Nonconference play ends with 4-1 win

Sunday, September 19

La Jolla, Calif.

2 p.m.

Grand Canyon

7-2-0, 0-0-0

UC San Diego

2-5-1, 0-0-0

Grand Canyon

UC San Diego

9/19/2021 4:52:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

Prokop, Ghazizadeh pace efficient GCU offense

By: Jerob Moon

LA JOLLA, Calif. – The Grand Canyon women's soccer team picked up a 4-1 win at UC San Diego, wrapping up nonconference play with a 7-2 record to continue its best start in program history.

The Lopes showcased all phases of their offense against the Tritons (2-5-1), tallying eight of their nine shots on goal while scoring two goals in set pieces and two in the flow of play.

"Really proud of the girls," GCU head coach Chris Cissell said. "It was a great game today with scoring four goals on the road against a great team. We didn't have our best first half, but we talked about it as a team at halftime and I think the whole soccer family made some mental adjustments and we came out in the second half on fire."

Junior forward Lindsey Prokop led the GCU offense with her first multi-goal game as a Lope. Her first came with 12 seconds left in the first half after defender Raquel Hagar was fouled in the 18-yard box, leading to a GCU penalty. Prokop converted the penalty kick goal, the first of her career, with a shot into the left side of the net.

Up 1-0, the Lopes came out aggressive in the second half and doubled their lead in the 50th minute on the counterattack off a UCSD corner kick. Defender Mina Ghazizadeh led GCU on the break and found Prokop with a long pass to the left side of the field and led to Prokop's second goal of the day.

After the assist, Ghazizadeh added her name to the scoring column with her second goal of the season on a free kick in the 59th minute. The GCU graduate transfer perfectly executed a free kick just outside the 18-yard box, bending her right-footed shot around the Triton wall and into the left side of the goal for a 3-0 GCU advantage.

UCSD ended the GCU shutout with a penalty kick goal in the 89th minute, but the Lopes got the goal right back. Midfielder Reese Mendenhall caught the UCSD goalkeeper out of position after an intercepted pass and scored the open-net shot from near midfield with 15 seconds left.

Goalkeeper Jordan Ferguson recorded her seventh win of the year and made two saves in 81 minutes.

"Just a solid team effort, we brought 20 girls on this road trip and all 20 played and contributed to the win," Cissell said. "We're feeling really good and excited to take on WAC play next week. I'm really proud of the team, really proud of the effort with a big win on the road."

The Lopes will start WAC play with road matches against reigning conference champion Utah Valley on Thursday and Dixie State on Saturday.