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
Monday, September 7
Phoenix, Ariz.
7 p.m.
Grand Canyon
2-3-0, 0-0-0
0
vs
1
Houston Christian
2-3-1, 0-0-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Christian | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Grand Canyon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Photo by: David Kadlubowski
GCU looks back on missed shots in 1-0 loss
9/7/2026 10:42:00 PM | Men's Soccer, Paul Coro
Lopes outshoot Huskies 27-7 despite being 2 men down for 21 minutes
In three consecutive matches, Grand Canyon men's soccer set its Division I-era record for shots attempted against a D-I opponent.
Despite outshooting those three opponents 75-18, the Lopes left GCU Stadium with a Monday night loss for the second time in that three-match stretch.
Houston Christian (2-3-1) used a first-half goal and a two-man advantage over the final 21 minutes to down GCU 1-0 in front of 846 fans.
A Lopes shot hit the goalpost in each half, and GCU put 11 attempts on goal without scoring after scoring seven goals to set the program record against a D-I opponent on Thursday.
Even after losing starting defenders Matas Jokubaitis and Bildad Abonga to red cards in the 69th minute, the Lopes pressed repeatedly for a would-be tying goal.
GCU took four quality shots in a four-minute span with the best opportunity coming in the 83rd minute, when freshman reserve forward Godson Anim fired twice. The 5-foot-6 Ghanian's first shot was deflected by goalkeeper Harvey Heeps, but Abonga got to the rebound for a follow-up shot that was goal-bound until Houston Christian defender Nico Kross stepped in to stop it.
"We've still got to work," Anim said of the 9-on-11 situation. "We got down two men, so we have to do extra. We were trying to get back on our feet. That's why we kept going.
"This team is an amazing team. We are always there for each other. We keep fighting all the time."
That is reflected even during this 1-2 stretch because GCU has taken more than 20 shots in each of those matches and limited each opponent to seven shots or fewer. The Lopes outshot the Huskies 27-7 on Monday.
GCU already had outshot Houston Christian 10-3 in the match's first 32 minutes after freshman defender Bradley De Jesus' best shot. It came from the right side of the box and went through a defender's legs and off the left goalpost.
Less than three minutes later, the Huskies took a 1-0 lead in the 34th minute when 6-foot-1 senior Clarenns Sainrimat took a long goal kick and powered through defenders to score his first goal from 15 yards out on the right wing.
The Lopes continued to have offensive control for the remainder of the first half, using their sixth corner kick for a Jokubaitis shot that was blocked by a sliding defender.
GCU freshman midfielder João Gonçalinho had the first near-goal of the second half, when he chipped a shot that required Heeps to jump with an extended right arm to knock the ball over the goal.
The Lopes stayed on the verge of a tying goal, with shots that were stopped or blocked or that just missed connecting.
In the 68th minute, GCU delivered one of its best passing sequences that led to senior forward Sabri Hanni setting up senior midfielder Jorge Lopez, just as he had done for a near-goal in the first half. This time, Lopez froze Heeps, but his shot knocked off the right goalpost to leave GCU down 1-0 despite a 23-5 shot advantage in the 68th minute.
The Lopes unraveled a minute later with Jokubaitis drawing a red card for a cleats-up slide. When Houston Christian missed the penalty kick high against GCU goalkeeper Beltran Fernandez, Abonga approached the shooter and picked up his second yellow card to have the Lopes lose two players in one sequence.
Besides Anim's multiple efforts, GCU kept coming at Houston Christian with junior defender Raul Vazquez shooting over the goal and junior forward Alan Hermitte's 15-yard shot being blocked in the final minutes of the Lopes' second shutout loss of the 2-3 start.
GCU stays home for a 7 p.m. Saturday match against No. 21 UC Santa Barbara.
"This game is going to make us learn more about how to make decisions," said Anim, who scored the game-winning goal at Sacramento State two weeks ago. "We are playing a school that is ranked on Saturday. We have to be more focused and tried to avoid the unnecessary stuff."
Despite outshooting those three opponents 75-18, the Lopes left GCU Stadium with a Monday night loss for the second time in that three-match stretch.
