PHX Reporter

Grand Canyon men's soccer climbed into the men's soccer elite in recent years, but the Lopes would like to sustain success to enjoy the view.

Amid coaching and roster change, GCU is establishing its footing on collegiate soccer's peaks with the personnel to return to the NCAA tournament and the schedule to prove its merit.

The Lopes have a first-year head coach, Mike Kraus, and 19 newcomers but tote the same expectations of a program that has been in the NCAA tournament more times (three) than not (two) since becoming Division I postseason eligible.

As the GCU season begins with fellow 2021 NCAA tournament qualifiers visiting Thursday (vs. Virginia Tech at 7 p.m.) and Sunday (Denver at 7:30 p.m.) at GCU Stadium, the Lopes also bring back top players with a hunger to return to the national top 25 and grab the program's first Division I postseason win.

"I hope we can continue to elevate that and be seen as a top mid-major team and in the top tier regardless of conference," said Kraus, the former Creighton and Major League Soccer player who was Real Salt Lake Arizona's academy director.

Last season ended with a No. 18 national ranking in NCAA Ratings Percentage Index and two MLS first-round draft picks, but GCU is on the cusp of the top 25 again because of a defense that will switch to Kraus' four-back system.

"Our biggest strength is our back line," Kraus said. "We've got a lot of experience. We've got a lot of high hopes of clean sheets but also hopes for those guys on the outside to bomb forward and help our attack."

Preseason All-WAC selection Rodolfo Prado played the most minutes on the team last season, averaging 85.4 per contest, and captains GCU with confidence and attention to detail.

"We've come along very well and that's bringing us together and keeping us very tight," Prado said. "We're hoping to control the whole tempo of the game from the back, get some clean sheets and be the reason we get some wins and championships."

He will be joined at center back by Uriel Diaz Loza, a freshman from Mexico who entered GCU last spring after training at the LA Galaxy Academy.

"He's really stepping up and hopefully he can be a mainstay for years to come," Kraus said. "He takes pride. He's hungry and fit. We're expecting him to contribute on both sides of the ball."

Outside them in the backfield, GCU will start junior Samuel Lossou, who won a junior college national championship last year at Pima Community College in Tucson, and Clayton Duarte, a sophomore from Luxembourg who transferred from Central Methodist.

Kraus believes Duarte will be the team's surprise, saying he "looks like an Antelope" with how he runs. He sees Duarte and Lossou bringing attack elements from the back line with Duarte's natural left foot on the left side and Lossou's long-pass ability to change pace from the right side.

"Sam's a very good '1v1' defender," Kraus said. "He takes pride in winning his battles and duels, so he's going to help a lot there."

Behind them, senior Anthony Munoz will start the season in goal with sophomore Leon Schmidt, a German who was a part-time starter at Coastal Carolina last year, pushing for time. Munoz had a strong offseason after becoming the starter last year when Rafael Guerrero suffered a season-ending head injury in the conference opener.

The midfield will have a new look, except for the return of graduate Alexis Canales, who played for Kraus as a 15-year-old and joined GCU in 2018.

"He's just a character guy who has all the intangibles you want and hope for in a player," Kraus said.

Transfers Ben Awashie (Connecticut) and Innocent Jibril Rodet (Oregon State) are attack-minded midfielders with creative passing. Eventually, Ecuadoran freshman Juan Contreras will add a deceptive left foot to the midfield after being ineligible for the first six games.

"We want to be creative," Kraus said of the offense. "We want to be a team that will be threatening in multiple ways. Depending how the defense is going to defend us, we've got solutions to exploit whatever they are doing. We don't want to be one-dimensional.

"We want attacking players, especially wide players, who are able to combine and create good relationships with the players around them and can be dangerous on their own. They can be aggressive and take guys on and take responsibility and say, 'I have a one-on-one. Stay out of my way. I'll take care of it.' "

Senior forward Shaun Joash epitomizes that after making All-WAC first team last season and being voted WAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year this year. He scored nine goals last season and is a threat to get them in various ways.

"He has a nose for goals," Kraus said. "He puts himself in dangerous situations. There are a lot of guys who put their hand on their head, like 'How could I miss that chance?' He's a guy that often times buries those chances. That's a rare thing to have that killer instinct in front of the goal."

Joash said he is benefiting from Kraus' tactical knowledge that has earned the players' trust.

"I believe we'll click together," Joash said. "We have the foundation to be a very successful team. When you think back on being successful last year, it can put a tiger on our backs, but we're ready for that. We're ready to compete."

The front line has more familiar faces in seniors Cameron Weller and Alec LaBarge. This is a move into the starting lineup for LaBarge, a left-footer who will attack more this season and has come on strongly with his combination play this preseason.

Weller, a tireless worker with a finishing touch, tallied all of his seven goals and three assists in the final 12 games last season.

"He's not afraid of the moment," Kraus said.

After going 23-6-1 over the past two seasons, GCU will find out about itself quickly this season with six of eight nonconference opponents being fellow 2021 NCAA tournament teams – Virginia Tech, Denver, Santa Clara and Washington at home and UCLA and UC Santa Barbara on the road. Five of those teams won at the NCAA tournament, including preseason No. 3 Washington's national runner-up finish.

As much as wins, Kraus wants to see effort and team culture on display early in the season. That has shown up in training.

"We built the relationship on and off the field," Prado said. "Everyone gets along. There's no separation. Everyone hangs out together a lot of the time in the rooms, in the locker room and in training. We get on each other on the field because we want to get better."

Original source can be found here.