WAC play begins with 2 matches at home

Thursday, September 21

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Seattle U

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Photo by: Jayden Todd

9/20/2023 3:45:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Lopes host Seattle U, Utah Valley to kick off conference play

By: Jerob Moon


Grand Canyon Lopes (5-2-1)	vs.	Seattle U Redhawks (2-6-1)	Utah Valley Wolverines (3-3-3)
		Thursday, Sept. 21 7 p.m.	Sunday, Sept. 24 11 a.m.
Match Notes		Live Video Live Stats	Live Video Live Stats

The Grand Canyon women's soccer team will open WAC play at home against Seattle U on Thursday night and Utah Valley on Sunday.

Both matches will be streamed live on ESPN+.

3 THINGS TO KNOW

HOME SWEET HOME: The Lopes begin WAC play where they have had the most success — GCU Stadium. The Lopes have won five straight home matches, outscoring their opponents 13-1. The lone loss was in the season opener against Mississippi State.
JACKSON EARNS WAC HONOR: Another stellar performance by GCU junior goalkeeper DeAira Jackson earned her a third WAC Goalkeeper of the Week honor. Jackson had 15 saves last week, including 10 at Arkansas for the most by a GCU keeper since 2021. Jackson is second in the WAC with a 0.80 goals against average and a .826 save percentage.
HISTORICALLY CLOSE: Historically, GCU and Seattle U have played in close matches, making Thursday's match all the more exciting. Eight of the last 10 matches between the two teams have been decided by a single goal. The Redhawks defeated the Lopes 1-0 in GCU Stadium last season.

SCOUTING

Seattle U faced a challenging nonconference schedule this season, playing Santa Clara, Washington and Washington State before entering WAC play at 2-6-1. The Redhawks defense has been strong with just 1.44 goals allowed per game this season while the offense has struggled with just 10 goals in nine matches. Midfielder Jourdyn Curran leads the team with three goals and six points.

Utah Valley also faced a tough nonconference schedule this season, facing No. 19 Clemson, No. 7 BYU and No. 19 USC along with Utah. The Wolverines took down the Trojans 3-2 on the road for a resume-building win after the team earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament last seaosn. The Wolverines return their core, featuring forward Faith Weber with a team-high nine goals and 19 points. A trio of goalies have started for UVU this year with transfer CJ Graham leading the way with a 1.23 goals against average in three starts.