Offense attacks but UTEP wins

Thursday, August 29

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

1-2-0, 0-0-0

UTEP

1-1-1, 0-0-0

UTEP

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Elizabeth Tinajero

8/29/2019 10:35:00 PM | Women's Soccer, Paul Coro

Box Score PHOTO GALLERY Photo Gallery

GCU drops home opener 2-1; Lopes outshot Miners 15-8

By: <a href="http://gculopes.com/index.aspx?path=coro">Paul Coro</a>

The Grand Canyon women's soccer team took more shots than UTEP on Thursday night at GCU Stadium.

The Lopes put more shots on goal, took more corner kicks, committed fewer fouls, did not have a yellow card and controlled most of the ball possession time.

The stats only could soothe the sting of a UTEP goal caroming off the post and trickling across the goal line in the 82nd minute to hand GCU a 2-1 loss in its home opener in front of 1,083 fans.

Lopes freshman midfielder Emma Anderson scored her second goal in three games when she drilled a penalty kick into the goal's upper-right corner to tie the game with 23 minutes remaining. It was part of GCU holding a 15-8 advantage in shots and a 6-3 edge in shots on goal despite having three players out Thursday night.

"You can definitely see the evolution of the team," Lopes head coach Derek Leader said. "Now, we're threatening. We got chances on goal and didn't put them away when we needed to. I'm really impressed with the way we played. I'm devastated by the result but the soccer is there and the results will come."

UTEP (1-1-1) put GCU (1-2) in an early hole when a pass from the goal line by the Miners' Tessa Carlin was broken up by Lopes junior defender Hannah Edwards but the deflection headed an unlucky direction. The ball headed in front of the goal, where UTEP's Jojo Ngongo raced in to kick it into the net in the 14th minute.

GCU put heat on UTEP from there, taking away 50-50 balls and passing sharply. The Lopes just could not find the finishes.

"We're definitely starting to attack more," said Lopes redshirt freshman forward Jaycee Iranshad, who took a game-high six shots and had an on-goal shot deflected shortly before UTEP's second goal. "We're taking more shots, crossing it a lot more and everyone's getting more comfortable with each other."

GCU started a lineup with five freshmen, two sophomores, three juniors and a senior and brought three more freshmen off the bench.

One freshman, goalkeeper Lauren Garthwaite, nearly staved off the game-winning goal when she was put in a dire one-on-one scoring situation. A defensive breakdown prompted Garthwaite to need to make a diving deflection. When the ball stayed in play just wide of the goal, Garthwaite got off the ground to dive for another deflection but the ball hit the post inward and crossed the goal line.

"I'm proud of the way the girls played," Leader said. "The ball circulation was pretty positive. The way we were able to find the planks was pretty positive. We were able to find our target player and find her feet. Cam (Larson, a junior forward) and Raeanne (Jones, a freshman forward) were able to hold people off. The results are going to come."