Consecutive 3-0 shutouts put Lopes on roll

Tuesday, September 12

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

3-3-0, 0-0-0

UC Santa Barbara

3-3-0, 0-0-0

UC Santa Barbara

Grand Canyon

Photo by: David Kadlubowski

9/12/2023 11:56:00 PM | Men's Soccer, Paul Coro

Box Score Photo Gallery

Lopez's 1st goal, Nutornutsi's pair of goals make Schmidt's shutout stand up

By: Paul Coro

Just like how Tuesday night's win took waiting on a one-hour, 42-minute weather delay, the upside of the Grand Canyon men's soccer season is coming slowly but surely. And when it does, it comes by storm.

After the Lopes won 3-0 Friday with three first-half goals, GCU showered three second-half goals on UC Santa Barbara three nights later to win 3-0 again at rain-soaked GCU Stadium.

It marks the first time in the program's 11-year Division I era that the Lopes have won consecutive multi-goal shutouts.

And GCU pulled off the feat against a pair of opponents that each entered Phoenix ranked in the national top 10 for scoring.

"There is more and more belief each day and more commitment to the way we want to play," Lopes head coach Mike Kraus said. "For long stretches, I thought we were disruptive to what they were wanting to do offensively."

But for as long as the night took with the 7 p.m. game ending at 10:45 p.m., the Lopes made quick work of taking the lead after a downpour with lightning in the area stopped a scoreless first half in the 36th minute.

The Lopes (3-3) took a 1-0 lead on a brilliant goal by freshman midfielder Jorge Lopez in the 56th minute before sophomore forward Bright Nutornutsi scored two breakaway goals in a 20-second span of the 87th minute.

Until the scoring, UC Santa Barbara (3-3) applied the better offensive threats but was thwarted by the GCU defense and sophomore goalkeeper Leon Schmidt's seven saves. The Gauchos had been averaging 2.6 goals per game but could not find the net on any of their 22 shots.

Schmidt poked a ball over the crossbar in the 17th minute but really began to put together his highlight reel after the weather delay. In the 41st minute, Gauchos forward Salvador Aguilar took a through ball for a one-on-one opportunity, but his shot was blocked by Schmidt as he situated himself high in the penalty box.

Aguilar sent another 16-foot shot high on goal in the 54th minute, but Schmidt leaped to deflect it out of bounds and maintain a 0-0 tie that set up Lopez's moment.

GCU kept control with junior midfielder Innocent Jibril Rodet setting up the play from the box and passing out to senior defender Sam Lossou, who redirected the ball wide right to sophomore midfielder Cameron Cruz.

Jorge Lopez

The passing allowed Cruz to send the ball back into the box deeper to Lopez, who dropped his defender to the ground with a cutback move before firing a 15-footer high and wide of the goalkeeper for a 1-0 lead.

"I didn't want to shoot the first time with the ball, but I cut the guy and he dove and I shot it and celebrated my first college goal," Lopez said. "Don't get me wrong, that (move) was really nasty. I was proud of that."

The Bakersfield, California, native earned a starting job in preseason and had assisted on two previous goals, but the freshman had been frustrated to not score on his previous nine shots.

"He's a very shifty, clever player who can play in all directions," Kraus said of Lopez. "He can play with his right foot or left foot, as you saw with the left-footed goal. He's a dual threat who can pass and has a good eye for goals."

Schmidt made another diving save in the 60th minute, but he got help from sophomore defender Uriel Diaz Loza using his body to knock down a potential tying goal from close range in the 65th minute.

With Schmidt deflected away shots in the 85th and 86th minutes, UCSB became increasingly aggressive with desperation in the final minutes.

Bright Nutornutsi

Lopez used a header to interrupt a Gaucho kick upfield, and he directed the ball right to Lucas Fecci, The graduate forward sent a pass forward for Nutornutsi, who won a footrace with the charging goalkeeper and walked the ball into the net for a 2-0 lead.

Almost like an instant replay, freshman forward Solo Bidanessy took possession deeper in the backfield and sent an even longer pass for Nutornutsi, who darted past three UCSB defenders and again beat the goalkeeper to the ball for another open-net score and the Ghana native's fifth goal of the season.

"Fortunately, we have one of the most fastest players in the country up top and he proved it," Kraus said. "He earned those goals. He did a lot of work off the ball defensively for us. He was incredibly good in hold-up play and tenacious setting our press, so I'm really happy and pleased that he got rewarded for that effort."

The game was in the balance until those 87th-minute goals, but Schmidt's second consecutive shutout saved the night and matched his shutout total from last season.

"Even stretching back to last year, we've had a stellar few games from Leon," Kraus said. "He comes up big with some incredible stops and saves. When we can't get the job done in front of him, he puts the fire out and it's something everybody rallies around."

The co-captain from Germany leads beyond the field. When GCU had to deal with the one-hour, 45-minute delay, he and fellow team leaders set the tone to stay loose with music and games in the locker room but also made a rule for no phone use until play resumed at 9:33 p.m.

"I just know that I've found a place where I'm respected," Schmidt said. "That's something I've been searching to find for three years. I just wanted to find a group of guys that I can count on, and I've definitely found them – my new friends. It's like my family here, and I just love working with the guys and being with them in the locker room."