Offensive spark lifts GCU over UTRGV 4-1

Sunday, October 8

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

6-4-2, 1-1-1

UT Rio Grande Valley

4-7-0, 1-3-0

UTRGV

Grand Canyon

Photo by: David Kadlubowski

10/8/2023 10:43:00 PM | Men's Soccer

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Lopes move to 5-0-1 in games at GCU Stadium this season

By: Nick Macdonald

Grand Canyon entered Sunday night's contest against UT Rio Grande Valley as the only team without a home loss in the WAC this season. It left Sunday night with that stat intact after defeating the Vaqueros 4-1 to extend its unbeaten home streak to five games.

With the four goals, the Lopes (6-4-2, 1-1-1 WAC) have outscored their opposition 15-3 at GCU Stadium. The four goals, scored by four players, were the most at home since a victory by the same score over San Jose State in a 2021 WAC Tournament semifinal.

"I'm proud of how the guys responded tonight," Lopes head coach Mike Kraus said. "We had a lot of guys who were able to get minutes tonight, guys who saw their first minutes along with some first goals, so I am really proud of how the team played."

The Lopes entered Sunday 5-2-1 when scoring the first goal of the match, which was netted within the first 10 minutes off the head of senior defender Samuel Lossou. The Tucson native took a cross off a corner kick from junior defender Clayton Duarte and found the right side of the net for his first goal of the season.

GCU held the 1-0 lead into halftime. With both teams playing aggressive with 11 combined shots through the first 45 minutes, an insurance goal felt needed to hold off the Vaquero attack. Before the UTRGV game, the Lopes had scored 11 of their 16 goals in the first half, but they added an insurance goal and then some Sunday.

Like the first half, it took GCU less than 10 minutes to find its second goal of the game. Sophomore midfielder Cameron Cruz gave a through ball down the right sideline to Duarte, who maneuvered his way through the defense and took a shot from 16 yards out toward goal. The goal was Duarte's third of the season while the assist was Cruz's fifth.

Cruz added to his assist total in the 60th minute, when a deflected ball found the foot of sophomore forward Bright Nutornutsi, who sent a shot on frame from 6 yards out. A UTRGV defender tried to stop it at the goal line, but the ball trickled in off the block attempt for a 3-0 GCU lead. The goal was a team-leading eighth of the season for Nutornutsi, who entered the match tied for first in the conference and 19th in the country in goals. It also was Nutornuti's second in as many games, as he has registered a point in nine of the Lopes' 12 games.

GCU scored its fourth and final goal of the contest in the 81st minute via freshman midfielder Parker Gamboa, who made his collegiate debut one to remember as he took a cross from sophomore forward Zion Long and sent a strike on net for the goal and a 4-0 lead.

UTRGV (4-7, 1-3 WAC) scored its lone goal via penalty kick in the 82nd minute.

GCU outshot the Vaqueros 14-12 with seven shots on goal. Lopes junior goalkeeper Leon Schmidt tallied two saves, with sophomore Cole Kulhanek also stopped two shots in relief in the second half.

The Lopes take a week off before heading west to California to face San Jose State on Oct. 15. Start time is 2 p.m., the second scheduled afternoon game for the Lopes this season.