'Lopes Shut Out Archrival Dixie State, Improve to 8-3-1 on Season

Saturday, October 16

St. George, UT

7:30 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Dixie State College

Stephanie Phillips

'Lopes Shut Out Archrival Dixie State, Improve to 8-3-1 on Season

10/16/2010 8:14:17 PM | Women's Soccer

By: Joel Horn

Junior forward Michelle Carels (Anaheim, CA/El Dorado, Santiago Canyon College) scored two second-half goals to lead the Grand Canyon University women’s soccer team, ranked No. 9 in the West Region in both the first official NCAA poll of the season and National Soccer Coaches Association of America NCAA Division II poll, to a 2-0 win over Dixie State College tonight at Hansen Stadium in St. George, Utah.

It was GCU’s first-ever win over Dixie State. Prior to tonight’s game, it was 0-5-1 against its Pacific West Conference archrival.

The Antelopes improved to 8-3-1 overall, 6-2-1 in the PacWest. The Red Storm fell to 7-6-0, 4-5-0.

It was GCU’s first game since it lost 2-1 in overtime to Hawai’i Pacific on Oct. 6 in Phoenix. The ‘Lopes remain in second place in the conference, behind first-place BYU-Hawaii and ahead of Hawai’i Hilo and HPU, which are tied for third. Dixie State was tied with UHH and HPU for third entering tonight’s game.

Carels’ first goal came in the 52^nd minute, when she shot from 20 yards out in the center of the field and found the back of an empty net. It was her fourth goal of the season.

She scored again in the 55^th minute. She again was in the middle of the field, but this time she booted it from 25 yards out.

Head Coach Stevie Gill took Carels, who missed four games and three weeks of practice at the beginning of the season due to hamstring and quadriceps injuries, out of the game in the 61^st minute. She returned in the 79^th minute and wound up playing 72 minutes in the match.

All eight shots GCU took in the game were on goal. Dixie State had 15 shots, only six of which were on net.

“We played great in the second half,” Gill said. “I thought we worked exceptionally hard and closed down space. Our effort was outstanding.”

The first half ended in a scoreless tie. The ‘Lopes took four shots, all of them on goal. The Red Storm had seven shots, four of them on net. Both goalkeepers, GCU’s Stephanie Phillips (Tempe, AZ/Corona del Sol, Washington State University) and Dixie State’s April Beck, had four saves.

The Red Storm had a 3-0 edge in corner kicks, and five fouls were called on each team.

The ‘Lopes had two corner kicks in the second half. Ten fouls again were called in the second period, five on each squad.

Phillips finished with six saves and recorded her third shutout of the season.

“That was a good result for us,” Gill said. “I’m pleased, I’m pleased, I’m pleased.”

One yellow card was issued in the game, to GCU freshman forward Alexis Cecil (Glendale, AZ/Mountain Ridge) in the 84^th minute.

Two other ‘Lopes who had been out with injuries, junior forward Jessica Brillantes (Anaheim, CA/Loara, Santiago Canyon College) and sophomore defender Milica Mihajlovic (Novi Sad, Serbia/Chemistry School, University of Texas at Brownsville), returned to the field in the first half. Brillantes had missed five games due to a foot injury, while Mihajlovic sat out the loss to HPU because of a hurt ankle.

Brillantes played 26 minutes in the game. Mihajlovic played the full 90.

Two GCU players were injured in tonight’s game. Freshman forward Rebecca Laporte (London, England/Ashmole) suffered a cut lip, and sophomore midfielder Sasha Scott (West Hills, CA/El Camino Real) had a “dead leg” in the first half and tried to play at the beginning of the second period, but was unable to continue.

The ‘Lopes and Red Storm will have a rematch at 8 p.m. on Saturday at the GCU Soccer Field.

Box score

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