Upcoming Event: Men's Soccer at #9 Stanford on August 20, 2026 at 7:30 PM
M Soccer
7:30 PM
at #9 Stanford
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Thursday, August 20
Stanford, Calif.
7:30 PM
Grand Canyon
at
Stanford
Photo by: Nick Macdonald
Top-25 talent melds for Davies' debut season
8/19/2026 5:01:00 PM | Men's Soccer, Paul Coro
MW favorite GCU appears deep with 22 newcomers under new coach
There is a view that a team of 22 new players with first-year coaches must temper optimism and expectations.
And then there is Grand Canyon men's soccer, which has the tradition and talent that makes the Lopes and outsiders envision much more for a season that starts Thursday night at No. 9 Stanford.
Despite a massive program transition with head coach Jamie Davies taking the helm in January, GCU starts the season with a No. 21 national ranking despite returning only eight players from last season's Sweet 16 run. Davies sees that potential too, with time being the only missing ingredient to stir up a winning recipe of ingredients that are in the pot.
"There is some incredible talent in the team," Davies said. "If we get it right, we can be exciting for fans to watch. We've just got to get there quickly."
That melting pot of players from 13 nations has been together just more than two weeks but already has looked more talented than last year's team to returnees. Davies said that it is potentially the strongest and deepest team that he has coached in his career, which included assisting three American champions at Central Florida before taking over North Florida after a three-win season and guiding it to the NCAA Tournament in each of his two seasons there.
Davies established a common ground of "Three Cs" core values at GCU – commitment, connection and compete – before laying out the "ABCs" of the program identity – attention, brave and control. With assistant Craig McCall following him from his North Florida staff, Davies spent months recruiting players who could fit that identity and a flexible 3-4-3 system that features intricacies built for the long haul.
"You can be in possession in one shape, and then it quite easily goes into a defensive shape," Davies said. "It's a smooth transition.
"We want players on the ball. We want people to make decisions in the game and have intelligence, so they're not robots. They can make decisions with what space is available or what pass to make. That does take time. We are quite far ahead, but there's still a long way to go. Can we still find a way to win while we're getting better and evolving?"
There is instant respect for what Davies has accomplished previously (guiding North Florida from No. 205 to No. 46 nationally in two years) and the roster he assembled at GCU this year. Coaches named GCU a Mountain West preseason co-favorite with San José State and put the Lopes at No. 21 nationally.
Eight returnees, and former GCU standout Ben Assane becoming an assistant coach, help form the bridge from a 14-4-5 season to a team seeking the program's fourth NCAA Tournament berth of the 2020s.
Davies named senior holding midfielder Jorge Lopez as the team captain for the respect he commands from the team and how he embodies daily dedication.
"Even though the team is new, that identity, that culture, that drive to be 1% better every day has progressed a lot since Day 1," said Lopez, who is playing his fourth GCU season. "We've taken a big step forward. No one has an ego. We all have one goal to strive and get better and become champions at the end of the season.
"We all play as a collective. That comes over time, but I feel like this group has got it since Day 1."
The midfield exemplifies the depth at every position. Lopez, fellow returnee Martin Luala (a MLS SuperDraft first-round pick) and freshman João Goçalinho (a Portuguese national team member) fortify the defense while junior returnee Damon Rouse and freshmen Rafael Coet of France and Abdul Rahman Mutebi of Uganda are attacking midfielders. Due to an Ebola outbreak, Mutebi lived with a relative in Kenya for two months to be able to come to GCU.
Each of the strikers on Davies' Central Florida and North Florida teams became professional players, and he sees the same potential in the freshmen duo of Ife Nkabu of Toronto and Arnau Camaño of Spain.
"If we can get the ball high up the pitch, those guys are going to get service after service," Davies said. "They've got to put the ball in the back of the net. (Camaño) understands the game really well. He's shown well around the goal. (Nkabu) is a big, physical No. 9. He likes the ball to his feet and to hold off people. Having both will create a lot of problems for teams."
The back line is the most competitive area with as many as eight players vying for three starting spots. Phoenix College has helped feed that with junior Cruzerio Cruz energizing the defense, where experienced freshmen such as Alhassan Alhassan (under-20 Ghana national team) and Bradley De Jesus (under-18 Portugal national team) are among a wealth of options.
"We're waiting for an alpha mentality to grab hold of it," Davies said.
The goalkeeper spot, led by coach Michael Garrihy, also remains unsettled among a three-player group that includes FIU transfer and fifth-year player Beltran Fernandez, who was named to the Mountain West Preseason Watch List.
The forming chemistry will undergo a volatile experiment with a top-10 opponent Thursday night and Stanford and another road match Sunday at Sacramento State.
"There are no egos, so the ability to get them playing together can be a good process," Davies said. "This is a good, humble group that is willing to work. They just need more time to connect.
"I think we can get there. We've already formed an identity. Now it's, 'How can we hurt teams?' "
Davies and McCall did not just get to know these players this month when they fully assembled. Of the 22 newcomers, they saw all but one compete in person during recruiting.
It has made for a competitive training camp in which no position is secure with at least two viable starters at each position.
