In a match that started out with quick offense that turned to stifling second-half defense, the Grand Canyon University Men's Club Soccer Team 1 knocked off GCU Team 2, 2-1, in the teams' 2022-23 season openers Wednesday night at Colter Field on the GCU campus. The match also signaled the official beginning of the GCU Club Sports' 2022-23 athletic season.
 
The match – which was the official head coaching debut of new Lopes' Men's Club Soccer Head Tim Mehrhof – saw all three goals scored within the first 25 minutes of play. Team 2 got on the board quickly – thanks to Connor Anderson's shot just two minutes into the season. That was a wakeup call to Team 1, who bounced back in rapid succession with a pair of goals within five minutes of each other – courtesy of Aidan Hepting and Andrew Taylor. The two teams' defense then took over for a scoreless second half.
 
GCU Team 1 returns to action this Saturday night, September 17^th with their first matchup against an outside opponent: the University of Arizona. Kickoff is scheduled for 5PM at the Lopes' new soccer home: the GCU Practice Soccer Field on the west side of the main campus.