Responding after seeing its opponent score 19 unanswered points, the 15^th-ranked Grand Canyon University Men's Rugby team rallied to end its tight match with the winning try in extra time to upset 8^th-ranked UCLA, 31-24, Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles, California. It was the 2^nd straight week that the Lopes avenged a loss to an opponent from last season with a 2^nd-half comeback, putting five tries on the scoreboard in the final 40 minutes against Canadian power Trinity Western University to win, 39-28, at GCU Soccer Stadium on the GCU campus. It's the first two-game winning streak of the season for the Lopes, who rose to a 5-3 overall record.
 
The Lopes headed to Westwood Saturday still remembering the sting of a 50-19 loss at the hands of the then-11^th-ranked Bruins last February, but it was someone who wasn't involved a year ago, Lopes' freshman Camille Becker, who refused to let the Lopes fall behind early this time, finding the try zone twice early in the first half to stake the Lopes to a 10-0 edge. After the Bruins mounted a scoring drive of their own to get within one try, fellow Lopes' newcomer Keaton Draeger (coupled with Luke Neely's ensuing two-point conversion) gave the Lopes their largest lead of the game, 17-5, midway through the half.
 
GCU spent much of the next 20 minutes denying Bruins' drives close to the try zone before finally allowing a try to end the 1^st half. That spurred UCLA on to a quick start in the second half, tying the match at 17-17 just five minutes in, then taking advantage of a Lopes' turnover deep in UCLA territory, with the Bruins' Sam Reade catching a loose ball on the fly to take it in for a 24-17 edge with 17 minutes left. The Lopes wasted no time wresting the momentum from the Bruins, streaking down the field on the ensuing drive, and keeping play deep in the Bruins' zone until Lachlan Jackson found open real estate to score the tying try with eight minutes left. GCU never let the Bruins see the Lopes' side of the pitch again, grinding it down to inside the Bruins' 22, chewing up the rest of the clock before Lopes' senior Danny Sanchez dove under the UCLA defenders for the clinching try a minute into extra time.
 
Seven days before that at home, the déjà vu the Lopes felt as they trailed Trinity Western (who went back-and-forth with the Lopes in 2025 before scoring on the final drive), 14-10, at halftime, was neutralized quickly in the second half with tries from Neely (his 2^nd of the day), Aidan Castanon, La'au Maka and Cooper Suess to run away from the Spartans for the 11-point victory.  
 
After facing the 4^th, 7^th and 8^th-ranked teams in the nation over the past month, the Lopes will face their toughest at home on President's Day. The Lopes will host 2^nd-ranked University of California at GCU Soccer Stadium this Monday, February 20 at noon, and admission is FREE.