It was the most competitive game in the history of the series, but the Grand Canyon University Men's Rugby team isn't taking any comfort in that.
The Lopes lost for the fourth straight year to the University of Arizona Friday night, falling 25-13 to the Wildcats in a non-conference matchup at GCU Stadium.
The Wildcats, ranked No. 14 in the latest Division IA Rugby rankings, had dominated the Lopes in the past three years, winning the trio of games by a combined score of 135-48.
This year, and this Lopes' team, is different. A new culture has produced new confidence. The game was competitive from the start, with Arizona only pulling away for good with a try in the final minute of the contest.
"We now know we're capable of playing at this level," said first year GCU Head Coach Sean O'Leary. "The guys know it. I know it. It just didn't quite work out tonight, and you have to give credit to Arizona. They proved their ranking. We'll learn from this and get better."
Arizona (1-0) was quick to strike first, scoring on a try from Kyle Fulton up the left wing in the third minute. Robert Figley's two-point conversion attempt was good to put the Wildcats up, 7-0.
The Lopes, the 20th-ranked team in DIA Rugby, recovered with a pair of penalty kicks from Royce Fisher in the ninth and 12th minutes before mounting a crucial defensive stand to negate another Arizona try.
The Wildcats wouldn't be denied later in the half, scoring on a try from Lucas Bartzis in the 30th minute. The score sent Arizona into intermission with a 12-6 lead.
A successful penalty kick by Figley in the 42nd minute put Arizona ahead, 15-6, before Raymond Weiner's try in the 65th minute upped the Wildcat advantage to 20-6.
The Lopes (2-1) made things interesting in the final minute as Chris Noggle intercepted an Arizona pass at midfield and returned it to the try-zone untouched. Fisher's two-point kick closed the lead to 20-13 with under a minute remaining. The Wildcats quickly scored on their ensuing possession to seal the victory.
"We're continuing to learn," O'Leary said. "That's a really good team we just played, and we need to be at this level. We know we can stick with these guys. We just need to keep learning and improving."
After three straight home games to open the season, the Lopes will hit the road for their next few games. GCU will play two California Conference games next weekend in northern California: a Friday night clash with Santa Clara University and a President's Day showdown with St. Mary's College of California on Monday.
