Lopes fall 1-0 to LMU

Monday, September 23

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

3-4-2, 0-0-0

LMU

3-3-2, 0-0-0

LMU (CA)

Grand Canyon

9/23/2024 10:40:00 PM | Men's Soccer

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GCU concludes nonconference play at 3-4-2

By: Nick Macdonald

Grand Canyon's tough nonconference schedule came to a close Monday evening at GCU Stadium, falling 1-0 in a tight matchup against 2023 Elite Eight squad LMU in front of 1,927 fans.

Highlights

The Lopes entered Monday with the eighth-toughest schedule in the country and finished a slate of four straight games against opponents ranked in last season's NCAA top 80. LMU finished No. 14 in last season's RPI.
GCU's past opponent win total before Monday accumulated 28 wins, the most of any team in the country.
GCU tallied 11 shots, its fifth double-digit shot total of the season and most since Sept. 9 at Creighton.

Coming off a narrow 1-0 loss Thursday at nationally ranked San Diego, GCU (3-4-2) matched its shot total from that match in the first half Monday with four shots, including a near goal from junior forward Nelson Gomez Rodriguez. Gomez Rodriguez, making his first career start as a Lope, rushed in from the right side of the box and gathered a pass from the left side, stuck his right foot out for a shot that LMU (3-3-2) goalkeeper Ky Mani Dade snatched out of the air with both hands.

LMU, which reached the Elite Eight a season ago out of the WCC, was quiet on offense through the first 25 minutes until a 26th-minute shot from Ismail Nieves found the back of the net. Nieves dribbled from right to left and bent in a ball to the far-left corner of the goal.

The Lions (3-3-2) went into halftime with the 1-0 advantage as seven shots and no corner kicks were tallied between both squads.

GCU's offense pressured LMU's back line early in the game and did more of the same in the second half, with leading goal scorer Bright Nutornutsi firing off three shots in a one-minute span midway through the half. Nutornutsi, a junior forward, had his first attempt saved before an immediate follow-up shot sailed right off a deflection from a defender. His third attempt went over the crossbar.

"I was very pleased with the guys' second-half approach in trying to go after LMU with and without the ball," Lopes head coach George Kiefer said. "I always felt we would bring the game even but give LMU credit. They scored a great goal and did a good job protecting the lead. I'm looking forward to giving the guys a few days off and then start to prepare for conference play with the next 13 days."

Nutornutsi and sophomore midfielder Jorge Lopez combined for eight of the team's 11 shots. Senior goalkeeper Leon Schmidt finished with three saves, bringing his save total to 37 on the year.

The Lopes will regroup before beginning conference play at UT Rio Grande Valley on Oct. 6.