Draw contains silver linings

Sunday, October 9

Phoenix, Ariz.

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

4-5-3, 1-1-2

California Baptist

4-4-2, 0-1-1

California Baptist

Grand Canyon

10/9/2022 9:34:00 PM | Men's Soccer, Paul Coro

Box Score

GCU stays unbeaten in 10 consecutive WAC regular-season home games

By: Paul Coro

The Grand Canyon men's soccer team controlled the ball for the most part. The Lopes improved their play as the game went on and made game-saving defensive plays in crunch time.

The only things missing Sunday night were scoring and postgame smiles after GCU had to settle for a 0-0 draw in a WAC home game against California Baptist.

The Lopes (4-5-3, 1-1-2 WAC) picked up a point to move into a third-place tie in conference standings and stretched their WAC regular-season unbeaten streak at GCU Stadium to 10 games. But with 12 days until the next match, the Lopes will stew on Sunday night's missed opportunities.

"We had some promising moments," GCU head coach Mike Kraus said. "We talked a lot at halftime about having to speed up the play when we have the ball. They were sitting into a defensive block in the middle, and we were just a little too slow in our circulation. We weren't able to get around them or behind them. We definitely sped things up in the second half."

Even before the second-half hit on the fast-forward button, the Lopes earned six corner kicks before California Baptist (4-4-2, 0-1-1 WAC) took its first one. mens soccer

GCU also had first-half scoring chances when freshman midfielder Alexander Krzykos, with an expanding reserve role, made the move of the night. The Phoenix Shadow Mountain High School prodcut hit a back-heel kick between a defender's legs to get loose wide right of the box. But GCU's ensuing header and kick attempts were not directed on goal.

In the 39th minute, graduate defender Alexis Canales delivered a perfect lead pass from midfield to redshirt freshman forward Jaxon Reinhardt, who raced behind the Lancers' defense and sent a shot off the pass' first bounce that went over the net.

GCU controlled 58% of possession, but even the improved second-half offense did not result in a goal.

"We had some good combinations out wide, but ultimately the thing that matters the most is, 'Can you hit the target?' " Kraus said. "Our key promising ones that we created just didn't have the finishing touch. We didn't have that killer instinct to bury it tonight. We grew in some other areas, but we've got some places to get better at."

Lopes sophomore forward Clayton Duarte created the first second-half threat with a ground pass to sophomore midfielder Innocent Jibril Rodet at the top center of the 18-yard box, where Rodet's shot was deflected wide with a diving save.

Ensuing crosses did not find teammates, but Rodet stayed in attack mode with a season-high seven shots while GCU scoring leader Shaun Joash was out after receiving his fifth yellow card on Friday. Senior defender Alec LaBarge set up Rodet for his best chance in the 67th minute, when the Frenchman was alone in the center of the box but shot high.

"Since the beginning of the season, I've seen this team get better," Rodet said. "We have a lot of new players. Now we're on our way to improving. It's going to be better next game for sure.

Jaxon Reinholdt

"We played way better in the second half because we followed the instructions of the coach. It was better because we were able to move the ball from left to right."

Ultimately, after not capitalizing on 10 corner kicks and several long throw-ins, the Lopes had to hang on for the draw because California Baptist made the best threats in the final minutes.

GCU sophomore goalkeeper Leon Schmidt came up with a diving save in the 81st minute and stopped a breakaway with two minutes remaining before the defense cleared more threats to preserve the Lopes' third draw, their most in a season since 2019.

"All the chains and leashes are off at the end of the game," Kraus said. "Everything is hectic, but you've got to find a way to manage those emotions but also trust and understand what the men around you are doing."

GCU will not play until Oct. 21, when it starts a road trip at Houston Christian and continues Oct. 23 at UT Rio Grande Valley.

""The last few games, we've been the most unified we've been all year," Kraus said.