Lopes finalize 19-man newcomer class

8/15/2022 8:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer

GCU 33-player roster rounds into form ahead of 2022 season

By: Josh Hauser

The Grand Canyon men's soccer program rounded out its roster for the 2022 fall season by announcing the addition of 19 newcomers.

Nine of the newcomers joined the Lopes in January and already got glimpses of action in GCU uniforms during spring exhibitions. The other 10 newcomers arrived to campus earlier this week as training sessions began ahead of the Aug. 25 season opener.

Under first-year head coach Mike Kraus, returning assistant coach Austin Nyquist and new assistant coach James Garces, GCU's 33-man roster meshes 19 newcomers with 14 returners who were part of last season's NCAA tournament qualifier. The incoming players hail from nine nations and seven U.S. states, including three Arizonans.

THE NEWCOMERS

Ben Augee

Freshman | Midfielder | Tualatin, Ore.
"Ben continues our player pathway from the Pacific Northwest. He comes to us as a hard-working central midfielder with an eye for goals. We look forward to his contributions to the program." — Kraus

Ben Awashie

Junior | Transfer from UConn | Midfielder | Volta Region, Ghana
"Ben comes to us as a transfer with four years of college experience under his belt. He will provide the maturity to many of our younger players and be an example in how we want to impose our game on other teams. His range of movement and passing in the center of midfield will be vital to our success." — Kraus

Juan Contreras

Freshman | Midfielder | Quito, Ecuador
"Juan has played at a very high level in Ecuador, both domestically and with the youth national teams. His technique and tactical IQ will be a great addition for our midfield this year." — Kraus

Cameron Cruz

Freshman | Midfielder | Seattle, Wash.
"Cameron has all the tools to be an exciting attacking player for us. His ability from wide areas to create dangerous moments are something we look forward to." — Kraus

Uriel Diaz Loza

Freshman | Defender | Teocaltiche, Jalisco, Mexico
"Uriel is a mature player for his age and has experience playing at a very high level with both LA Galaxy and Chivas Guadalajara. We anticipate him filling in where Esai Easley left and have very high hopes for him in anchoring our backline." — Kraus

Clayton Duarte

Sophomore | Transfer from Central Methodist | Defender/Midfielder | Mondercange, Luxembourg
"Clayton is a player that can play in multiple positions and has the technique to play in midfield or as a left back. His ability to pick a pass and move up and down the pitch will be important for us this year." — Kraus

Andrew Gonzalez

Sophomore | Transfer from Bakersfield College | Midfielder/Forward | Bakersfield, Calif.
"Andrew comes to us from Bakersfield College and has already settled in over the spring season. He can play wide and has also contributed central for us. We are excited to have him be part of our group." — Kraus

Andrew Heard

Freshman | Defender | Fairfax, Va.
"Andrew is another player that has roots in the Houston Dynamo Academy and can play central or wide in the backline. He combines pace, power and intelligence and we look forward to his contributions." — Kraus

Ansu Kanneh

Freshman | Forward | Monrovia, Liberia
"Ansu has maturity beyond his years. He comes to us after an extensive experience with the Phoenix Rising USL Championship side. He is a creative and exciting attacker that can beat a man and get into the box. We are glad he chose to stay local and play for the Lopes." — Kraus

Alexander Krzykos

Freshman | Midfielder/Forward | Phoenix, Ariz.
"Alex is another example of us wanting to keep the best local players here at GCU. He has come from Phoenix Rising Youth, where he played his last year in youth soccer but played most of his youth career in SC Del Sol. We look forward to having him join our team." — Kraus

Cole Kulhanek

Freshman | Goalkeeper | Federal Way, Wash.
"Cole has a great foundation from the Seattle Sounders. He was able to join us this spring and has already settled in nicely to GCU. He has the composure and shot-stopping ability to be a presence for our defense." — Kraus

Zion Long

Freshman | Forward | Olathe, Kan.
"Zion come to us from Sporting Kansas City, where he has come through their academy as well as featuring for their USL Championship side last season, earning four starts. He has a great combination of physical and technical tools to be threat in the box." — Kraus

Samuel Lossou

Junior | Transfer from Pima CC | Defender | Tucson, Ariz.
"Sam comes to Phoenix as an All-American and a national champion with Pima. His maturity, athleticism and experience will make him an important player for us this season." — Kraus

Erick Monge

Freshman | Defender | Houston, Texas
"Erick is a player we've been after for several years now and are thrilled he chose GCU. He has gotten great experience with the Houston Dynamo MLS Next Pro team and has all the foundations to take his game to the next level with us. His comfort on the ball and quality in buildup play are some of the things we're excited for him to bring to GCU." — Kraus

Bright Nutornutsi

Freshman | Midfielder/Forward | Accra, Ghana
"Bright comes as a dangerous attacker with blistering pace. We know he will cause problems for any backline and look forward to him having him impact our team." — Kraus

Vasili Papadopoulos

Freshman | Defender | Markham, Ontario, Canada
"Vasili comes to us as one of the best left backs out of Ontario, Canada, and represents the prestigious Vaughan Academy, which has produced countless collegiate and professional players. His eye for a pass and technical ability are something we are excited to incorporate into the squad." — Kraus

Innocent Jibril Rodet

Redshirt Sophomore | Transfer from Oregon State | Midfielder | Lyon, France
"Jibril joins us as a transfer from one of the best collegiate programs in the country. His pedigree in France and his experience playing at a very high Division I level will put him in a position to contribute right away. He has all the qualities to be an impact player for us." — Kraus

Leon Schmidt

Sophomore | Transfer from Coastal Carolina | Goalkeeper | Hamburg, Germany
"We are thrilled that Leon is joining us. We know he had many collegiate and professional opportunities but choose to continue his playing career as a Lope. He brings a wealth of experience with him, which is essential at the goalkeeping position." — Kraus

Phillie Villapudua

Freshman | Midfielder | Chandler, Ariz.
"Phillie comes to us from the Barca Academy in Casa Grande, Arizona. We are excited to maintain that pipeline of bringing their best players to GCU. A Chandler native, Phillie has all the technical qualities to play the game at a high level." — Kraus