Lopes, Pilots set for NCAA 3rd Round Matchup Saturday night

Saturday, November 29

Portland, Ore.

8 p.m. (MST)

Grand Canyon

Portland

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Photo by: Brock Johnson

Lopes, Pilots set for NCAA 3rd Round Matchup Saturday night

11/28/2025 10:01:00 AM | Men's Soccer

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Winner advances to quarterfinal round, plays winner of Hofstra and Furman

By: Nick Macdonald

AT A GLANCE

With two wins in four days in the NCAA Tournament, GCU heads to No. 9 seeded Portland to take on the Pilots in a Third Round matchup in Oregon Saturday night, with the winner earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals.
GCU is coming off a 2-1 victory at No. 8 seed San Diego on Nov. 23. Freshman sensation Junior Diouf scored the game-winning goal in the 88th minute, his 18th of the year, to extend his national lead in that category. Diouf is tied for first in the country in total points (42) and is the program's D-I record holder for goals and points totaled in a season.
The Lopes have not dropped a game since Oct. 12 and are currently on a 10-match unbeaten streak. Since Oct. 12, they have outscored their opposition 16-7 against D-I opponents, including 10-1 in postseason play dating back to the start of the WAC Tournament.
Daniel Ibarra has 217 career saves over three seasons at the D-I level and is coming off back-to-back six-save performances against UCLA and San Diego. The graduate has 68 saves and seven shutouts on the season, ranking 10th in the country in save percentage (.838).
Sunday's win over the Toreros was the first D-I NCAA Tournament victory for the Lopes in program history. The Third Round entrance is the farthest the program has ever gotten since becoming eligible for D-I NCAA Tournament play in 2017. GCU has made the D-I NCAA Tournament three times prior (2018, 2020, 2021).
After a 5-10-3 season in 2024, this season has been one of the best in program history. The 14 wins are second most in the program's D-I era, one shy of the 15 earned in 2021.
Graduate Ben Assane scored the first of two GCU goals against San Diego in the second round, his third of the season. He is second on the team in points (12) with him and Diouf's six assists tied for most in a single season in the D-I era (circa 2013).
GCU's defense holds a goal differential of +27, allowing only two goals in a game twice among the 22 totaled played.

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 PORTLAND

The Pilots enter Saturday night 13-1-4 overall on the season and finished 6-1-2 in WCC play. They finished tied for second in the WCC standings, one spot shy of WCC regular season champion San Diego.
Portland has lost only one match this season, a 1-0 defeat at Santa Clara. GCU is 2-0 against common Pilot opponents this season, defeating San Diego last time out and notching a 4-0 home victory over Santa Clara Sept. 8.
The Pilots have outscored their opposition 42-11 this season with a pair of 10 goal scorers. Joe Highfield leads the team in points (25), totaling 10 goals and five assists, while David Ajagbe has 10 goals and four assists. The duo has combined for 88 shots, 46 shots on goal, and eight game winners.
In goal is Miguel Angel-Hernandez, who is 12-1-4 as a starter with eight shutouts and 40 saves.
Portland's first goal conceded all season came in the seventh game, a 3-2 win at home vs. Denver. It has a +4 goal differential over its last five games (8-4).