Completed Event: Women's Soccer versus San Diego State on September 25, 2025 , Loss , 1, to, 2
W Soccer
vs San Diego State
L 1-2
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Sunday, September 24
Phoenix, Ariz.
1 p.m.
Grand Canyon
7-4-1, 1-1-0
0
vs
4
Utah Valley
4-3-4, 1-0-1
1
2
F
Utah Valley
0
4
4
Grand Canyon
0
0
0
Photo by: David Kadlubowski
Game flips after half to end home win streak
9/24/2023 4:51:00 PM | Women's Soccer, Paul Coro
Defending conference champs turned 0-0 halftime score into 4-0 win at GCU
How and where Grand Canyon wants to end this season likely will mean going through Utah Valley.
When the Lopes won the 2021 regular-season and postseason championship, the Wolverines were the runners-up. Utah Valley knocked GCU out of the WAC Tournament last season on a double-overtime, player-advantage goal and won regular-season and postseason titles in 2020.
The Lopes took their first crack at the preseason favorite on Sunday and were in a scoreless battle for a half before Utah Valley unleashed the first four-goal second half on GCU since 2019.
The Wolverines' 4-0 win continued a five-match unbeaten streak (2-0-3) by ending GCU's six-match home winning streak at GCU Stadium.
"Give Utah Valley credit," Lopes head coach Chris Cissell said. "They came into our house with more energy and a good game play. They kicked our butts today. We just didn't have it."
Utah Valley (4-3-4, 1-0-1 WAC), which began this undefeated stretch with a Sept. 7 win at No. 19 USC, outshot GCU 7-2 in the first half but late-half Lopes defensive gems by sophomore goalkeeper DeAira Jackson and junior defender Renee Sainz kept the score at 0-0 for halftime.
"We were dominating possession and having good looks early, but we weren't super dangerous," Cissell said. "We weren't taking that many shots. I could just tell early on that we didn't have our normal legs or energy, and I still don't know why that is. We've never played any of our 12 matches looking that fatigued."
GCU (7-4-1, 1-1 WAC) lost to Utah Valley in the final two minutes twice last season, but the Wolverines flipped Sunday's match in the second half's first two minutes.
The Lopes emerged in the second half with more aggression and matched their first-half shot total in the first minute with chances from sophomore midfielders Leah Pirro and AJ Loera.
But the control flipped and Utah Valley had its first goal about a minute later, using a midfield move to win a one-on-one play and send the ball ahead to leading scorer Faith Webber on the right side. Once two GCU defenders went to the junior forward, Webber split them with a pass to set up senior midfielder Heather Stainbrook's one-touch goal.
The Lopes had not trailed at home since their season opener against Mississippi State but managed to keep the margin at 1-0 for more than 22 minutes. That stretch included clearing more of Utah Valley's 10 corner kicks and a leaping save by Jackson, who knocked a shot over the crossbar.
But the floodgates burst in the 70th minute when Utah Valley junior forward Quincy Bonds, who had just substituted two minutes prior, outhustled GCU for a ball along the right side and set up junior Manthy Brady's first goal of the season for a 2-0 lead.
Four minutes later in the 74th minute, an inadvertent GCU handball at the edge of the penalty box gave a free kick to Stainbrook, who scored for a 3-0 Utah Valley lead. Stainbrook, who scored 13 goals last season, had a two-goal Sunday after previously scoring once this season.
Brady added the fourth goal in the 78th minute when Jackson went to the ground upon being struck as she knocked a loose ball. Brady's second goal inflicted the last of the damage at 4-0.
"It was an unbelievable collective and composed team effort today," Utah Valley head coach Chris Lemay told gouvu.com. "I thought we were very mature with our possession. Everyone that traveled with us on this trip contributed to the win today. In the final third, we created and finished our chances. This is a big one for us.Grand Canyon is a very good team. We're excited about the scoring and the shutout."
The final score was the Lopes' most lopsided loss since a 6-0 NCAA tournament loss at No. 3 USC in November 2021 and the worst regular-season defeat since a 4-0 loss to Arizona State in the delayed spring 2021 season.
"We told them, 'You've got to come to training on Tuesday ready to work hard, forget about that, learn from it but not dwell it and just get focused on our next games,' " Cissell said.
GCU will take its first conference road trip next with a Thursday night game at Southern Utah before playing at Utah Tech next Sunday.
Â
When the Lopes won the 2021 regular-season and postseason championship, the Wolverines were the runners-up. Utah Valley knocked GCU out of the WAC Tournament last season on a double-overtime, player-advantage goal and won regular-season and postseason titles in 2020.
