GCU Defeats Cal Baptist 3-1, Moves One Step Closer to PacWest Title

Wednesday, October 26

Riverside, CA

3 p.m.

Grand Canyon

California Baptist

Julia Anglin

GCU Defeats Cal Baptist 3-1, Moves One Step Closer to PacWest Title

10/26/2011 5:26:00 PM | Women's Soccer

By: Joel Horn

The Grand Canyon University women's soccer team won a hard-fought contest with California Baptist University today, defeating the Lancers 3-1 in Riverside, Calif., and in so doing moved one step closer to the school's first-ever Pacific West Conference championship and postseason appearance.

The Antelopes (9-4-2 overall, 8-1-1 in the PacWest) handed the Lancers (12-2-1, 8-1-1) their first PacWest loss of the season and just their second loss overall, and tied them atop the PacWest standings. The two teams meet again at 7 p.m. on Saturday at the GCU Soccer Field. Admission is free, as always.

After Saturday, both teams will have one regular-season match remaining, ironically against the same foe -- Dixie State. GCU will face the Red Storm on Nov. 3 in St. George, Utah, and Cal Baptist will play them two days later in Riverside.

Today's match did not start out well for the 'Lopes. Freshman midfielder/forward Kimberly Allard, who ranks second in the conference in game-winning goals with four, gave the Lancers a 1-0 in the sixth minute. She received a low cross and flicked it to the right post. Senior forward Kylee Nicassio and senior midfielder/forwarded Fabiola Zanella da Silva, the Nos. 1 and 2 scorers in the PacWest, were credited with assists.

In the 14th minute, however, freshman forward/midfielder Gabriella Zavala de Rojas (San Diego, CA, San Diego High School of International Studies) tied the score after she got the ball in the box, cut back to her right and shot it inside the far post. It was the first goal and points of her GCU career. The goal was unassisted.

Nine minutes later, senior forward/defender Julia Anglin (Goodyear, AZ, Desert Edge, Scottsdale Community College) made the score 2-1 when Zavala de Rojas took a shot, the ball rebounded back to Anglin and she put it in the back of the net.

It was Anglin's fourth goal of the season and her second game-winner.

Freshman midfielder Jessica Lincoln (Phoenix, AZ, Thunderbird) scored the 'Lopes final goal in the 72nd minute when junior midfielder Marina Nesic (Koceljeva, Serbia, Nada Dimic Zemun) served the ball into the box and Lincoln touched it in. Lincoln now has three goals and six points this season.

Nesic returned to the team this week after missing two matches against Academy of Art last week because she was in her native Serbia playing for the national "A" team in a qualifier for the 2013 UEFA Women's European Championship. GCU won both matches without Nesic, the 2010 PacWest Player of the Year who leads the league this season in shots per game and is second in shots, points per game, goals and goals per game, by scores of 1-0 and 3-0.

Only one other time this season had Cal Baptist allowed three goals, in a 3-3, double-overtime draw with Notre Dame de Namur on Sept. 20.

Senior goalkeeper Stephanie Phillips (Tempe, AZ, Corona Del Sol, Washington State University), the 2010 PacWest Newcomer of the Year, made two saves and improved to 5-3-2 with four shutouts (including two last week) on the season.

Nicassio and da Silva combined for 10 shots, but only one of them, by Nicassio, was on frame. Nicassio leads the PacWest in shots, points, points per game, goals and goals per game, while da Silva is second in assists and assists per game, third in shots and points (tied with Nesic), and fourth in shots per game and points per game.

The 'Lopes were outshot 20-14, but had an 8-3 edge in shots on goal.

Cal Baptist took four corner kicks; GCU had two. Two yellow cards were shown, both to the visitors.

"We played really hard," GCU Head Coach Stevie Gill said. "In the first 15 minutes, we were all over the place, but then we settled down and played great defense.

"This was a hard-fought game. Cal Baptist is an excellent team."

GCU 3, Cal Baptist 1

###