In a game of multiple lead changes and no double-digit leads, the 21
st-ranked
Grand Canyon University Men's Rugby team scored 10 points in the final four minutes of the match to outlast Western Washington University, 41-34, Saturday afternoon at
GCU Practice Soccer Field on the GCU campus in Phoenix. The win evened the Lopes' overall record at 2-2 in the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
From the outset, neither squad had any breathing room. The defenses owned most of the first half action, with the teams deadlocked at 12-12 heading to halftime and
Dylan Mercer and
Ben Saunders accounting for GCU's points. The match became one of swings during the second half, with
Charlie Marshall and
Nigel Johnson's tries attempting to give the Lopes breathing room and a 31-22 edge – only to see the Vikings match them with end zone scores – most in part to WWU's Eli Ashmann's four tries. Ashmann's final try of the afternoon staked the Vikings to a 34-31 lead with just four minutes left, but the Lopes cashed in on both of their final drives of the match.
Lewis Case found the zone to give the Lopes a two-point edge, then after a defensive stand, the Lopes ran out the clock with a sustained drive that was capped off by
Marcus Terzoli's score.
"Western Washington was fired up, and we weren't as 'on' as we normally are, so it was a bit frustrating on the sideline," said
Lopes' Head Coach Sean O'Leary. "As the 41 points shows, we're a very good team. There are times when we really play well, but when the switch isn't on, we struggle because our schedule is loaded with good teams. We have to go through these rough patches to get to where we want to go."
The Lopes will have little time to celebrate the victory since they head to Berkeley, California, for a Saturday afternoon showdown with top-ranked University of California, then return home for a quick turnaround matchup at home next Tuesday, February 18 against Canada's Trinity Western University. Kickoff Tuesday night is scheduled for 6PM at the GCU Practice Soccer Field, and admission is FREE.
