Lopes add transfers to 2021 class

The Grand Canyon women's soccer team added transfers Mina Ghazizadeh from San Diego and Gianna Gourley from Iowa to the fall 2021 roster.

"We are very pleased as a coaching staff to be able to add these two great people and players to our phenomenal team and incoming recruiting class," GCU head coach Chris Cissell said. "We are very excited about what we were able to accomplish this past spring and Mina and Gianna will bring a wealth of soccer knowledge and ability to our family."

Ghazizadeh, a graduate transfer, joins the Lopes after four years with the Toreros. She played two of those seasons when GCU assistant coach Edgar Anzaldo was on the USD coaching staff. Ghazizadeh appeared in 53 games with 45 starts at USD and has scored one goal with four assists and as a midfielder and defender.

As a freshman in 2017, Ghazizadeh made her collegiate debut against Virginia Tech and assisted in two goals. In her sophomore season, Ghazizadeh scored her first collegiate goal in a 5-2 win over rival San Diego State. In this past season, the Torrance, California, native started all nine games and took six shots with two on target.

Gourley, a forward, joins the Lopes after two years with the Hawkeyes. This season, Gourley was part of an Iowa team that won its first-ever Big Ten Tournament by upsetting the top four seeds, including regular-season champion Penn State and fourth-seeded Wisconsin in the final. The Hawkeyes defeated Campbell in the first round of the NCAA tournament and held a 1-0 lead against No. 3 UCLA before the Bruins scored two goals in the final five minutes to steal a win.

Gourley played in 16 of 17 games this spring while logging 116 minutes in the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments. Her only goal was an overtime winner at Maryland on March 21.

The Las Vegas native burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2019, scoring five goals with three assists in 19 games. She was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team, making her Iowa's first honoree since 2016 while also earning Big Ten Freshman Player of the Week honors.

In high school, Gourley was named Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year and Top Draw Soccer Fall All-American after scoring 31 goals and tallying 11 assists during her senior season for athletic powerhouse Bishop Gorman.

Ghazizadeh and Gourley join five incoming freshmen as part of the incoming class for GCU's fall roster.

Grand Canyon University Athletics

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