GCU, No. 17 Seattle U play to 1-1 draw

Thursday, October 5

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

5-4-2, 0-1-1

Seattle U

7-2-3, 2-0-1

Seattle U

Grand Canyon

Photo by: David Kadlubowski

10/5/2023 10:34:00 PM | Men's Soccer

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Lopes now 4-0-1 at home; earn 1st point in WAC standings

By: Nick Macdonald

Grand Canyon returned home Thursday night after a two-game road trip at No. 2 SMU and at defending WAC Tournament champion California Baptist. Its first WAC opponent at GCU Stadium this season was yet another nationally ranked team in Seattle U, which was 2-0 n the conference heading into the matchup.

The Lopes kept its home unbeaten streak alive, earning a 1-1 draw against the No. 17 Redhawks (7-2-3, 2-0-1 WAC) to move to 5-4-2 on the season and 0-1-1 in conference action.

GCU entered the match with a 10-1 advantage in goals at GCU Stadium and allowed no first-half goals in the four matches played in Phoenix. Within three minutes of play, the Redhawks gathered a deflected ball in the box and put it past Lopes goalkeeper Leon Schmidt to take a 1-0 lead.

It was only the third time all season GCU allowed the first goal of the game. The two previous games letting up the first goal came at Denver, at California Baptist. In those two games, GCU failed to find an equalizer.

On Thursday night, Lopes sophomore forward Bright Nutornusti turned that trend around with a fgame-tying goal in the 31st minute. Classmate Cameron Cruz sent in a cross toward the goal line, which was kicked out by a Seattle U defender toward the middle of the box. Nutornutsi quickly found the ball and sent a strike on net, scoring his seventh goal of the season.

Nutornutsi's 7️⃣th goal this season

That's tied for MOST in the WAC this season.#LopesUp pic.twitter.com/QzX070aUAT
— GCU Men's Soccer (@GCU_MSoccer) October 6, 2023

It was a tale of two halves in the shot department, with both teams combining for six through the first 45 minutes, and Seattle U holding a 4-2 advantage. The second half saw 17 shots, including 12 from the Redhawks. Four of those 12 shots came in the last eight minutes of play, with Schmidt playing hero inside the goal to stop a would-be, game-changing goal for Seattle U.

The Redhawks had numbers inside the box, with James Morris sending a shot on goal from left to right of the 18-yard box in the 88th minute. Schmidt stuck his leg out on a diving attempt and send the shot outward, where Seattle U's Taketo Onodera gathered it and sailed a shot right. Schmidt's save was the third of the game, after entering the match third in the nation in saves.

As the excitement simmered on the Seattle U offensive side, it transformed to the Lopes side for two GCU tiebreaking chances in the final 30 seconds. Freshman midifielder Jorge Lopez dribbled up to the top of the 18-yard box and sent a right foot shot on net. The shot was blocked by goalkeeper Charlie Lanphier, who deflected it to the left side of the box. Freshman forward Solo Bidanessy attempted a one-timer off the bounce with 11 seconds left but shot it left of the goal as the clock struck zero with both teams falling to the ground to catch their breath after a hard fought, 1-1 draw.

GCU is now 2-2-3 against nationally ranked teams since 2022.

The Lopes stay home and host UT Rio Grande Valley on Sunday at 7 p.m. GCU plays three of its next four games at GCU Stadium before ending the regular-season slate on the road for two contests.