GCU concludes homestand with Houston Christian

Wednesday, September 20

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Houston Christian

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Grand Canyon defeated San Diego 1-0 on Saturday at GCU Stadium.

Photo by: Wesley Kurz

9/19/2023 4:38:00 PM | Men's Soccer

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Lopes look to extend win streak, shutout streak to 4 games

By: Nick Macdonald

Wednesday, Sept. 20 \| 7 p.m. \| GCU Stadium \| Phoenix, Arizona

	HOUSTON CHRISTIAN HUSKIES (2-2-2)	at	GRAND CANYON LOPES (4-3)

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AT A GLANCE

Grand Canyon closes its four-game homestand with Houston Christian on Wednesday night. The Lopes have won all three home games in shutout fashion this season, outscoring their opposition 7-0 in that span. GCU and UT Rio Grande Valley are the only WAC teams to not allow a goal at home this season.
Junior Leon Schmidt ranks among the best goalkeepers in the nation with 40 saves (second), a 5.71 save-per-match average (11th) and three shutouts (11th). Schmidt and Houston Christian goalie Alex Aitken enter Wednesday with the same amount of saves.
Sophomore forward Bright Nutornutsi has recorded a point in each of his last three games with three goals and an assist in that span. Nutornutsi leads the WAC in goals (five) and is second in points (11).
Nutornutsi and Schmidt earned WAC Players of the Week on Tuesday. The award was the first for Nutornusti this season, while Schmidt received his third consecutive award.
Freshman midfielder Jorge Lopez has recorded game-winning goals in back-to-back games, scoring the first goal against UC Santa Barbara and the lone goal vs. No. 22 San Diego. Lopez is second on the team in points (six).
While GCU has scored seven goals during its three-game homestand, it has also tallied nine assists. The Lopes are third in the conference with 13 assists and sophomore midfielder Cameron Cruz is tied for first in the WAC with three.
The Lopes' victory over San Diego was the program's eighth against a nationally ranked opponent since the Division I era began in 2013. Under head coach Mike Kraus, GCU has defeated No. 4 UCLA and No. 22 San Diego and tied No. 18 UC Santa Barbara in one-plus seasons. GCU is 2-2-1 against ranked teams under Kraus.

1ST HOMESTAND BEGINS WITH 3 STRAIGHT SHUTOUTS

No place like home is a proper phrase to use for the Lopes, who have earned three straight shutout victories in their first three home games of the season. After starting 1-3 on the road, GCU has climbed back to a 4-3 record by outscoring its opposition 7-0 over the last three games – wins over Stetson (3-0), UC Santa Barbara (3-0) and No. 22 San Diego (1-0).
The back-to-back multi-goal shutouts over Stetson and UC Santa Barbara were a first for GCU's 11 years as a Division I program. The third consecutive shutout against San Diego makred the first three-game shutout streak at GCU Stadium since it opened in 2016.
In the three-game span, GCU has scored seven goals, tallied nine assists and registered a .428 shot-on-goal percentage. Nutornutsi has scored three times with an assist, while Cruz and freshman forward Solo Bidanessy have each recorded two assists.
GCU is one of two WAC teams to not allow a goal at home this year, joining UTRGV, which has played twice at home this season.

SCOUTING HOUSTON CHRISTIAN

Houston Christian enters with a 2-2-2 record, with wins over Santa Clara and Omaha. It has also tied with UAB and Oral Roberts.
Goalkeeper Alex Aitken is toe-to-toe with Lopes goalie Leon Schmidt in total saves, as both are tied for second with 40 saves on the year. Aitken is second in the country in saves per game (6.67) and has registered nine saves in back-to-back games.
D'Alessandro Herrera leads the team with seven points off three goals and an assist.
The Huskies have eight goals and eight assists so far this season. Ricardo Garcia leads the team with three assists.

WHAT'S NEXT?

GCU heads back on the road for two straight matches, beginning Sept. 27 at nationally ranked SMU.
The Lopes begin conference play Oct. 1 at defending WAC Tournament champion California Baptist.