Lopes host Utah Valley on Sunday evening

Sunday, October 13

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Utah Valley

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Photo by: Rachel Sollazzo

10/12/2024 10:17:00 AM | Men's Soccer

Schmidt enters match 6 saves shy of GCU's career saves mark for D-I era

By: Nick Macdonald

Sunday, Oct. 13 \| 7 p.m. \| GCU Stadium \| Phoenix, Ariz.

	UTAH VALLEY WOLVERINES (5-4-3, 0-2-1 WAC)	at	GRAND CANYON LOPES (4-5-2, 1-1-0 WAC)

WATCH: ESPN+ \| STATS: Link

AT A GLANCE

Grand Canyon will look to bounce back from a home loss Thursday with its third conference matchup of the season against Utah Valley on Sunday evening.
Holding a 44-21-6 all-time record at GCU Stadium, the Lopes will look to avoid three straight losses at GCU Stadium (est. 2016) for the first time since the 2019 season.
Junior forward Bright Nutornutsi continues to shine on the offensive end for GCU, ranking 22nd in the nation in goals with seven. He has scored in back-to-back contests to open WAC play, and is third in the conference with 15 points on the season.
GCU senior goalkeeper Leon Schmidt is nearing a milestone achievement following his six-save outing versus Air Force. The Hamburg, Germany, native has 167 career saves as a Lope, third most in the program's D-I era. He is four saves shy of tying the D-I era's all-time mark, set by Kendyl Day and George Tasouris. Schmidt is 20th in the country in saves (45) and save percentage (.804) and is the reigning WAC Goalkeeper of the Week.
The Lopes have tallied 17 assists on the season, second best in the WAC as eight players have helped goal scorers find the back of the net. Senior forward Ben Assane tallied his fifth save of the season versus Air Force and leads the WAC in that category. Assane has four points in two WAC games, with an assist in both games played in league play.
GCU leads the conference in team goals against average, allowing 1.0 goals per game. The Lopes have allowed only two goals in three of 11 matches so far this season. Air Force's two goals scored was the first time an opponent scored two goals since Sept. 2 at Elon.

SHINING BRIGHT ON OFFENSE

Junior forward Bright Nutornutsi has registered a team-high seven goals this season, ranking him second in the WAC. His goal count is 22nd in the nation, while he is third in the WAC in points (15).
Nutornutsi scored two goals in a 45-second span in the team's season opener at home vs. Western Illinois. He followed that up with two first-half goals 15 minutes apart at Duke, who was receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Poll.
He became the first Lope in the program's D-I era (since 2013) to have four goals in the first two games. Nutornutsi's efforts on the pitch earned him WAC Offensive Player of the Week on Aug. 27 and Sept. 2.
The Accra, Ghana, native has opened WAC play with two straight goals. For the season, the junior has 23 shots, 11 shots on goal, one assist and a .478 shot on goal percentage.

SCHMIDT NEARING MILESTONE

Senior goalkeeper Leon Schmidt recorded his fifth game of five or more saves this season Thursday versus Air Force, and is nearing a major career milestone achievement.
Schmidt has 167 career saves as a Lope, second most in the program's D-I era. He enters Sunday five shy of tying the D-I program record, set by Kendyl Day and George Tasouris with 172.
Schmidt ranks 20th in the country in saves (45) and save percentage (.804) this season and is the reigning WAC Goalkeeper of the Week.