Lopes host UTRGV on Sunday night at GCU Stadium

Sunday, October 8

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

UT Rio Grande Valley

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Phoenix, AZ Oct. 5, 2023: GCU and Seattle University play to a 1-1 tie at GCU Stadium. Photo David Kadlubowski/GCU

Photo by: David Kadlubowski

10/7/2023 4:10:00 PM | Men's Soccer

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GCU looks to gain points in WAC standings, enter with 4-0-1 home record

By: Nick Macdonald

Sunday, Oct. 8 \| 7 p.m. \| GCU Stadium \| Phoenix, Ariz.

	UT RIO GRANDE VALLEY VAQUEROS (4-6, 1-2 WAC)	at	GRAND CANYON LOPES (5-4-2, 0-1-1 WAC)

WATCH: ESPN+ \| STATS: Link \| TICKETS: Link

AT A GLANCE

GCU concludes the homestand with a Sunday night matchup versus conference opponent UT Rio Grande Valley at 7 p.m.
GCU is 4-0-1 at home and has outscored its opposition 11-2 in its five games in Phoenix. The Lopes are 38-16-5 at home since the stadium opened in 2016 and are 7-1-2 at home against WAC opponents since 2021.
Junior goalkeeper Leon Schmidt ranks third nationally with 56 saves. He has eight games with at least five saves this season and has recorded three shutouts, all of which have come at home. He ranks fifth in the country in goalie minutes (990) and 11th in saves per game (5.1). He is second in the WAC with a .789 save percentage.
In GCU's five games in Phoenix, the Lopes have scored 11 goals, tallied 13 assists and registered 22 saves. The Lopes have scored 69% of their goals at home while 72% of all assists this season have come at GCU Stadium.
Sophomore forward Bright Nutornutsi has tallied a point in eight of 11 games this season, including six of his past seven. Nutornutsi scored his team-leading seventh goal of the season vs. Seattle U and is tied for the lead in the WAC and 19th in the nation in that category. His 18 points are 12th in the country, while his 0.64 goals per game lead the conference.
GCU is 5-2-1 when scoring the first goal of the game and 0-2-1 when the opposition scores first.
Multiple Lopes have won WAC Player of the Week awards this season, including Leon Schmidt (three times), Bright Nutornutsi, Clayton Duarte and most recently Uriel Diaz Loza on Sept. 26.

GCU ENTERS WITH 5-MATCH UNBEATEN STREAK AT HOME

The Lopes have fueled off the home crowd's energy this season, recording a 4-0-1 record at GCU Stadium and enter with a five-match unbeaten streak in Phoenix.
The four wins at home are tied for second most in the WAC, with GCU the lone team that has yet to drop a contest at its home stadium.
GCU is outscoring its opposition 11-2 at home. It has registered three goals in three of the five matches played at GCU Stadium.

WAC SEASON GETS UNDERWAY

GCU holds a 0-1-1 record so far in WAC play, with six regular-season conference games left to play over the course of the next month.
The Lopes are tied with Utah Valley with one point in the standings, with a win earning the team three points and a tie one point. A win would put GCU in a tie for fourth place in the current standings.
UTRGV is two points ahead of the Lopes in the standings. Six teams qualify for the WAC Tournament in Las Vegas on Nov. 5-11, with the top two teams earning a first-round bye.
The Lopes began WAC play 0-1-1 through their first two games during the 2022 season before going 4-2-1 over the course of its final seven regular-season conference contests.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Lopes take a week off then head back on the road to San Jose State next Sunday.
GCU returns to Phoenix for its final two home games of the regular season on Oct. 19 and Oct. 22 versus Utah Tech and UNLV, respectively.