A week filled with a penalty kick victory over UCLA and a 2-1 win at No. 8 seed San Diego, three GCU men’s soccer players were named to this week’s TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Week.
Graduate goalkeeper Daniel Ibarra earned a spot on the 11-man team, while freshman forward Junior Diouf and sophomore defender Felipe Cobian were named honorable mention.
While Ibarra has been clutch the whole 2025 campaign, a shining moment came against UCLA where he saved a penalty kick to lead GCU over UCLA, 3-1, in PKs after both squads played to a 0-0 draw in constant rainfall in Westwood Nov. 20.
Ibarra had six saves against the Bruins and matched that number with another six against San Diego Sunday, Nov. 23, totaling 12 for the week with only one goal against. The win was the first victory in program history for the Lopes in the D-I NCAA Tournament.
Diouf extended his national goal scoring lead, notching his 18th of the season in the 88th minute against the Toreros in front of 1,500 fans. Diouf’s goal gave the Lopes a 2-1 advantage with minutes to spare.
The Diouf goal was set up by Cobian, who sent a volley pass to Allan Rosales, who found Diouf on the run for the game winning goal, Diouf’s eighth of the season. Cobian played every minute of each contest on a back line that is ranked 14th nationally in goals against average.
GCU advanced to the NCAA Tournament Third Round and will face No. 9 seed Portland in Portland, Oregon, Saturday, Nov. 29 at 8 p.m. MST.
