Completed Event: Women's Soccer versus Idaho on September 11, 2025 , Win , 1, to, 0
W Soccer
vs Idaho
W 1-0
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Sunday, November 7
Abilene, Texas
12 p.m.
Grand Canyon
16-3-2, 7-1-2
3
vs
0
Utah Valley
13-7-2, 6-2-2
1
2
F
Utah Valley
0
0
0
Grand Canyon
1
2
3
Photo by: WAC
Historic Lopes take WAC Tournament crown
11/7/2021 4:36:00 PM | Women's Soccer
GCU downs UVU 3-0 in title match to earn 1st NCAA D-I tournament berth
ABILENE, Texas – A historic season for the Grand Canyon women's soccer team became even more special on Sunday with a 3-0 win over Utah Valley to clinch the program's first WAC Tournament title and first NCAA Division I tournament berth.
The Lopes (16-3-2), in their first WAC title game appearance, took a 1-0 lead just before halftime on a goal by WAC Tournament Most Valuable Player Lindsey Prokop, a junior forward, and two second-half goals to seal the win.
This marked GCU's first winning season in Division I, a remarkable turnaround after never having a winning season before second-year head coach Chris Cissell's arrival and after starting last season 1-7. The Lopes have gone 23-5-3 since then.
"I'm crying, I'm so happy," Cissell said after Sunday's championship win. "I'm so happy for our soccer family, our staff, our administration, my family. My wife's here and it's just awesome, I'm so happy right now. My family has been through so many of these games that didn't go this way for me. So they know how awesome this is. This means the world to me right now. We've worked so hard for this."
GCU and Utah Valley (13-7-2) nearly played to a scoreless first half, when shots were tied at 8-8. With less than a minute left until the break, the Lopes built up a final attack led by redshirt junior forward Dani Babb. The speedy winger took a pass from fifth-year defender Sandra Hill and took a near-post shot that was saved by the Utah Valley goalkeeper. The ball deflected and bounced to the back post, where a waiting Prokop redirected it off the left post and into the goal.
It was Prokop's second game-winning goal in as many games at the WAC Tournament, where she broke a 1-1 semifinal tie against Lamar in the 79th minute.
"I couldn't have done it without this team," Prokop said. "This team is amazing. We deserve this win. One player going down does not disturb the talent we have on this team. I'm just so beyond proud. We have worked for this so hard. I'm so happy that this result has came to us."
Utah Valley came out aggressive in the second half, outpacing GCU 4-2 in shots through the first 20 minutes. But the match changed when UVU forward Sadie Brockbank was given her second yellow card in three minutes and was ejected from the game.
With the Wolverines down to 10 players, the Lopes pushed their advantage into the offensive third. The GCU lead was cushioned on a header by fifth-year forward Camryn Larson, who scored off a corner kick from defender Mina Ghazizadeh in the 70th minute.
Babb put the exclamation point on the historic GCU win with a breakaway, empty-net goal in the 89th minute.
Once the clock hit zeroes, the Lopes stormed the field and raised the program's first WAC Tournament trophy against the same team that they beat eight days earlier for the WAC West Division championship.
The Lopes were well represented in the All-WAC Tournament awards with Prokop winning MVP and Larson, Babb, sophomore goalkeeper Jordan Ferguson, senior forward Marleen Schimmer and fifth-year defender Hannah Edwards earning All-WAC Tounrament honors.
"I'm so beyond proud of him," Prokop said of Cissell, who has won WAC Coach of the Year in each of his GCU seasons. "He has worked so hard for this. At Kansas City, he wanted this more than anything. I'm so happy that we could show out for him and get this win for him. He deserves it."
Cissell added, "I just thought the girls bought into everything. The team-first mentality. Girls coming in off the bench, getting goals, getting assists. Doing whatever it takes to help the team win. It's just awesome. It really is. I'm so happy for these girls. I keep wanting to turn around and watch them celebrate. When I hear them and watch them celebrate, it just makes me so happy.
"I thought today, it wasn't the prettiest game. The elements were tough. Playing in this wind was really, really tough. We had the wind the first half, going against the wind in the second half. The persistence, the resilience, the perseverance that the team showed. Beating an awesome team like Utah Valley 3-0 in the final — it's incredible. I'm trying not to cry again."
GCU will find out who it plays in the NCAA tournament when the selection show is livestreamed Monday on NCAA.com at 2:30 p.m. (Phoenix time).
The Lopes (16-3-2), in their first WAC title game appearance, took a 1-0 lead just before halftime on a goal by WAC Tournament Most Valuable Player Lindsey Prokop, a junior forward, and two second-half goals to seal the win.
