GCU faces win-and-in regular season finale at Utah Valley

Monday, October 30

Orem, Utah

5 p.m. (Phoenix time)

Grand Canyon

Utah Valley

Photo by: David Kadlubowski

10/29/2023 3:15:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Lopes win puts them into the WAC Tournament Nov. 5th in Las Vegas

By: Nick Macdonald

Monday, Oct. 30 \| 5 p.m. (Phoenix time) \| Clyde Field \| Orem, Utah

	UTAH VALLEY WOLVERINES (3-6-6, 2-2-3 WAC)	vs.	GRAND CANYON LOPES (7-7-2, 2-4-1 WAC)

WATCH: ESPN+ \| STATS: Link

Grand Canyon enters its regular season finale in Orem, Utah, against Utah Valley in a win-and-in scenario for the upcoming WAC Tournament.
Sophomore Bright Nutornutsi has been one of the top offensive players in the country this season, ranking 24th in total points (22), 25th in goals (9), 43rd in points per game (1.38) and 44th in goals per game (0.56). The Lopes thrive off of Nutornuti's goal scoring, owning a 6-1-1 record when the forward scores a goal. He is also 20th in the country (1st in WAC) with a .571 shot on goal percentage.
Junior Leon Schmidt ranks among the best in the country in goal, ranking 7th in saves (72), 17th in save percentage (.800) and 21st in saves per game (4.5). Schmidt has 11 games with four or more saves this season.
The Lopes ranks third in the WAC in assists per game (1.44) and total assists (23). Ten players have tallied an assist this season for GCU, with sophomore Cameron Cruz leading the way with 5, fourth most in the conference.
The Lopes' offense has been aggressive the past three games, totaling 50 shots and 15 shots on goal, the most combined in a three game stretch this season. GCU's shot percentage is .117, compared to the combined .079 by its opposition.

The Lopes are in seventh place in the WAC standings, two points behind Utah Valley for the sixth and final spot.
The top six teams move on to Las Vegas, Nev., to partake in the WAC Tournament beginning Nov. 5. A win puts GCU ahead of Utah Valley by one point for the season, while a tie or a loss eliminate GCU from tournament play.

The Lopes will know their fate following the conclusion of Monday's contest. A win puts them in the WAC Tournament, with the first round beginning Nov. 5 in Las Vegas.
If GCU wins, it will clinch the sixth seed and kick-off at 4 p.m. PDT.