Opening loss to Arizona encourages GCU

Thursday, February 4

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

0-1-0, 0-0-0

Arizona

1-0-0, 0-0-0

Arizona

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Garrett Ohrenberg

2/4/2021 11:13:00 PM | Women's Soccer, Paul Coro

Box Score Photo Gallery

Lopes took early lead, remained tied with Wildcats until 63rd minute

By: Paul Coro

The progress in the Grand Canyon women's soccer program showed up before the Lopes even emerged from the GCU Stadium locker room for Thursday nigh's season opener against Arizona.

Joy and confidence were building for months before the Lopes' play showed it on the field by taking a 1-0 lead and remaining tied deep into the second half with an Arizona team that reached the past three NCAA tournaments.

Progress showed much more on the field than it did in the final score, a 4-1 loss to the Wildcats in the first game of head coach Chris Cissell's GCU tenure that began more than a year ago.

"The energy in the locker room before the game was amazing," Lopes sophomore forward Jaycee Iranshad said. "I feel like I haven't seen that in our team before games for such a long time. It was crazy to see everyone so hype, even the people who weren't playing. It was so encouraging that it makes you want to give everything."

That showed less than four minutes into a season opener that was delayed from the fall. A GCU counterattack traveled most of the field with junior midfielder Marleen Schimmer on the dribble until she slipped a pass to sophomore Dani Babb sprinting into the box and past three Arizona defenders.

One defender got a foot on the ball with a slide but Babb still put a left-footed shot on goal from the left, only to be deflected by Arizona goalkeeper Hope Hisey's legs.

Fifteen minutes later, Babb beat another defender off the dribble for another shot on goal.

And then in the 31st minute, GCU did what it could not do in the last three games of its last season – scored.

Lopes senior forward Camryn Larson twice fought for a 50-50 ball before getting it wide right to senior defender Sandra Hill. She sent it inside to Iranshad, who unleashed a left-footed rocket over Hisey's outreached arms for a 1-0 GCU lead.

"I thought we played them a lot better than what they (the Wildcats) were expecting and put them under a lot more pressure," Cissell said. "We took more shots on them (12) than I think they thought we were going to be able to."

But Arizona's powerful, strong lineup was most effective in direct, indirect and corner kick situations. Less than four minutes after GCU's goal, Arizona tied the score because of an own goal.

That 1-1 tie remained in place well into the second half, when Hill left with an injury as the Wildcats prepared to take a corner kick in the 63rd minute. Confused on the substitution, the Lopes missed a mark and allowed the Wildcats to take a 2-1 lead.

But after GCU sophomore goalkeeper Hayden Wallace's best save, the Lopes were in position to retie the score in the 68th minute. Babb's midfield ballhandling set up Schimmer alone wide right, where she lofted a perfect cross over a defender and to Larson near the left post. Larson's header and rebound were stopped by Hisey.

GCU fouls set up the third and fourth Arizona goals in the 71st and 81st minutes.

In the run of play, Cissell was pleased with how his back four defended with senior Hannah Edwards and sophomore Tyler Ferguson at center backs, Hill trying to play through injury and senior Mikaela McGee at right back.

"The scoreline is not really indicative of how the game was played," Cissell said. "We created a lot of good opportunities and could've been a little bit more clinical in front of goal. The one ironic thing is, for 90 minutes, we were the only team that scored from the run of play. All four of the goals we conceded were on set pieces.

"I'm super disappointed that we lost and super disappointed that people are going to see the score and think it was more of a butt-kicking than it really was. I also feel like there were a lot of positives moving forward. They have to believe and understand that we are definitely moving in a positive direction."