Greeley, Colorado – October 31, 2022 – 11 goals in the span of 24 hours normally gets you a championship match berth, or even a trophy.
 
Not this time.
 
Unable to follow up on a nine-goal barrage in their first match of the 2022 National Intramural & Recreational Sports Association Region V Championships in Greeley, Colorado, the Grand Canyon University Men's Club Soccer team failed to escape the pool-play round of the tournament. The Lopes' 9-0 shellacking of the University of Northern Colorado was followed by back-to-back 3-1 defeats at the hands of the Air Force Academy and the University of Minnesota Saturday night. The Lopes finished the event with a 1-2 tournament record and a 5-4-2 record overall with one match left in the 2022 fall season.
 
Friday:  GCU 9, Northern Colorado 0
 
It was a steady GCU onslaught that peppered the UNC defense most of the night. The Lopes' lead was 3-0 at halftime, but then Danny Trawick and Company bombarded the Bears in the second half. Trawick's four goals led the way, but he got plenty of help with a pair of goals from Lopes' senior forward Gregory Ezechukwu, and one goal each from Blake Barrick, Zac Abdo and Andrew Taylor.
 
Saturday:  Air Force 3, GCU 1
 
The intensity the Lopes showed Friday night lessened a bit for Saturday morning, and the Falcons took full advantage. Ezechukwu neutralized AFA's 1-0 halftime lead early in the second half with a goal on a Barrick assist, but it was the Lopes' defensive miscues which led to all three Falcons' goals. The Lopes had chances down the stretch to battle back but struggled to find the net.
 
Saturday:  Minnesota 3, GCU 1
 
Facing elimination with a loss and having the Midwest's #1 seed staring across from them, the Lopes took an inspirational pregame speech and hunkered down to play one of their best matches of the fall in a losing effort. While the Lopes never led, they carried the momentum into the halftime locker room after GCU sophomore Dylan Viegel tied the match just two minutes before the intermission. Unfortunately, the match was decided by a pair of 2^nd-half penalty kicks that the Golden Gophers cashed in.
 
"(Lopes' senior midfielder) Eli Hollenkamp gave one of the most encouraging pregame speeches I have ever heard," said Lopes' Men's Club Soccer Head Tim Mehrhof. "When he was done, even the coaches were ready to put our boots on and hit the pitch. It set the table for a well-executed game plan – even though we fell short of a bid for nationals."
 
The Lopes' top team will end their fall campaign this Saturday, November 5 at home, hosting the University of New Mexico at the GCU Practice Soccer Field on the west side of the GCU campus. Kickoff is scheduled for 7PM.