Trailing by two scores in the final four minutes, the Grand Canyon University Men's Rugby team found the try zone twice to storm from behind for a thrilling 26-23 victory over the University of San Diego Saturday in La Jolla, California. The win inched the Lopes over the .500 mark (2-1 in USA Rugby play) as they closed out the fall semester.
 
Few were surprised that the final tally went down to the wire, considering the Lopes and Toreros were facing each other for the 3^rd time in the last 30 days, having split two contests as part of the West Coast 7's Tournament in Oceanside, California in late October. The lone 15's clash of the season between the two carried the same feel, with each team trading proverbial punches through the first 40 minutes Saturday afternoon. After USD struck first with an early penalty kick, the Lopes marched down the field, cashing in the first try of the afternoon on a dive from Lopes' freshman Sione Kongaika, Jr. Brennen Boyle first added the two-point conversion, then added a try of his own in the final stages of the half before the Toreros matched it to head to the halftime locker room trailing GCU, 12-10.
 
The late USD score spurred Torero momentum coming out of the break with San Diego breaking through for 13 unanswered points via another try and a pair of penalty kicks. Suddenly, the combination of the match's first (and only) double-digit lead and a winding clock that moved inside of four minutes remaining pushed the Lopes into desperation mode. The urgency paid off as Boyle found the try zone a second time, and just a minute after San Diego native Marcus Terzoli added the two-pointer, Terzoli did the final score himself with a try and another ball through the uprights to seal the win.
 
The early Thanksgiving present will also carry over through the Christmas holiday, since the Lopes are off until Saturday, January 10, when they'll open the spring side of their schedule against perennial powerhouse St. Mary's College of California on the GCU campus. Kickoff is scheduled for noon, and admission is FREE.