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
Saturday, September 12
Phoenix, Ariz.
7 p.m.
Grand Canyon
vs
UC Santa Barbara
Photo by: Josh Cale
Lopes host No. 23 UCSB on Saturday
9/11/2026 12:43:00 PM | Men's Soccer
GCU plays 2nd nationally ranked opponent this season at 7 p.m.
AT A GLANCE
- Grand Canyon plays host to No. 23 UC Santa Barbara at 7 p.m. Saturday. It is the second time this season the Lopes have faced an opponent ranked in the United Soccer Coaches poll.
- GCU is coming off yet another record-breaking performance, tallying 27 shots against Houston Christian earlier this week. That shot total broke the record for single-game shot total against a Division I opponent in the program's D-I era, a mark that has been set in each of the last three games.
- The Lopes' 20 shots per game rank fourth in the nation, with shots producing 7.8 corner kicks a game, a number ranked 10th in the country. GCU is also 10th in shots on goal per game (8.2), with both Arnau Camaño and Sabri Hanni leading the way with five a piece.
- GCU has more than double the corner kick attempts against opponents through five games, leading that category 39-18.
- Eight of GCU's nine goals have been scored by different players. Six of the nine are freshman playing in their first collegiate seasons.
- The matchup against the Gauchos is the third over the last four seasons and the second time in Phoenix through five total games played in the series. GCU leads the all-time goal series 11-4 and is 3-0-2 all time against UCSB, dating back to 1991.
LAST TIME OUT
- The Lopes fell 1-0 to Houston Christian last Monday.
- GCU totaled 27 shots, 11 shots on goal and nine corner kicks.
- The shot attempt total is the most against a Division I opponent in the program's D-I era.
SCOUTING UC SANTA BARBARA
- The Gauchos enter Phoenix ranked No. 23 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll with an overall record of 2-1-2.
- UCSB is 0-1-2 against ranked teams this season, facing No. 12 Marshall, No. 2 San Diego and No. 20 Cornell so far this season. They are coming off a 1-0 win over Rutgers Sept. 7.
- Steiner Bjornsson is 12th in the nation in shots per game (4.20) and leads the team with five points, scoring twice and adding an assist. Bjornsson nearly has a fourth of the team's total shot output, totaling 21 of the teams 71 this season.
- The Gauchos are outscoring their opposition 8-4 and have scored in every match so far this season. Three of their five results have resulted in shutout wins.
- Junior Viggo Gustavsson makes his return to GCU Stadium. The defender appeared in 33 games as a Lope from 2024-25, totaling over 2,700 minutes played.
WHAT'S NEXT?
- The final contest of the five-game homestand concludes Wednesday vs. California Baptist at 6 p.m.
- GCU's next home game will be Saturday, Sept. 26, for its first-ever Mountain West matchup against UNLV.
Players Mentioned
D
/ Men's Soccer
F
/ Men's SoccerThursday, September 10
Thursday, September 10
Wednesday, September 09
Wednesday, September 09