La Sierra’s Strong Start Highlights Opening Week of GSAC Men’s Soccer

GSAC Men's Soccer Report
2026 GSAC Men's Soccer Report • Week 1 • August 26, 2026

Around the GSAC

Seven GSAC men’s soccer teams were in action during the opening week of the 2026 season, combining for 11 matches. La Sierra produced the conference’s lone unbeaten record, opening its season with a 4-0 victory over Bethesda, while OUAZ and Park Gilbert also picked up their first victories of the year. Fifteen matches are on the schedule for the week ahead as the conference continues nonconference play.

La Sierra highlighted the opening week with its 4-0 victory over Bethesda. Daniel Garcia scored twice as the Golden Eagles generated 24 shots, including 16 on goal. OUAZ bounced back from a season-opening 1-0 loss to Stanton with a 4-1 victory over Nelson (AZ), while Park Gilbert opened its season with a 4-1 win over Nelson (AZ) before falling 2-0 to Stanton. Olli Saksinen scored three times and Brody Donovan contributed a goal and two assists in Park Gilbert’s victory.

The first GSAC Men’s Soccer Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week will be announced Aug. 31.

Saksinen enters the week as the conference leader with three goals and seven points. Donovan leads the GSAC with two assists and is tied for the lead with one game-winning goal while ranking second with four points and six shots. Arizona Christian’s Raul Aranda leads the conference with seven shots, and La Sierra’s Carlos Leon has a GSAC-best five shots on goal. In goal, La Sierra’s Abraham Perez leads with a 0.00 goals-against average, OUAZ’s Jack Murdoch has a conference-best .833 save percentage and Park Gilbert’s Nicklas Lagesen leads with eight saves.

The GSAC has 15 matches scheduled between Thursday and Tuesday. OUAZ begins the week Thursday against Evergreen before facing Northwest on Saturday. The Master’s meets CSUN on Thursday and College of Idaho on Tuesday, while Embry-Riddle and Benedictine Mesa each face Southern Oregon and Oregon Tech over the weekend. La Sierra looks to build on its season-opening victory Sunday against Pacific Union. Park Gilbert hosts Caltech on Saturday and Justice on Tuesday, while Arizona Christian faces Nelson (AZ) on Friday.

Last Week's Results

Thursday, August 20, 2026
Warner Pacific 0-0 Embry-Riddle
Stanton 1-0 OUAZ
Westcliff 1-1 Arizona Christian
Nelson (AZ) 1-4 Park Gilbert
Saturday, August 22, 2026
Warner Pacific 2-0 Arizona Christian
Westcliff 2-0 Embry-Riddle
Benedictine Mesa 1-2 Justice
OUAZ 4-1 Nelson (AZ)
Stanton 2-0 Park Gilbert
Bethesda 0-4 La Sierra
Tuesday, August 25, 2026
Stanton 3-0 The Master's

This Week's Schedule

Thursday, August 27, 2026
OUAZ vs. Evergreen | 11:00 A.M. PT
Pacific Union vs. Hope International | 4:30 P.M. PT
The Master's vs. CSUN | 7:00 P.M. PT
Friday, August 28, 2026
Southern Oregon vs. Embry-Riddle | 7:00 P.M. PT
Nelson (AZ) vs. Arizona Christian | 8:00 P.M. PT
Oregon Tech vs. Benedictine Mesa | 8:00 P.M. PT
Saturday, August 29, 2026
Park Gilbert vs. Caltech | 11:00 A.M. PT
OUAZ vs. Northwest | 11:00 A.M. PT
Westcliff vs. Soka | 7:00 P.M. PT
Sunday, August 30, 2026
Pacific Union vs. La Sierra | 12:00 P.M. PT
Southern Oregon vs. Benedictine Mesa | 7:00 P.M. PT
Oregon Tech vs. Embry-Riddle | 7:30 P.M. PT
Tuesday, September 1, 2026
Westcliff vs. Hope International | 4:30 P.M. PT
College of Idaho vs. The Master's | 5:00 P.M. PT
Justice vs. Park Gilbert | 7:00 P.M. PT
Team Capsules

Arizona Christian

GSAC: 0-0
Overall: 0-1-1

Arizona Christian went 0-1-1 during its opening week, earning a 1-1 draw with Westcliff before falling 2-0 to Warner Pacific. Jose Garcia scored the Firestorm’s lone goal, with Logan Johnson recording the assist. Raul Aranda was active offensively with seven shots, the most in the GSAC, and four shots on goal, second in the conference. Goalkeeper Emiliano Vega made five saves and ranks third in the GSAC in that category. Garcia begins the week with 44 career points and needs six more to reach 50. Arizona Christian returns to action Friday against Nelson (AZ).

