Wednesday, September 16
Phoenix, AZ
6:00 PM
California Baptist University
at
Grand Canyon University
Photo by: Matt Horrocks
MSOC Preview: Lancers Travel to Phoenix for Non-Conference Tilt
9/15/2026 5:11:00 PM | Men's Soccer
PHOENIX, AZ --- California Baptist continues its short two-match road trip on Wednesday with a visit to Grand Canyon University. In a match that features the final regular-season and tournament champions of the WAC, Wednesday's match also signals a new era in the rivalry between CBU and GCU.
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The Lancers come into the week with a 3-2-0 record through five non-conference matches. The Lopes, last season's WAC Tournament champions, are 2-4-0.
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Wednesday will be the 13th meeting all-time between the Lancers and Lopes, dating back to the two universities' time competing in the PacWest Conference of NCAA Division II. The 2026 installment of this rivalry will be the first time CBU and GCU will battle in a non-conference contest, as the previous dozen meetings all had conference stipulations on the line.
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The Lancers and Lopes squared off once last season during the final WAC regular season. CBU shut out the Lopes, 1-0, backed by a first-half header from William Lawson. The Lancers went on to win the WAC regular-season championship, which came with the top seed in the conference tournament hosted by CBU. The Lopes, however, were the ones to celebrate in Riverside when they bested San Jose State in the WAC Championship Match.
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San Jose State ended the Lancers' 2025 season in overtime of the WAC semifinals.
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Grand Canyon entered the 2026 season ranked No. 16 in the preseason coaches' poll. The Lopes are no longer ranked, but their schedule includes two losses to ranked programs: No. 9 Stanford and No. 23 UC Santa Barbara. GCU's two wins came against Sacramento State and Oakland.
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The Lopes have been led in goal scoring by Arnau Camano, who has three goals in six appearances. Jorge Lopez leads the squad in assists with three, as well. The Lopes have scored 10 goals in 6 matches, 7 of which came in their September 3 victory over Oakland. Opponents are averaging 1.50 goals per match against GCU, with goalkeeper Beltran Fernandez leading the team with a .611 save percentage.
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CBU has been led offensively by junior Blake D'Agostino, who has scored in three straight and has four goals on the season. D'Agostino is 3-for-3 on penalty attempts this season and is 8-for-8 for his career. Goalkeeping continues to be a game-by-game decision for head coach Coe Michaelson and his staff, as Ulrik Stroem and Hugo Do Rego have split the Lancers' first five games. Stroem has two shutouts in three appearances, including Friday night's win over LMU, which earned him Pac-12 Newcomer of the Week. Â
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Wednesday's match is scheduled for 6 p.m. from GCU Stadium in Phoenix. The match will be streamed on the Mountain West Network.
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The Lancers will return to Riverside and the CBU Soccer Stadium on Sunday, September 20, to host the University of the Pacific. Tickets are on sale HERE.
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The Lancers come into the week with a 3-2-0 record through five non-conference matches. The Lopes, last season's WAC Tournament champions, are 2-4-0.
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Wednesday will be the 13th meeting all-time between the Lancers and Lopes, dating back to the two universities' time competing in the PacWest Conference of NCAA Division II. The 2026 installment of this rivalry will be the first time CBU and GCU will battle in a non-conference contest, as the previous dozen meetings all had conference stipulations on the line.
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The Lancers and Lopes squared off once last season during the final WAC regular season. CBU shut out the Lopes, 1-0, backed by a first-half header from William Lawson. The Lancers went on to win the WAC regular-season championship, which came with the top seed in the conference tournament hosted by CBU. The Lopes, however, were the ones to celebrate in Riverside when they bested San Jose State in the WAC Championship Match.
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San Jose State ended the Lancers' 2025 season in overtime of the WAC semifinals.
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Grand Canyon entered the 2026 season ranked No. 16 in the preseason coaches' poll. The Lopes are no longer ranked, but their schedule includes two losses to ranked programs: No. 9 Stanford and No. 23 UC Santa Barbara. GCU's two wins came against Sacramento State and Oakland.
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The Lopes have been led in goal scoring by Arnau Camano, who has three goals in six appearances. Jorge Lopez leads the squad in assists with three, as well. The Lopes have scored 10 goals in 6 matches, 7 of which came in their September 3 victory over Oakland. Opponents are averaging 1.50 goals per match against GCU, with goalkeeper Beltran Fernandez leading the team with a .611 save percentage.
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CBU has been led offensively by junior Blake D'Agostino, who has scored in three straight and has four goals on the season. D'Agostino is 3-for-3 on penalty attempts this season and is 8-for-8 for his career. Goalkeeping continues to be a game-by-game decision for head coach Coe Michaelson and his staff, as Ulrik Stroem and Hugo Do Rego have split the Lancers' first five games. Stroem has two shutouts in three appearances, including Friday night's win over LMU, which earned him Pac-12 Newcomer of the Week. Â
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Wednesday's match is scheduled for 6 p.m. from GCU Stadium in Phoenix. The match will be streamed on the Mountain West Network.
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The Lancers will return to Riverside and the CBU Soccer Stadium on Sunday, September 20, to host the University of the Pacific. Tickets are on sale HERE.
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Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Soccer
GK
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/ Men's Soccer
GK
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