NCAA 2nd-round match puts GCU at San Diego on Sunday

Sunday, November 23

San Diego, Calif.

6 p.m. (MST)

Grand Canyon

San Diego

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GCU vs. UCLA in the NCAA Tournament First Round in Los Angeles, Calif.

11/22/2025 1:50:00 PM | Men's Soccer

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Win would advance Lopes to 3rd round vs. Portland/Denver winner

By: Nick Macdonald

AT A GLANCE

Grand Canyon advanced to the NCAA Tournament second round after an emphatic penalty-kick shootout victory over Big Ten Tournament champion UCLA. The Lopes tied 0-0 and won 3-1 via PKs, coming back from a 1-0 PK deficit with three straight goals and a clutch save from graduate goalkeeper Daniel Ibarra.
The Lopes extended a streak of nine consecutive unbeaten matches dating back to Oct. 12. In that span, the squad has five shutouts and has outscored its Division I opponents 14-6 during the run.
GCU freshman Junior Diouf enters Sunday as the nation's leader in goals with 17 and is second in points with 40. Diouf has scored in 12 games this season, five of which were multi-goal games. He is the program's D-I era single-season record holder for goals and points, surpassing Niki Jackson's 16 goals and 34 points set in 2016.
Ibarra has 211 career saves over three seasons at the D-I level, but he has made no better save than his penalty kick stop against the Bruins on Thursday in Westwood. Ibarra totaled six saves in regulation and overtime, one shy of his season high, and saved the third PK attempt to give the Lopes the momentum after a 1-1 score in the PKs. Ibarra has 62 saves and is 10th in the nation in save percentage (.838).
The advancement into the NCAA Tournament second round is the first for the program. While searching for its first NCAA Tournament win, the positive result was the second in program history against UCLA, previously defeating the No. 4 Bruins 3-2 in 2022 for the highest-ranked victory in program history. GCU has made the NCAA Divisoion I Tournament three times prior (2018, 2020 and 2021).
After a 5-10-3 season in 2024, this season has been one of the best in program history. The 13 wins are tied for most in the program's D-I era since 2013, and its nine home wins tied for most at GCU Stadium since it opened in 2016. Its 314 shots are most in the D-I era, while its 15 shots per game rank second. Diouf's 40 points are 10th most all-time, dating back to the Lopes' first season in 1985.
GCU's defense holds a goal differential of plus-26, allowing two or more goals in two of 21 games. The Lopes outscored its opposition 8-1 in three WAC Tournament games and have 14 goals to six allowed against D-I teams since its last loss.

LAST TIME OUT

The Lopes played to a 0-0 draw at UCLA in a downpour of rain Thursday, defeating the Bruins 3-1 in penalty kicks to advance to the NCAA Division I Tournament second round for the first time in program history.
Ibarra had six saves and notched his seventh shutout of the season, saving one in a critical moment in the penalty kick shootout.
The win extended a season-best nine-match unbeaten streak, with the last loss coming Oct. 12 at California Baptist.

SCOUTING SAN DIEGO

The Toreros are 13-2-3 overall and finished 7-1-1 in WCC play, winning the WCC title for the fourth straight season after a 4-2 defeat of Oregon State.
Iain Wagner leads the squad with 20 points, scoring eight goals and adding four assists to his season. His goal count and 20 points ranked fifth in the WCC.
San Diego is 18th in the nation with a plus-21 goal differential, notching nine shutouts with five coming over its last six contests. It is 9-0-1 at home this season with the lone draw coming Sept. 13 against Kansas City.
The Toreros average just over 14 shots per game to rank 41st in the nation and third in the WCC.
Goalkeeper Lucca Adams has 18 saves in 13 games, allowing 0.47 goals per match and recording eight of the team's nine shutouts.
San Diego has made the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight season. Last year, the Toreros lost in the third round to eventual national champion Vermont.

WHAT'S NEXT?

A win for the Lopes will put them against the winner of No. 8 national seed Portland or Denver on either Nov. 29 or 30. The Portland-Denver winner will host the third-round match.