"The ball's rolling for the team," Lopez said. "We're excited for these games Thursday and Sunday and the rest of the season. We're excited to get 1% better every day and to continue building where GCU left off last year. We all have one goal to strive and get better and become champions."
And then there is Grand Canyon men's soccer, which has the tradition and talent that makes the Lopes and outsiders envision much more for a season that starts Thursday night at No. 9 Stanford.
Despite a massive program transition with head coach Jamie Davies taking the helm in January, GCU starts the season with a No. 21 national ranking despite returning only eight players from last season's Sweet 16 run. Davies sees that potential too, with time being the only missing ingredient to stir up a winning recipe of ingredients that are in the pot.
"There is some incredible talent in the team," Davies said. "If we get it right, we can be exciting for fans to watch. We've just got to get there quickly."
That melting pot of players from 13 nations has been together just more than two weeks but already has looked more talented than last year's team to returnees. Davies said that it is potentially the strongest and deepest team that he has coached in his career, which included assisting three American champions at Central Florida before taking over North Florida after a three-win season and guiding it to the NCAA Tournament in each of his two seasons there.
Davies established a common ground of "Three Cs" core values at GCU – commitment, connection and compete – before laying out the "ABCs" of the program identity – attention, brave and control. With assistant Craig McCall following him from his North Florida staff, Davies spent months recruiting players who could fit that identity and a flexible 3-4-3 system that features intricacies built for the long haul.
"You can be in possession in one shape, and then it quite easily goes into a defensive shape," Davies said. "It's a smooth transition.
"We want players on the ball. We want people to make decisions in the game and have intelligence, so they're not robots. They can make decisions with what space is available or what pass to make. That does take time. We are quite far ahead, but there's still a long way to go. Can we still find a way to win while we're getting better and evolving?"
There is instant respect for what Davies has accomplished previously (guiding North Florida from No. 205 to No. 46 nationally in two years) and the roster he assembled at GCU this year. Coaches named GCU a Mountain West preseason co-favorite with San José State and put the Lopes at No. 21 nationally.
Eight returnees, and former GCU standout Ben Assane becoming an assistant coach, help form the bridge from a 14-4-5 season to a team seeking the program's fourth NCAA Tournament berth of the 2020s.
Davies named senior holding midfielder Jorge Lopez as the team captain for the respect he commands from the team and how he embodies daily dedication.
"Even though the team is new, that identity, that culture, that drive to be 1% better every day has progressed a lot since Day 1," said Lopez, who is playing his fourth GCU season. "We've taken a big step forward. No one has an ego. We all have one goal to strive and get better and become champions at the end of the season.
"We all play as a collective. That comes over time, but I feel like this group has got it since Day 1."
The midfield exemplifies the depth at every position. Lopez, fellow returnee Martin Luala (a MLS SuperDraft first-round pick) and freshman João Goçalinho (a Portuguese national team member) fortify the defense while junior returnee Damon Rouse and freshmen Rafael Coet of France and Abdul Rahman Mutebi of Uganda are attacking midfielders. Due to an Ebola outbreak, Mutebi lived with a relative in Kenya for two months to be able to come to GCU.
Each of the strikers on Davies' Central Florida and North Florida teams became professional players, and he sees the same potential in the freshmen duo of Ife Nkabu of Toronto and Arnau Camaño of Spain.
"If we can get the ball high up the pitch, those guys are going to get service after service," Davies said. "They've got to put the ball in the back of the net. (Camaño) understands the game really well. He's shown well around the goal. (Nkabu) is a big, physical No. 9. He likes the ball to his feet and to hold off people. Having both will create a lot of problems for teams."
The back line is the most competitive area with as many as eight players vying for three starting spots. Phoenix College has helped feed that with junior Cruzerio Cruz energizing the defense, where experienced freshmen such as Alhassan Alhassan (under-20 Ghana national team) and Bradley De Jesus (under-18 Portugal national team) are among a wealth of options.
"We're waiting for an alpha mentality to grab hold of it," Davies said.
The goalkeeper spot, led by coach Michael Garrihy, also remains unsettled among a three-player group that includes FIU transfer and fifth-year player Beltran Fernandez, who was named to the Mountain West Preseason Watch List.
The forming chemistry will undergo a volatile experiment with a top-10 opponent Thursday night and Stanford and another road match Sunday at Sacramento State.
"There are no egos, so the ability to get them playing together can be a good process," Davies said. "This is a good, humble group that is willing to work. They just need more time to connect.
"I think we can get there. We've already formed an identity. Now it's, 'How can we hurt teams?' "
Davies and McCall did not just get to know these players this month when they fully assembled. Of the 22 newcomers, they saw all but one compete in person during recruiting.
It has made for a competitive training camp in which no position is secure with at least two viable starters at each position.
"The ball's rolling for the team," Lopez said. "We're excited for these games Thursday and Sunday and the rest of the season. We're excited to get 1% better every day and to continue building where GCU left off last year. We all have one goal to strive and get better and become champions."
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's SoccerFriday, August 14
Friday, August 14
Friday, August 14
Thursday, August 13