The Lopes took their first crack at the preseason favorite on Sunday and were in a scoreless battle for a half before Utah Valley unleashed the first four-goal second half on GCU since 2019.
The Wolverines' 4-0 win continued a five-match unbeaten streak (2-0-3) by ending GCU's six-match home winning streak at GCU Stadium.
"Give Utah Valley credit," Lopes head coach Chris Cissell said. "They came into our house with more energy and a good game play. They kicked our butts today. We just didn't have it."
Utah Valley (4-3-4, 1-0-1 WAC), which began this undefeated stretch with a Sept. 7 win at No. 19 USC, outshot GCU 7-2 in the first half but late-half Lopes defensive gems by sophomore goalkeeper DeAira Jackson and junior defender Renee Sainz kept the score at 0-0 for halftime."We were dominating possession and having good looks early, but we weren't super dangerous," Cissell said. "We weren't taking that many shots. I could just tell early on that we didn't have our normal legs or energy, and I still don't know why that is. We've never played any of our 12 matches looking that fatigued."
GCU (7-4-1, 1-1 WAC) lost to Utah Valley in the final two minutes twice last season, but the Wolverines flipped Sunday's match in the second half's first two minutes.
The Lopes emerged in the second half with more aggression and matched their first-half shot total in the first minute with chances from sophomore midfielders Leah Pirro and AJ Loera.
But the control flipped and Utah Valley had its first goal about a minute later, using a midfield move to win a one-on-one play and send the ball ahead to leading scorer Faith Webber on the right side. Once two GCU defenders went to the junior forward, Webber split them with a pass to set up senior midfielder Heather Stainbrook's one-touch goal.
The Lopes had not trailed at home since their season opener against Mississippi State but managed to keep the margin at 1-0 for more than 22 minutes. That stretch included clearing more of Utah Valley's 10 corner kicks and a leaping save by Jackson, who knocked a shot over the crossbar.But the floodgates burst in the 70th minute when Utah Valley junior forward Quincy Bonds, who had just substituted two minutes prior, outhustled GCU for a ball along the right side and set up junior Manthy Brady's first goal of the season for a 2-0 lead.
Four minutes later in the 74th minute, an inadvertent GCU handball at the edge of the penalty box gave a free kick to Stainbrook, who scored for a 3-0 Utah Valley lead. Stainbrook, who scored 13 goals last season, had a two-goal Sunday after previously scoring once this season.
Brady added the fourth goal in the 78th minute when Jackson went to the ground upon being struck as she knocked a loose ball. Brady's second goal inflicted the last of the damage at 4-0.
"It was an unbelievable collective and composed team effort today," Utah Valley head coach Chris Lemay told gouvu.com. "I thought we were very mature with our possession. Everyone that traveled with us on this trip contributed to the win today. In the final third, we created and finished our chances. This is a big one for us.Grand Canyon is a very good team. We're excited about the scoring and the shutout."
The final score was the Lopes' most lopsided loss since a 6-0 NCAA tournament loss at No. 3 USC in November 2021 and the worst regular-season defeat since a 4-0 loss to Arizona State in the delayed spring 2021 season.
"We told them, 'You've got to come to training on Tuesday ready to work hard, forget about that, learn from it but not dwell it and just get focused on our next games,' " Cissell said.
GCU will take its first conference road trip next with a Thursday night game at Southern Utah before playing at Utah Tech next Sunday.
Team Stats
UVU
GCU
Goals
4
0
Shots
15
8
Shots on Goal
7
3
Saves
3
3
Corners
10
3
Fouls
5
9
Scoring Plays
Heather Stainbrook (2)
Assisted By: Faith Webber , Ruby Hladek
GOAL by UVU Stainbrook, Heather Assist by Webber, Faith and Hladek, Ruby.
47:09
Manthy Brady (2)
Assisted By: Quincy Bonds
GOAL by UVU Brady, Manthy Assist by Bonds, Quincy.
69:35
Heather Stainbrook (2)
UVU Heather Stainbrook PENALTY KICK GOAL.
73:43
Manthy Brady (2)
Assisted By: Ashley Garcia
GOAL by UVU Brady, Manthy Assist by Garcia, Ashley.
77:07
Game Leaders
mid
Shots
3
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
0
Players Mentioned
GK
/ Women's SoccerM
/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's SoccerGCU Men's Basketball vs. USC - Highlights
Sunday, October 26
GCU Men's Basketball vs. USC - Postgame Radio with Bryce Drew
Sunday, October 26
GCU Men's Basketball vs. USC - Postgame with Bryce Drew
Sunday, October 26
GCU Men's Basketball vs. USC - Postgame with Nana Owusu-Anane
Sunday, October 26