Lopes' run ends in WAC title match

Saturday, November 9

Abilene, Texas

1 p.m.

Grand Canyon

11-6-3, 5-1-1

California Baptist

10-6-3, 3-3-1

California Baptist

Grand Canyon

Photo by: David Kadlubowski

11/9/2024 6:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

Senior class remembered for culture and success

By: Braden Dohrmann

ABILENE, Texas — Grand Canyon fell 3-2 to California Baptist in a high-scoring WAC Championship on Saturday afternoon.

GCU (11-6-3) had not lost a match when it scored multiple goals all season. Two goals in the WAC Championship, however, proved not to be enough.

"Obviously the result is extremely disappointing," head coach Chris Cissell said. "Cal Baptist played a great match, scoring three goals on us, which is unusual when you look at how dominant our defense has been this season. We battled and I am proud of my team."

Senior defender Aleisha Ganief started the scoring in the 27th minute after a corner kick was earned by the Lopes. The previous play into the box was reviewed as a potential CBU handball was in question. The review did not go the Lopes' way, but Ganief capitalized on the next opportunity.

Junior AJ Loera screamed the corner into the front of the box and after an Alex Sampson flick was punched away by the Lancer goalkeeper, Ganief one-timed a second chance ball that couldn't be cleared by the CBU defense. It was GCU's first goal in regulation since Oct. 17 at Seattle U.

CBU (10-6-3) always found a way to answer. While the match was 1-0 in favor of the Lopes at half, eight minutes into the second half, the Lancers equalized. The Lopes retook the lead, and the Lancers did more than answer, the second time around.

In the 61st minute, Loera took a free kick from nearly 40 yards out, just inside the left sideline. Loera's kick may have been intended for a play on the ball in the box, but when the ball went mostly untouched through the box, it ended up in the back of the net for the Lopes' second goal. Loera finished the match with a goal and an assist, leading the team in both categories this season.

CBU scored two goals in three minutes to take the lead, in the 78th minute and an eventual game-winning header off a corner in the 81st. The Lancers rattled off three goals in the second half to win both the WAC semifinals and championship.

With the Lopes scoring twice, a number that they had not lost with all season, the loss brought the season to an abrupt halt. However, it would be wrong to not recognize the success that was the 2024 season and the exceptional careers that ended.

Four straight seasons of 11 wins and a winning record. Three WAC title match appearances in the last four years. A second-place finish in the final conference season in the WAC. A legacy will be left behind by a group of 11 seniors, six of which played multiple seasons for the Lopes and helped build the upward trajectory that the GCU women's soccer program finds itself on.

"It was a great season," Cissell said. "Taking second in the WAC regular season, earning a bye, and ultimately putting ourselves in a position to win a championship, this team accomplished a lot. Our culture is what I am most proud of, our soccer family mentality was evident all season."

Despite the loss, the Lopes had three deserving players on the All-WAC Tournament team. Seniors Aleisha Ganief and Sidney Roberts, both of whom played their final three collegiate seasons at Grand Canyon, were joined by AJ Loera on the team.

The best D-I era GCU defense finished with a 0.84 goals-against average, a number that will be hard for any future team to replicate.

The Lopes look to 2025, with a new freshman class signing next week.