Completed Event: Men's Soccer at #9 Stanford on August 20, 2026 , Loss , 1, to, 2
M Soccer
at #9 Stanford
L 1-2
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Thursday, September 3
Phoenix, Ariz.
7 p.m.
Grand Canyon
vs
Oakland
Photo by: David Kadlubowski
Welcome Week brings students, Oakland to GCU Stadium
9/1/2026 2:44:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Lopes host Golden Grizzlies for 7 p.m. Thursday match
AT A GLANCE
- Grand Canyon begins the second of five consecutive home matches Thursday evening against Horizon League opponent Oakland.
- The meeting is the Lopes' third all-time one against the Golden Grizzlies, who played them in 1996 and 2022 GCU wins.
- The Lopes are coming off a 23-shot performance versus UC Riverside, moving their season total to 49. Their 16.3 shots per game rank first in the Mountain West and 35th nationally through three games.
- GCU tallied 14 corner kicks, a Division I-era program high, against UC Riverside. Its 6.7 corner kicks per game rank first in the conference and top 40 nationally.
- Lopes senior Jorge Lopez leads the MW in shots per game (2.7) while freshman Alhassan Alhassan has a team-high 11 shots.Â
- GCU and Air Force are the only MW teams with a shutout this season. Fifth-year goalkeeper Beltran Fernandez has eight saves through three games in net.Â
- The Lopes hold a 54-25-8 record at GCU Stadium since it opened in 2016. Twenty-nine of those victories have come over the past five seasons, including nine in 2025.Â
- GCU's Thursday match features students back on campus during Welcome Week. Prior to the match, the student-led Havocs section will have its "March to the Match," a tradition in which hundreds of fans walk through campus to GCU Stadium.
LAST TIME OUT
- The Lopes fell 2-0 in Friday's home opener to UC Riverside.Â
- GCU's offensive potential showed throughout the 90 minutes, totaling 23 shots and five shots on goal
- Alhassan led the team with six shots, including two on goal
SCOUTING OAKLAND
- The Golden Grizzlies are 1-1-1 and won their first home match of the season against Illinois Chicago 3-2.Â
- Oakland has five goals and five assists this season, ranking third and fourth most in the Horizon League, respectively
- Carl Kurzawa is tied for 19th nationally with three goals and 28th with seven points.
- The Golden Grizzlies average 8.7 fouls per game, 16th most in the country
WHAT'S NEXT?Â
- GCU hosts Faith and Family Night for the 7 p.m. Monday match against Houston Christian at GCU Stadium.
- Live coverage can be found at Arizona's Family Sports and MW+.
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Players Mentioned
Saturday, August 29
Thursday, August 27
Monday, August 24
Sunday, August 23