2-match road trip begins Thursday at Utah Tech

Thursday, October 17

St. George, Utah

6 p.m. (Phoenix time)

Grand Canyon

Utah Tech

Photo by: Jack Gilday/GCU

10/16/2024 3:16:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Lopes seek 3rd WAC win in 4 games before heading to UNLV

By: Nick Macdonald

Thursday, Oct. 17 \| 6 p.m. (Phoenix time) \| Greater Zion Stadium \| St. George, Utah

	UTAH TECH TRAILBLAZERS (1-8-3, 0-3-1 WAC)	vs.	GRAND CANYON LOPES (5-5-2, 2-1-0 WAC)

WATCH: ESPN+ \| STATS: Link

AT A GLANCE

GCU bounced back with a 1-0 victory Sunday evening versus Utah Valley and will look to keep momentum going Thursday at Utah Tech.
The shutout was the fourth this season for the Lopes, who have outscored its opposition 15-11. GCU is 34th in the nation and first in the WAC in goals against average, averaging less than a goal given up each game (0.92).
Senior goalkeeper Leon Schmidt made history Sunday with his 173rd career save, putting him first on the program's D-I era career save list. He surpassed Kendyl Day and George Tasouris at 172, and tallied seven saves against the Wolverines, all of which came in the second half.
Thursday's showdown includes two of the best goalkeepers in the nation. Schmidt is 17th in the country with 52 saves on the season and seventh in save percentage (.825), while Utah Tech junior Stockton Short leads the country in saves (80) and is second in saves per game (6.7).
Junior forward Bright Nutornutsi continues to shine on the offensive end for GCU, ranking 30th in the nation in goals scored with seven. He has scored two goals in three WAC games and is second among all WAC players in goals. Nutornutsi is also one of the most accurate shot takers, with his 50% shot-on-goal percentage ranking third in the conference.
GCU is tied for first in the WAC with 18 assists on the season. Sophomore Jorge Lopez and senior Ben Assane each has five, accounting for 56% of the team's total. The team's 1.5 assists per game are also second in the league.
The Lopes defense has been stellar over the course of 12 games, allowing one goal or none in nine contests this season. After giving up four goals in its first three games, GCU has allowed only seven over the past nine, averaging 0.78 goals allowed in that span.

LOPES READY TO ASSIST

Sophomore midfielder Jorge Lopez and senior forward Ben Assane have combined for 10 of the team's 18 assists, notching five each. The duo is tied for second in the WAC in that category. Assane opened WAC play with assists against UT Rio Grande Valley and Air Force, while Lopez aided the game-winning goal versus Utah Valley.
GCU is 5-2-2 on the season when tallying an assist and 4-0 when recording six points or more in a game.

8 STRAIGHT WEEKS IN FAR WEST POLL

GCU entered at No. 5 in the most recent United Soccer Coaches Far West Region poll, which is made up of major D-I universities in the Far west region of the United States. The Lopes have been as high as No. 2 in the poll this season and have never dipped below No. 5 since Sept. 3.