Last Week: 0-1-1
This Week:
Friday, August 28 vs. Nelson (AZ) | 8:00 P.M. PT

Benedictine Mesa

GSAC: 0-0
Overall: 0-1

Benedictine Mesa opened its season with a 2-1 loss to Justice. Josh Arnold scored the Redhawks’ goal and Pol Bistue recorded the assist, with Arnold accounting for two of the team’s three shots. Benedictine Mesa has two opportunities this week, facing Oregon Tech on Friday and Southern Oregon on Sunday.

Last Week: 0-1-0
This Week:
Friday, August 28 vs. Oregon Tech | 8:00 P.M. PT
Sunday, August 30 vs. Southern Oregon | 7:00 P.M. PT

Embry-Riddle

GSAC: 0-0
Overall: 0-1-1

Embry-Riddle opened the season with a scoreless draw against Warner Pacific before falling 2-0 to Westcliff. The Eagles averaged 9.5 shots over the two matches, led by Nitai Bental with five. Kevin Yamna put three shots on goal. Sam Macdonald made seven saves and enters the week ranked second in the GSAC in both saves and save percentage (.778) while standing fourth with a 1.00 goals-against average. Bental enters the week with 94 career shots, six shy of 100, and four career game-winning goals. Embry-Riddle faces Southern Oregon on Friday and Oregon Tech on Sunday.

Last Week: 0-1-1
This Week:
Friday, August 28 vs. Southern Oregon | 7:00 P.M. PT
Sunday, August 30 vs. Oregon Tech | 7:30 P.M. PT

Hope International

GSAC: 0-0
Overall: 0-0
This Week:
Thursday, August 27 vs. Pacific Union | 4:30 P.M. PT
Tuesday, September 1 vs. Westcliff | 4:30 P.M. PT

La Sierra

GSAC: 0-0
Overall: 1-0

La Sierra delivered the GSAC’s strongest start, defeating Bethesda 4-0 in its season opener. Daniel Garcia scored twice and finished with four points, while Vinicius Goncalves and Joshua Mauricio also scored. The Golden Eagles produced 24 shots and put 16 on goal, with Carlos Leon accounting for six shots and a conference-leading five shots on goal. Garcia ranks second in the GSAC with two goals and third with four points. La Sierra returns to action Sunday against Pacific Union.

Last Week: 1-0-0
This Week:
Sunday, August 30 vs. Pacific Union | 12:00 P.M. PT

Life Pacific

GSAC: 0-0
Overall: 0-0

OUAZ

GSAC: 0-0
Overall: 1-1

OUAZ responded to a 1-0 season-opening loss to Stanton with a 4-1 victory over Nelson (AZ). Four different Spirit players scored in the win, including Nickolas Linares Dominguez, Matthew DePaco, Mason Whisler and Harry Dwelly. Daniel Coke finished the opening week with six shots. Jack Murdoch made five saves and leads the GSAC with a .833 save percentage while ranking second with a 1.00 goals-against average. OUAZ hosts Evergreen on Thursday and Northwest on Saturday.

Last Week: 1-1-0
This Week:
Thursday, August 27 vs. Evergreen | 11:00 A.M. PT
Saturday, August 29 vs. Northwest | 11:00 A.M. PT

Park Gilbert

GSAC: 0-0
Overall: 1-1

Park Gilbert split its opening two matches, defeating Nelson (AZ) 4-1 before falling 2-0 to Stanton. Olli Saksinen powered the Buccaneers in the opener with three goals, while Brody Donovan had a goal and two assists. Saksinen leads the GSAC with three goals and seven points, while Donovan leads the conference with two assists and ranks second with four points and six shots. Donovan also owns one of the conference’s three game-winning goals. Nicklas Lagesen has a GSAC-leading eight saves. Park Gilbert hosts Caltech on Saturday before meeting Justice on Tuesday.