This marked GCU's first winning season in Division I, a remarkable turnaround after never having a winning season before second-year head coach Chris Cissell's arrival and after starting last season 1-7. The Lopes have gone 23-5-3 since then.
"I'm crying, I'm so happy," Cissell said after Sunday's championship win. "I'm so happy for our soccer family, our staff, our administration, my family. My wife's here and it's just awesome, I'm so happy right now. My family has been through so many of these games that didn't go this way for me. So they know how awesome this is. This means the world to me right now. We've worked so hard for this."
GCU and Utah Valley (13-7-2) nearly played to a scoreless first half, when shots were tied at 8-8. With less than a minute left until the break, the Lopes built up a final attack led by redshirt junior forward Dani Babb. The speedy winger took a pass from fifth-year defender Sandra Hill and took a near-post shot that was saved by the Utah Valley goalkeeper. The ball deflected and bounced to the back post, where a waiting Prokop redirected it off the left post and into the goal.
It was Prokop's second game-winning goal in as many games at the WAC Tournament, where she broke a 1-1 semifinal tie against Lamar in the 79th minute.
"I couldn't have done it without this team," Prokop said. "This team is amazing. We deserve this win. One player going down does not disturb the talent we have on this team. I'm just so beyond proud. We have worked for this so hard. I'm so happy that this result has came to us."
Utah Valley came out aggressive in the second half, outpacing GCU 4-2 in shots through the first 20 minutes. But the match changed when UVU forward Sadie Brockbank was given her second yellow card in three minutes and was ejected from the game.
With the Wolverines down to 10 players, the Lopes pushed their advantage into the offensive third. The GCU lead was cushioned on a header by fifth-year forward Camryn Larson, who scored off a corner kick from defender Mina Ghazizadeh in the 70th minute.
Babb put the exclamation point on the historic GCU win with a breakaway, empty-net goal in the 89th minute.
Once the clock hit zeroes, the Lopes stormed the field and raised the program's first WAC Tournament trophy against the same team that they beat eight days earlier for the WAC West Division championship.
The Lopes were well represented in the All-WAC Tournament awards with Prokop winning MVP and Larson, Babb, sophomore goalkeeper Jordan Ferguson, senior forward Marleen Schimmer and fifth-year defender Hannah Edwards earning All-WAC Tounrament honors.
"I'm so beyond proud of him," Prokop said of Cissell, who has won WAC Coach of the Year in each of his GCU seasons. "He has worked so hard for this. At Kansas City, he wanted this more than anything. I'm so happy that we could show out for him and get this win for him. He deserves it."
Cissell added, "I just thought the girls bought into everything. The team-first mentality. Girls coming in off the bench, getting goals, getting assists. Doing whatever it takes to help the team win. It's just awesome. It really is. I'm so happy for these girls. I keep wanting to turn around and watch them celebrate. When I hear them and watch them celebrate, it just makes me so happy.
"I thought today, it wasn't the prettiest game. The elements were tough. Playing in this wind was really, really tough. We had the wind the first half, going against the wind in the second half. The persistence, the resilience, the perseverance that the team showed. Beating an awesome team like Utah Valley 3-0 in the final — it's incredible. I'm trying not to cry again."
GCU will find out who it plays in the NCAA tournament when the selection show is livestreamed Monday on NCAA.com at 2:30 p.m. (Phoenix time).
Team Stats
UVU
GCU
Goals
0
3
Shots
20
14
Shots on Goal
6
7
Saves
4
6
Corners
3
3
Fouls
6
8
Scoring Plays
Lindsey Prokop (8)
Assisted By: Dani Babb
GOAL by GCU Prokop, Lindsey Assist by Babb, Dani.
44:04
Camryn Larson (4)
Assisted By: Mina Ghazizadeh
GOAL by GCU Larson, Camryn Assist by Ghazizadeh, Mina.
69:54
Dani Babb (6)
Assisted By: Mina Ghazizadeh
GOAL by GCU Babb, Dani Assist by Ghazizadeh, Mina.
88:43
Game Leaders
Players
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
0
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
2
Players Mentioned
D
/ Women's Soccer
GK
/ Women's SoccerM/D
/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's SoccerF
/ Women's SoccerF
/ Women's Soccer
M/F
/ Women's SoccerGCU Athletics 2025-26 Welcome Back
Tuesday, September 16
Kendra Potts Post Match Press Conference | GCU vs NAU 9.7.25
Monday, September 08
"Your Life Arizona" Featuring Vice President of Athletics Jamie Boggs
Friday, September 05
Kaleb Smith | Media Availability | 9.3.25
Thursday, September 04