Fast start fuels GCU Men's Lacrosse in season opener

Opening Win Over Oregon State Showcases Team Depth

Early separation told the story.

GCU Men’s Lacrosse wasted no time setting the tone for the season, cruising past Oregon State University in a dominant 23-7 non-conference opener Sunday afternoon at Grand Canyon University’s Colter Field.

The Lopes jumped out quickly and never looked back, creating separation that allowed them to get every player on the field before the final whistle.

“Everybody in our program puts in a tremendous amount of time and effort,” said GCU Head Coach Jeff Guy. “Whenever we can, we want to reward as many guys as possible with on-the-field experience.”

GCU long-stick midfielder Matt Savinon scored the first goal of the season three minutes into the game to spark a scoring spree. Caleb Brager, Marshall Moore, Damien Xiong, and Kai Cook followed as the Lopes closed the first quarter ahead,7-0.

Oregon State got on the board early in the second quarter, but the Lopes didn’t let that slow their hot streak. GCU freshman Harrison Gurash delivered a standout performance, scoring four goals in the quarter, including one immediately after stepping out of the penalty box. Moore, who finished with three goals overall, and Xiong, who added four, also scored 2^nd-quarter goals that gave the Lopes a 13-1 halftime lead.

In the third quarter, GCU maintained control but struggled to convert early, something anticipated with only 11 springpractices under their belt and a roster of new players.

“The message for the guys all week was that we’re going to make mistakes,” said Guy. “The key is having a next-play mentality and learning from those situations.”

Late in the quarter, the Lopes regained momentum with three goals in the final four minutes. One came from Lopes’ face-off specialist Cruise Clay, who won 22 out of 30 faceoffs and collected 12 ground balls on the day.

With the outcome secured in the fourth quarter, new faces saw minutes, including a new goalie (Cayden Cagle) and face-off specialist (Tyler Soehner).

The Lopes continue their season-opening homestand against Utah Valley University on Thursday, February 12 at 2 PM at Colter Field.