Last Week: 1-1-0
This Week:
Saturday, August 29 vs. Caltech | 11:00 A.M. PT
Tuesday, September 1 vs. Justice | 7:00 P.M. PT

Soka

GSAC: 0-0
Overall: 0-0
This Week:
Saturday, August 29 vs. Westcliff | 7:00 P.M. PT

The Master's

GSAC: 0-0
Overall: 0-1

The Master’s opened its season Tuesday with a 3-0 loss to Stanton. Adiel Kaduya generated four of the Mustangs’ eight shots, while Franco Barba made five saves. Kaduya’s four shots rank seventh in the conference, and Barba is tied among the GSAC leaders with five saves. The Master’s returns to action Thursday against CSUN before facing College of Idaho on Tuesday.

Last Week: 0-1-0
This Week:
Thursday, August 27 vs. CSUN | 7:00 P.M. PT
Tuesday, September 1 vs. College of Idaho | 5:00 P.M. PT
GSAC Statistical Leaders

Team Leaders

Goals per Game

  1. 1 La Sierra 4.00
  2. 2 OUAZ 2.00
  3. 3 Park Gilbert 2.00

Assists per Game

  1. 1 La Sierra 2.00
  2. 2 Park Gilbert 2.00
  3. 3 Benedictine Mesa 1.00

Points per Game

  1. 1 La Sierra 10.00
  2. 2 Park Gilbert 6.00
  3. 3 OUAZ 4.00

Shots per Game

  1. 1 La Sierra 24.00
  2. 2 Park Gilbert 15.00
  3. 3 OUAZ 12.00

Shots on Goal per Game

  1. 1 La Sierra 16.00
  2. 2 Park Gilbert 6.00
  3. 3 OUAZ 4.00

Corners per Game

  1. 1 La Sierra 8.00
  2. 2 Arizona Christian 5.00
  3. 3 Embry-Riddle 4.50

Goals-Against Average

  1. 1 La Sierra 0.00
  2. 2 Embry-Riddle 1.00
  3. 3 OUAZ 1.00

Saves per Game

  1. 1 The Master's 5.00
  2. 2 Park Gilbert 4.00
  3. 3 Embry-Riddle 3.50

Save Percentage

  1. 1 La Sierra 1.000
  2. 2 Embry-Riddle .778
  3. 3 OUAZ .778

Individual Leaders

Goals

  1. 1 Olli Saksinen Park Gilbert 3
  2. 2 Daniel Garcia La Sierra 2
  3. 3 Brody Donovan Park Gilbert 1

Assists

  1. 1 Brody Donovan Park Gilbert 2
  2. 2 Adrian Navarro La Sierra 1
  3. 3 Ivan Villagrana La Sierra 1

Points

  1. 1 Olli Saksinen Park Gilbert 7
  2. 2 Brody Donovan Park Gilbert 4
  3. 3 Daniel Garcia La Sierra 4

Shots

  1. 1 Raul Aranda Arizona Christian 7
  2. 2 Brody Donovan Park Gilbert 6
  3. 3 Carlos Leon La Sierra 6

Shots on Goal

  1. 1 Carlos Leon La Sierra 5
  2. 2 Raul Aranda Arizona Christian 4
  3. 3 Anton Aaltonen Park Gilbert 3

Game-Winning Goals

  1. 1 Brody Donovan Park Gilbert 1
  2. 2 Joshua Mauricio La Sierra 1
  3. 3 Nickolas Dominguez OUAZ 1

Goals-Against Average

  1. 1 Abraham Perez La Sierra 0.00
  2. 2 Jack Murdoch OUAZ 1.00
  3. 3 Major Evans OUAZ 1.00

Saves

  1. 1 Nicklas Lagesen Park Gilbert 8
  2. 2 Sam Macdonald Embry-Riddle 7
  3. 3 Emiliano Vega Arizona Christian 5

Save Percentage

  1. 1 Jack Murdoch OUAZ .833
  2. 2 Sam Macdonald Embry-Riddle .778
  3. 3 Nicklas Lagesen Park Gilbert .727

NAIA Top 25

Preseason Poll • August 19, 2026
Rank School Record
1 Grand View (Iowa) [19] 18-4-3
2 WV Tech (W. Va.) 20-1-2
3 MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) 16-3-5
4 Cumberlands (Ky.) 9-6-6
5 Georgia Gwinnett 13-3-4
6 Indiana Tech 18-5-1
7 William Penn (Iowa) 12-6-4
8 Warner Pacific (Ore.) 16-4-4
9 Oklahoma Wesleyan 19-1-3
10 Bethel (Tenn.) 13-2-2
11 Life (Ga.) 16-1-3
12 LSU Shreveport (La.) 14-2-6
13 Bethel (Ind.) 16-3-3
14 Cumberland (Tenn.) 14-4-3
15 Keiser (Fla.) 16-1-2
16 Ottawa (Kan.) 15-3-6
17 John Brown (Ark.) 12-5-5
18 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 12-4-1
19 Indiana Wesleyan 11-5-4
20 William Carey (Miss.) 14-4-3
21 Baker (Kan.) 14-5-3
22 Grace (Ind.) 16-7-3
23 Madonna (Mich.) 17-3-2
24 Rio Grande (Ohio) 11-5-4
25 Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 19-3-1

