DAVIS, Calif. — UC Davis men's soccer fell to Mountain West leader GCU, 3-1, on Saturday night at Aggie Soccer Field.
The Lopes scored three times before halftime and the Aggies answered with a second-half penalty kick from Tristan Wouters.
Wouters converted from the spot at 59:42 for his second goal of the season for UC Davis (1-7-4, 1-2-1 MW), while Talin Morgan and Mekhai Wilson combined for five saves. Grand Canyon (7-5, 4-0 MW) extended its winning streak to five matches and remains as the only unbeaten team in Mountain West play.
Alan Hermitte put Grand Canyon ahead at 7:11, finishing a feed from Bradley De Jesus. UC Davis pushed back with four corner kicks in a span of just under two minutes, forcing Beltran Fernandez into saves on Nami Banks at 18:29 and Isaac Chacing at 19:33.
Liam Harrington however doubled the lead at 22:45 with a goal, assisted by Bildad Abonga and João Gonçalinho. Morgan denied Arnau Camaño at 36:35 and Sabri Hanni at 44:21 before Jorge Lopez scored unassisted at 44:25 to send the Lopes into halftime ahead 3-0.
Wilson replaced Morgan in goal to start the second half, and UC Davis outshot Grand Canyon 7-4 after the break. Michael Bulloch tested Fernandez at 48:31 before the Aggies were awarded a penalty kick at 59:42 after a VAR stoppage. Wouters would convert, making it 3-1, giving the Templeton native his second goal of the season, as well as UC Davis' second penalty-kick goal of the season.
Bulloch forced another save from Fernandez at 60:26, Victor Ogieriakhi put a shot on target at 77:52 and Bulloch sent a late attempt toward goal in the 90th minute. Wilson stopped Rafael Coet at 74:03 and Godson Anim at 78:30 to keep the second half scoreless.
The teams finished even at 11 shots apiece, with Grand Canyon holding an 8-6 edge in shots on goal and UC Davis leading 9-5 in corner kicks, including 6-2 in the first half. Fernandez made five saves for the Lopes.
The Aggies will be back in action when they travel to UNLV for a 7 p.m. match Wednesday, Oct. 14, in Las Vegas.
GAME NOTES
- Bulloch led UC Davis with three shots, two on goal, all after entering in the 37th minute.
- Wouters' goal was his second of the season and the Aggies' second penalty-kick goal of 2026.
- Wilson made two saves in a scoreless second half; Morgan made three saves in the first.
- Josh Gault, Banks and Caelan Kellett played all 90 minutes.
- Grand Canyon won the first meeting between the programs since a 1-1 draw in Davis on Sept. 21, 2014. The teams meet again Nov. 1 in Phoenix.
ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS
UC Davis Athletics represents one of the nation's premier public universities on the NCAA Division I stage, with more than 650 student-athletes competing across 25 sports, including 16 programs in the Mountain West Conference. Located in California's quintessential college town, UC Davis combines championship-level athletics with the academic excellence of the nation's No. 8 public research university and is home to the nation's No. 1 programs in agriculture, veterinary medicine and sustainability. With a growing national media presence, bold investments in facilities and the student-athlete experience, and a tradition of developing champions in competition, in the classroom and beyond, the Aggies are elevating UC Davis on a national stage.
