Lopes head to Dallas to face No. 2 SMU

Wednesday, September 27

Dallas, Texas

5 p.m. (Phoenix time)

Grand Canyon

SMU

Phoenix, AZ Sept. 20, 2023: GCU beats Houston Christian 3-1 for their fourth straight win.

Photo by: Wesley Kurz

9/26/2023 2:30:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Live Stats Watch

GCU takes on 3rd nationally ranked opponent of season

By: Nick Macdonald

Wednesday, Sept. 27 \| 5 p.m. \| Washburne Stadium \| Dallas, Texas

	#2 SMU MUSTANGS (7-1)	vs.	GRAND CANYON LOPES (5-3)

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

AT A GLANCE

The Lopes head to Dallas to take on No. 2 SMU on Wednesday night. The ranked match is the third of the season for GCU, who also faced No. 18 Wake Forest and No. 22 San Diego.
GCU looks to extend its four-game winning streak, which started Sept. 9. After going 1-3 on the road, the Lopes returned to Phoenix and won four games at GCU Stadium with a goal differential of 10-1, including three straight shutouts.
Junior goalkeeper Leon Schmidt is seventh in the country in saves (43), 10th in saves per game (5.4) and 27th in shutouts (three). During the homestand, Schmidt recorded 19 saves, including seven vs. UC Santa Barbara. He has registered at least three saves in each game this season.
Offensive duo Jorge Lopez, a freshman, and Bright Nutornutsi, a sophomore, have scored the past seven goals for the Lopes (Lopez 4, Nutornutsi 3). Lopez recorded his first brace against Houston Christian, with Nutornutsi assisting on both of his goals. The two have 25 of the team's 45 points this year, with Nutornutsi's six goals and Lopez's four goals ranking first and third in the WAC, respectively.
GCU had four assists through its first four games on the road but tallied 13 in its four-game homestand. Its 17 assists rank 28th in the nation (second in WAC) and its 2.1 assists per match are 25th in the country (first in WAC).
GCU ranks No. 21 in the first NCAA Ratings Percentage Index ranking of the season. It holds a 4-2 record against teams in the top 100 and is 4-0 against RPI's Quadrant 2 and 3 teams. As of Monday, GCU had the 24th-toughest schedule in the nation, with its past opposition having a combined 30-17-16 record.
Multiple Lopes have won WAC Player of the Week awards this season, including Schmidt (three times), Nutornutsi and junior defender Clayton Duarte.

4-GAME WIN STREAK ON THE LINE VS. MUSTANGS

The Lopes enter Dallas with a four-game win streak, with all four wins coming at GCU Stadium.
GCU is outscoring its opposition 10-1 during the win streak and has totaled 13 assists and 33 points in that stretch.
SMU has a five-game win streak with its lone loss of the season coming Sept. 1 at Denver, which beat GCU in the same week.

LOPES RANK NO. 21 IN 1ST RPI OF SEASON

GCU earned a top-25 spot in the NCAA's first RPI rankings of the season this week.
The Lopes are 4-0 against teams in Quadrants 2 and 3 and have two teams left to play in Quadrant 1, including SMU.
GCU also has the 24th-toughest schedule in the country and second toughest behind Seattle U in the WAC.

WHAT'S NEXT?

GCU stays on the road and opens up WAC play at California Baptist on Sunday in Riverside.
The Lopes head back home next week and host Seattle U (Oct. 5) and UT Rio Grande Valley (Oct. 8).