, especially with a new coaching staff," Yasuda said of the preseason reunion. "This program has been waiting to get a breath of fresh air, fresh eyes and fresh ideas. We're all really excited. We have a lot of expectations, coming from a very successful season. The guys' energy has been amazing. I can't wait."
Easley leads a defensive unit that is tweaked with fifth-year player Ariel Aguas moving to midfield alongside senior Marios Andreou, a co-captain with Easley and Rasmussen. That was made possible by how sophomore Georg Bjarnason came on last season and the addition of Rodolfo Prado, a junior transfer from UC Merced who is unfazed by the transition to Division I soccer.
"Rodolfo has been a rock in our back line," Griffin said. "It allows us to feel more comfortable that if we're pressing with that many numbers, that those guys can do their jobs in the back and keep the ball out of the back of the net."
Senior Anthony Munoz and freshman Rafael Guerrero are candidates to step in at goalkeeper. Munoz backed up standout George Tasouris for three years while Guerrero is not the usual freshman after picking up two years of experience with FC Tucson.
The depth of the squad has surprised Leonard in the preseason, making him feel good about the program's future and this team's ability to withstand injury. The Lopes are building toward November, when Arizona's only Division I men's soccer program will host the WAC Tournament and vie to be the conference's automatic NCAA tournament qualifier.
"If we can stay in that top-25 conversation by the end of the season, we'll be happy," Griffin said. "But I think everybody knows long-term what we're after."
In his first year at the helm of GCU, Griffin has a talented team that is ranked No. 22 in the nation and returns nearly every starter from the Lopes' second NCAA tournament team in three years. So the bar just goes higher, pushed there by a coach with an ambitious vision and a veteran team craving more.
"I have to pinch myself sometimes," Griffin said as he embarks on his regular-season debut Thursday night against Illinois-Chicago at GCU Stadium. "I couldn't be in a happier place to see where the team is at, what's been built and the pieces we've added and how they're contributing."The Lopes are the preseason WAC favorite and a top-25 team because they return every goal scorer from a team that went 8-2, one of 10 programs nationally to win at least 80% of their games. They are led by an experienced core that has reached two NCAA tournaments in three seasons, featuring WAC Preseason Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year in fifth-year player Justin Rasmussen and senior Esai Easley.
Getting there is no longer enough.
"The standard now is to get close to winning the NCAA championship or win it," Easley said. "Our whole team has tasted what it's like to be in the round of 32. If you look at that, there are four more games we have to win for a national championship."
GCU will find out where it is at quickly. CSU Bakersfield, which beat preseason No. 17 Loyola Marymount 4-1 in an exhibition, will be the second visitor on Sunday before the Lopes take a trip to Pac-12 powers Oregon State and Washington. The Lopes lost to the Huskies 2-0 at the NCAA tournament in May.
"I feel really ready," said Griffin, the former San Francisco head coach and MLS player. "The guys have been very receptive to everything we're throwing out, whether it's on the field or culture. They're really eager to learn and very coachable. When you have a team of high-character kids who are excited for learning new things, it makes our jobs easier and more fun. It excites us as a staff."
GCU maintains a possession-oriented attack with eight returning players who started nine or 10 of the 10-game spring season. Six more returnees received multiple starts.That group features fifth-year wings, Rasmussen and Marco Afonso, and WAC Freshman of the Year Maximilian Moeller up front with new company. Shaun-Chris Joash, an England native, was second in goals for a 7-2-1 Furman team last season with five.
Griffin has an ideal forward pairing with Moeller's size and strength complementing Joash's speed."They are going to be a handful up top from what we've seen so far," Griffin said. "If they can continue that partnership, we're going to be very difficult to deal with in our attack. Our front four and front five is going to be scary."
That is because another Griffin recruit strengthens that group. Freshman Stefano Caille, from Paris, is an impact player who initiates attacks.
The Lopes already ranked 20th nationally for shots per game (6.3) last season, when another fifth-year returnee, Tosh Yasuda, led them in assists.
"A lot of the guys were just buzzing to be on the pitch again and be around each other, especially with a new coaching staff," Yasuda said of the preseason reunion. "This program has been waiting to get a breath of fresh air, fresh eyes and fresh ideas. We're all really excited. We have a lot of expectations, coming from a very successful season. The guys' energy has been amazing. I can't wait."
Easley leads a defensive unit that is tweaked with fifth-year player Ariel Aguas moving to midfield alongside senior Marios Andreou, a co-captain with Easley and Rasmussen. That was made possible by how sophomore Georg Bjarnason came on last season and the addition of Rodolfo Prado, a junior transfer from UC Merced who is unfazed by the transition to Division I soccer.
"Rodolfo has been a rock in our back line," Griffin said. "It allows us to feel more comfortable that if we're pressing with that many numbers, that those guys can do their jobs in the back and keep the ball out of the back of the net."
Senior Anthony Munoz and freshman Rafael Guerrero are candidates to step in at goalkeeper. Munoz backed up standout George Tasouris for three years while Guerrero is not the usual freshman after picking up two years of experience with FC Tucson.
The depth of the squad has surprised Leonard in the preseason, making him feel good about the program's future and this team's ability to withstand injury. The Lopes are building toward November, when Arizona's only Division I men's soccer program will host the WAC Tournament and vie to be the conference's automatic NCAA tournament qualifier.
"If we can stay in that top-25 conversation by the end of the season, we'll be happy," Griffin said. "But I think everybody knows long-term what we're after."
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Soccer
D
/ Men's Soccer
M
/ Men's Soccer
M
/ Men's Soccer
M
/ Men's Soccer
M/D
/ Men's Soccer
GK
/ Men's Soccer
F
/ Men's Soccer
D
/ Men's Soccer
M
/ Men's Soccer
GK
/ Men's Soccer
M
/ Men's SoccerBaptized at GCU
Tuesday, April 14
Singles off BOTH bags. ONE inning. 🤯 #baseball
Sunday, April 12
HOMER from the DRONE 🥎 #collegesoftball
Saturday, April 11
Schmidt's 3-run blast vs. ASU #collegebaseball
Wednesday, April 08