Showing much less energy than their season-opening win 24 hours before, the Grand Canyon University D1 Men's Hockey team found offense hard to come by in a 2-0 loss to the University of Utah Thursday night at AZ Ice Arcadia in Phoenix. The loss dropped the Lopes to a 1-1 overall record, while the Utes found a measure of revenge for a 6-4 loss early last season to GCU in the same building.

It was a slow start that never got better for the Lopes, who saw Utah come out with sticks blazing, peppering the GCU defense with 14 shots on goal in the game's first 13 minutes. Undeterred, Lopes' goalie Riley Morgan, playing in just his second game between the pipes for GCU, rerouted all 15 first-period shots to keep the game at a scoreless stalemate after one period.

Morgan successfully continued to buck the onslaught for the game's first 34 minutes until the Utes broke the scoreless tie with a well-executed goal from McKay Pond in front of the net. The Utes finished with 43 shots on goal, only breaking through once more midway through the final period. The Lopes' offense just couldn't find consistent responses, never managing more than eight shots on goal in any period, and for the second straight night, coming up empty on all five of their power-play opportunities.

The Lopes now have a week to bounce back before hosting archrival University of Arizona at AZ Ice Arcadia on Friday and Saturday, October 7 and 8. Puck drop both nights is scheduled for 7PM.