For GCU lacrosse's lofty season goals, even a loss brings optimism by omen and experience.
Playing the program's first game under the GCU Stadium lights in front of more than 2,000 fans, the second-ranked Lopes lost to fourth-ranked Brigham Young, 13-7, on Monday night.
GCU can only hope that the high-intensity experience serves them as well as a loss to BYU did two years ago, when the Lopes won the national championship after suffering the season's only setback to the Cougars.
"This is the kind of moment our seniors have been waiting to have for four years – playing in front of a big crowd in this kind of atmosphere," Lopes seventh-year lacrosse coach Manny Rapkin said. "You could see in pregame that they were really excited. We started slow and then we just started pressing the rest of the way. We didn't maintain our composure. It was the first game in the stadium and our guys really wanted to please the fans."
GCU (4-1) opened the season with victories against top-10 teams Colorado and Colorado State and was coming off a double-overtime Saturday win against Virginia Tech. Lopes senior attacker and first-team All-American Joe Balestrieri opened the scoring Monday night but the Lopes never led again. BYU had a run of four unanswered goals for a 7-2 second-quarter lead that created an uphill climb for GCU.
Balestrerie opened the fourth quarter with his team-high third goal to cut BYU's lead to 11-7 but the Lopes could not get closer despite junior Alex Larson's efforts in goal under heavy attacks from the Cougars.
"Our goaltending was great again," Rapkin said of Larson, a transfer from Rutgers. "Alex Larson played well. It was different lighting and different backdrop (in the stadium). For the goalies, it was really a test. I'm really proud of what Alex did to keep us in the game."
BYU (5-1) avenged GCU's best win of last season, when the Lopes trounced the Cougars, 12-4, in Provo in the annual non-conference rivalry game.
The Lopes return to action Friday night, when they play host to Utah State at 7 p.m. on Prescott Field.
