GCU set to host UC Santa Barbara on Tuesday

Tuesday, September 12

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

UC Santa Barbara

Photo by: David Kadlubowski

9/11/2023 6:58:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Lopes look to build off Friday night's 3-0 home victory

By: Nick Macdonald

Tuesday, Sept. 12 \| 7 p.m. \| GCU Stadium \| Phoenix, Arizona

	UC Santa Barbara GAUCHOS (3-2)	vs.	GRAND CANYON LOPES (2-3)

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

Grand Canyon returns home for a Tuesday night showdown versus Big West opponent UC Santa Barbara.

The Lopes return to action at home four days after a shutout victory in their home opener vs. Stetson.
GCU scored three goals at home versus the Hatters, the most for the team this season and the most in the Mike Kraus coaching era at GCU Stadium. The shutout was the fourth at home since 2022, with GCU 3-0-1 in those games.
Sophomore goalkeeper Leon Schmidt tallied six saves in Friday's win and improved his season total to 30. His save count ranks fifth in the nation, while his 6.00 saves per game rank ninth. Schmidt has stopped at least five shots in each game this season and has 20 in his last three games played.
The Lopes' offense has turned up a notch since the beginning of the season with 32 shots, 17 shots on goal and six goals in their last three games. The team also has six assists in that span after only one through the first two games.
Junior defender Clayton Duarte and sophomore forward Bright Nutornutsi have combined to score five of the team's six goals. The duo has a .600 shot-on-goal percentage with seven of their 12 shots on goal.
The Lopes are 35-16-4 since at home since GCU Stadium opened in 2016.

In front of 2,022 fans led by the student section known as the Havocs, GCU opened the home campaign with a 3-0 shutout that included three first-half goals in front of the energetic crowd.
It was the eighth straight home-opening victory as GCU has never lost a home opener since GCU Stadium was built in 2016. The three goals scored at home were also a team high under head coach Mike Kraus, who took over the helm in the summer of 2022.

UC Santa Barbara is 3-2 heading into Phoenix after winning its last two games.
The Gauchos rank seventh in the country in goals (13) and is 14th in points per game (7.2). They have the eighth-best scoring offense in the country, averaging 2.6 goals per contest.
Ten players have scored a goal for the Gauchos, with three players with two on the season. Lucas Gonzalez leads the squad with eight points (two goals, four assists). Gonzalez's assists are fourth best in the nation.
With GCU set to play its second home match of the season, UC Santa Barbara will play its second road game of the season. The Gauchose are 3-1 at home with an 0-1 road record from a 4-2 loss at No. 6 Portland.

GCU stays home and hosts San Diego on Saturday at 7 p.m. for the third game of the four-game homestand.
San Diego received votes in the United Soccer Coaches poll last week and is coming off a 2022 campaign in which it went 8-5-6 and made the NCAA tournament.