North Carolina trip continues at Elon Monday evening

Monday, September 2

Elon, N.C.

4 p.m. (Phoenix time)

Grand Canyon

Elon

Photo by: Andy Mead

9/1/2024 5:55:00 PM | Men's Soccer

GCU looks to start season 3-0 for 1st time since 2020

By: Nick Macdonald

Monday, Sept. 2 \| 4 p.m. (Phoenix time) \| Rudd Field \| Elon, N.C.

	ELON PHOENIX (3-0)	vs.	GRAND CANYON LOPES (2-0)

WATCH: FloFC \| STATS: Link

AT A GLANCE

Grand Canyon resumes its North Carolina road trip Monday evening at Elon. The contest against Elon is the first in program history, rounding out a trio of teams it has faced for the first time ever (Western Illinois, Duke).
The Lopes look to begin the season 3-0 for the first time since 2020. GCU is also seeking to win its first two road contests of the season, which it also last did in 2020.
Junior forward Bright Nutornutsi has emerged as one of the nation's top goal scorers through the season's first two games, scoring four goals with consecutive braces vs. Western Illinois and Duke. Nutornutsi's goals have all come in the first half as GCU is outscoring its opposition 4-0 in the first half play.
Freshman defender Liam Harrington has played all 90 minutes in each of the Lopes' first two games. He is one of two field players (Lalo Serrano) to play all 180 minutes so far this season and has cemented himself early as a focal point to the GCU back line.
Graduate midfielder Jony Muñoz created a highlight reel goal in his first game as a Lope with a bicycle kick goal from just inside the 18. The goal was his first at the NCAA D-I level since Oct. 23, 2021, with Kansas City. He spent the past two seasons playing for MidAmerica Nazarene, helping it win an NAIA national championship last year.
Of GCU's new players, seven were named high school or college All-Americans at previous institutions. Two earned one of high school soccer's most prestigious honors in Gatorade Player of the Year, as graduate Jony Muñoz received the award for the state of Kansas and freshman Maruc Von was honored in his home state of Colorado.
On the 30-man roster, 10 countries are represented, including the United States, Sweden, Senegal, Canada, Mexico, France, Ghana, Brazil, Colombia and Germany. Six players represent the home state of Arizona, including Diego Veliz (Tucson/Salpointe Catholic), Lalo Serrano (Glendale/Brophy Prep), Iann Topete (San Luis/San Luis), Austin Pearcy (Phoenix/Boulder Creek), Lorenzo Mendoza (Mesa/Real Salt Lake AZ) and Nelson Gomez Rodriguez (Phoenix/Carl Hayden).

WHEN THERE'S BRIGHT LIGHTS, BRIGHT SCORES

Junior forward Bright Nutornutsi has had one of the best starts in program history through two games, recording two-goal performances against Western Illinois and Duke.
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, whichwas receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Poll.
He became the first Lope in the program's Division 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 Aug. 27.

STATEMENT WIN IN NORTH CAROLINA

The Lopes traveled 2,174 miles from campus to Cary, North Carolina, to face Duke in its first road test of the season and walked away with a 3-2 victory at WakeMed Soccer Park on Friday. The win gave Duke its first nonconference regular-season loss since Sept. 7, 2021, against Seattle U.
It was the second win over an ACC opponent in the last three seasons. GCU improved to 4-2-2 over opponents nationally ranked or receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches poll since 2021.