OLC Digital Rating

Through August 25, 2026
Rank School Rating
1 Mount Vernon Nazarene 76.90
2 Harris-Stowe 72.18
3 Carolina 69.90
4 Indiana Wesleyan 69.90
5 St. Thomas 67.15
6 Lawrence Tech 65.40
7 Stanton 64.83
8 Georgia Gwinnett 64.75
9 Mount Marty 64.75
10 Our Lady of the Lake 64.48
11 Clarke 63.58
12 Graceland 63.56
13 Life 63.50
14 Williams Baptist 63.00
15 Southern Oregon 63.00
16 Waldorf 63.00
17 La Sierra 63.00
18 Missouri Valley 63.00
19 William Carey 63.00
20 Keiser 63.00
65 OUAZ 52.67
75 Park Gilbert 49.41
87 Arizona Christian 44.91
88 Embry-Riddle 44.91
98 The Master's 42.08
Active GSAC Career Leaders

Goals

  1. 1 Jose Garcia, Arizona Christian 16
  2. 1 Nitai Bental, Embry-Riddle 16
  3. 3 Vinicius Goncalves, La Sierra 10
  4. 4 Carlos Leon, La Sierra 8
  5. 4 Elias Quintanar MacIas, La Sierra 8

Assists

  1. 1 Jose Garcia, Arizona Christian (#49) 12
  2. 2 Francesco Busini, Embry-Riddle 9
  3. 3 Adiel Kaduya, The Master's 6
  4. 3 Isaac Blanco, Arizona Christian 6
  5. 5 Aleksandar Mihajlovic, Embry-Riddle 5

Points

  1. 1 Jose Garcia, Arizona Christian 44
  2. 2 Nitai Bental, Embry-Riddle 37
  3. 3 Vinicius Goncalves, La Sierra 25
  4. 4 Elias Quintanar MacIas, La Sierra 19
  5. 4 Josh Flanagan, Arizona Christian 19

Shots

  1. 1 Nitai Bental, Embry-Riddle 94
  2. 2 Jose Garcia, Arizona Christian 82
  3. 3 Carlos Leon, La Sierra 57
  4. 4 Vinicius Goncalves, La Sierra 56
  5. 5 Adiel Kaduya, The Master's 49

Shots on Goal

  1. 1 Nitai Bental, Embry-Riddle 44
  2. 2 Jose Garcia, Arizona Christian 42
  3. 3 Carlos Leon, La Sierra 33
  4. 4 Vinicius Goncalves, La Sierra 31
  5. 5 Raul Aranda, Arizona Christian 29

Game-Winning Goals

  1. 1 Jose Garcia, Arizona Christian (#41) 5
  2. 2 Nitai Bental, Embry-Riddle 4
  3. 3 Vinicius Goncalves, La Sierra 3
  4. 3 Zen Courtois, OUAZ 3
  5. 5 Carlos Leon, La Sierra 2

Goalie Wins

  1. 1 Emiliano Vega, Arizona Christian (#32) 14
  2. 2 Nicklas Lagesen, Park Gilbert 6
  3. 3 Abraham Perez, La Sierra 5
  4. 4 Major Evans, OUAZ 1
  5. 5 Angel Ayon, La Sierra 0

Saves

  1. 1 Emiliano Vega, Arizona Christian (#13) 157
  2. 2 Nicklas Lagesen, Park Gilbert 73
  3. 3 Abraham Perez, La Sierra 63
  4. 4 Sam MacDonald, Embry-Riddle 7
  5. 5 Franco Barba, The Master's 5

Shutouts

  1. 1 Emiliano Vega, Arizona Christian (#33) 7
  2. 2 Abraham Perez, La Sierra (#45) 5
  3. 3 Nicklas Lagesen, Park Gilbert 3
  4. 4 Angel Ayon, La Sierra 0
  5. 4 Charlie Shepherd, Benedictine Mesa 0

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