WAC play opens this weekend at Utah Tech, UNLV

Friday, September 30

St. George, Utah

6:30 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Utah Tech

Photo by: Rachel Sollazzo

9/29/2022 10:22:00 AM | Men's Soccer

Game Notes

Lopes begin defense of back-to-back WAC regular-season titles

By: Nick Macdonald


Grand Canyon Lopes (3-4-1, 0-0)	at	Utah Tech Trailblazers (2-6, 0-0)	UNLV Rebels (1-3-4, 0-0)
		Friday, Sept. 30 7:30 p.m.	Sunday, Oct. 2 7:30 p.m.
Game Notes		Watch Live Stats	Watch Live Stats

The Grand Canyon men's soccer team begins its defense of its two straight WAC regular-season titles when it opens conference play at Utah Tech on Friday night and at UNLV on Sunday night.

AT A GLANCE

The Lopes enter conference play with a 3-4-1 record after playing a tough nonconference schedule that featured seven 2021 NCAA tournament teams.
GCU looks to defend its WAC regular-season title as it finished 9-2 in conference action last season. The Lopes are 16-2 in WAC play since 2020.
GCU is 1-1-1 on the road this year with a win at No. 4 UCLA and a draw at No. 18 UC Santa Barbara.
Senior forward Shaun Joash leads the team with nine points off three goals and three assists.

LOPES BEGIN CONFERENCE PLAY

GCU begins its nine-game conference slate Friday evening at Utah Tech. The Lopes play five conference games on the road and four at home.
The Lopes have won back-to-back WAC regular-season titles and hold a 16-2 conference record since 2020. GCU has outscored Utah Tech and UNLV by a combined 12-3 margin in the past two seasons.
GCU was picked to finish second in the WAC in the conference's preseason poll announced in August.

JOASH AMONG WAC CATEGORY LEADERS

Joash, the WAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, enters conference play in the top five in multiple categories in the WAC.
He is third in points per game (1.12), fourth in assists (3), goals (3) and points (9) and fifth in assists per game (0.38).

SCHMIDT WITH THE STOPS

Sophomore goalkeeper Leon Schmidt has racked up the saves in his first year at GCU, totaling 18 saves in four starts with a 4.5 saves per game mark, which ranks second in the WAC.
Schmidt made his first GCU start on the road at No. 4 UCLA on Sept. 5, stopping five shots in a 3-2 upset victory. He earned a 2-1 victory in goal over Oakland on Sept. 13, making four saves before a seven-save performance at home versus No. 2 Washington. His seven-save effort is tied for fifth for most saves in a match this season among WAC goalies.

SCOUTING REPORT

Utah Tech enters Friday with a 2-6 record. It is 2-3 over its last five games with wins over CSU Bakersfield and Gonzaga.
The Trailblazers are searching for their first home win, having played only two of their eight games in St. George.
UNLV enters the weekend with a 1-3-4 record and will face Air Force at home on Friday night.
The Rebels are 1-0-2 in its past three games with back-to-back ties against Sacramento State and San Diego.
UNLV opened the season with back-to-back 0-0 ties against No. 22 Santa Clara and No. 24 Loyola Marymount.

WHAT'S NEXT?

GCU returns home and hosts Utah Valley on Friday, Oct. 7, and California Baptist on Sunday, Oct. 9.
Friday's match features Family Weekend at GCU Stadium while Sunday is Alhambra Elementary School District Night.