Houston Christian (2-3-1) used a first-half goal and a two-man advantage over the final 21 minutes to down GCU 1-0 in front of 846 fans.
A Lopes shot hit the goalpost in each half, and GCU put 11 attempts on goal without scoring after scoring seven goals to set the program record against a D-I opponent on Thursday.
Even after losing starting defenders Matas Jokubaitis and Bildad Abonga to red cards in the 69th minute, the Lopes pressed repeatedly for a would-be tying goal.
GCU took four quality shots in a four-minute span with the best opportunity coming in the 83rd minute, when freshman reserve forward Godson Anim fired twice. The 5-foot-6 Ghanian's first shot was deflected by goalkeeper Harvey Heeps, but Abonga got to the rebound for a follow-up shot that was goal-bound until Houston Christian defender Nico Kross stepped in to stop it.
"We've still got to work," Anim said of the 9-on-11 situation. "We got down two men, so we have to do extra. We were trying to get back on our feet. That's why we kept going.
"This team is an amazing team. We are always there for each other. We keep fighting all the time."
That is reflected even during this 1-2 stretch because GCU has taken more than 20 shots in each of those matches and limited each opponent to seven shots or fewer. The Lopes outshot the Huskies 27-7 on Monday.
GCU already had outshot Houston Christian 10-3 in the match's first 32 minutes after freshman defender Bradley De Jesus' best shot. It came from the right side of the box and went through a defender's legs and off the left goalpost.
Less than three minutes later, the Huskies took a 1-0 lead in the 34th minute when 6-foot-1 senior Clarenns Sainrimat took a long goal kick and powered through defenders to score his first goal from 15 yards out on the right wing.
The Lopes continued to have offensive control for the remainder of the first half, using their sixth corner kick for a Jokubaitis shot that was blocked by a sliding defender.
GCU freshman midfielder João Gonçalinho had the first near-goal of the second half, when he chipped a shot that required Heeps to jump with an extended right arm to knock the ball over the goal.
The Lopes stayed on the verge of a tying goal, with shots that were stopped or blocked or that just missed connecting.
In the 68th minute, GCU delivered one of its best passing sequences that led to senior forward Sabri Hanni setting up senior midfielder Jorge Lopez, just as he had done for a near-goal in the first half. This time, Lopez froze Heeps, but his shot knocked off the right goalpost to leave GCU down 1-0 despite a 23-5 shot advantage in the 68th minute.
The Lopes unraveled a minute later with Jokubaitis drawing a red card for a cleats-up slide. When Houston Christian missed the penalty kick high against GCU goalkeeper Beltran Fernandez, Abonga approached the shooter and picked up his second yellow card to have the Lopes lose two players in one sequence.
Besides Anim's multiple efforts, GCU kept coming at Houston Christian with junior defender Raul Vazquez shooting over the goal and junior forward Alan Hermitte's 15-yard shot being blocked in the final minutes of the Lopes' second shutout loss of the 2-3 start.
GCU stays home for a 7 p.m. Saturday match against No. 21 UC Santa Barbara.
"This game is going to make us learn more about how to make decisions," said Anim, who scored the game-winning goal at Sacramento State two weeks ago. "We are playing a school that is ranked on Saturday. We have to be more focused and tried to avoid the unnecessary stuff."
Players Mentioned
D
/ Men's Soccer
F
/ Men's Soccer
D
/ Men's Soccer
GK
/ Men's Soccer
M
/ Men's Soccer
F
/ Men's Soccer
F
/ Men's Soccer
D
/ Men's Soccer
M
/ Men's Soccer
D
/ Men's SoccerTeam Stats
HCU
GCU
Goals
1
0
Shots
7
27
Shots on Goal
3
11
Saves
9
2
Corners
3
9
Fouls
16
4
Scoring Plays
Clarenns Sainrimat (1)
Assisted By: Harvey Heeps
GOAL by HCU Sainrimat, Clarenns Assist by Heeps, Harvey.
33:01
Game Leaders
mid
Shots
4
SOG
2
Goals
0
Assists
0
mid
Shots
3
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
0
Shots
3
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
0
Shots
2
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
0
Monday, September 07
Monday, September 07
Monday, September 07
Monday, September 07