Elon rallies at home for Lopes' 1st loss

Monday, September 2

Elon, N.C.

4 p.m. (Phoenix time)

Grand Canyon

2-1-0, 0-0-0

Elon

4-0-0, 0-0-0

Grand Canyon

Elon

Photo by: Andy Mead/YCJ

9/2/2024 6:29:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score Photo Gallery

Lopez scores 1st goal of season for 2-1 GCU

By: Nick Macdonald

ELON, N.C. – Grand Canyon's offense put itself up early in the first half at Elon, but a late second-half goal gave the Phoenix a 2-1 lead that they kept Monday night to result in the Lopes' first loss of the season.

Of GCU's seven goals through three games, five have been tallied in the first half of play after sophomore midfielder Jorge Lopez scored his first goal this season in the eighth minute of Monday's match. Lopez took a pass from senior forward Ben Assane and kept it well outside the 18-yard box, taking a moment to gear up for a shot off his right foot that he bent into an upper-90 goal in the top right corner.

Elon, which moved to 4-0, entered Monday night's contest with three straight shutouts, making the Lopez goal the first given up by the Phoenix. Elon countered 13 minutes later with a ball inside the box that passed an outstretched senior Leon Schmidt in goal. It was the first goal given up by the Lopes in the first half this season.

After each team's first-half goal, the defensive pressure ramped up as six shots were recorded between both sides through the first 45 minutes. GCU led in shots, 4-2, while holding a 2-1 advantage in corner kicks.

The second half saw the shots more than double with each team having its fair share of go-ahead goal attempts. Elon's Victor Stromsten found the back of the net in the 77th minute, putting GCU behind for the first time this season.

The Lopes' final 13 minutes had three shots toward goal, including a last-minute attempt by Assane, whose left foot strike glided right of the right post through traffic.

"I thought our mentality was very good tonight," GCU head coach George Kiefer said. "Elon presents a lot of things you have to deal with at their place, and I felt we managed them well. I felt the game was moving in our direction as it went on, but we could have managed our shape and discipline better down the stretch in certain areas. A bouncing ball fell to one of their guys, who did a good job to finish it. I really liked our approach after going down, as we created two good looks that just didn't go our way. Onto the next one."

The Lopes return from North Carolina and play host to two Nebraska-based schools starting Friday versus Omaha for Los Lopes Night. GCU then hosts Creighton on Monday for Havocs March to the Match. Both kick-offs are set for 7 p.m. at GCU Stadium.