Completed Event: Women's Soccer versus Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) on February 14, 2026 ,
W Soccer
vs Embry-Riddle (Ariz.)
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Photo by: David Kadlubowski
Roberts, Lopes head to Utah for 1st road match
8/21/2024 6:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer
GCU captain returns to Salt Lake City to face former Utes team
Thursday, Aug. 22 | 6 p.m. (Phoenix time) | Ute Field | Salt Lake City, Utah |
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UTAH
UTES (1-0)
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vs. | GRAND CANYON LOPES (1-1) |
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| WATCH: ESPN+ | STATS: View | ||||
AT A GLANCEc
- The Lopes were picked in the WAC Preseason Coaches Poll to take second place in a tie with Seattle U (39 votes). They received one first-place vote and trailed only Utah Valley in voting points (46). GCU enters its final season in the WAC, coming off the program's second WAC Tournament title and NCAA tournament appearance.
- Senior defender and captain Sidney Roberts returns to Utah, where she played three years. She's a native of Huntsville, Utah.
- Utah enters its first season in the Big 12, where it is projected to take 10th in the conference's preseason poll.
- Senior DeAira Jackson was named the WAC Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year after a stellar 2023 campaign, when she received second-team All-WAC recognition as well as making the WAC All-Tournament Team. Jackson was voted as the 76th best player in the country (ninth-highest goalkeeper) on Top Drawer Soccer's Preseason Top 100. Jackson received the season's first WAC Goalkeeper of the Week award.
- The Lopes sit at a 1-1 record, dropping their season opener vs. Arizona 1-0. GCU fired nine shots, with three coming on goal. The closest opportunities were a shot off the top cross bar in the 29th minute by junior forward Maddie Brady and a would-be goal by senior forward Brenna Alderson until it was called back due to a foul call in the 85th minute.
LAST TIME OUT
- GCU most recently beat Charleston Southern on Sunday at GCU Stadium in a 3-0 throttling of the Buccaneers.
- Freshman forward Reese Clem scored the team's first goal of the season in the fifth minute of Sunday's match. Clem started on Thursday vs. Arizona and Sunday vs. Charleston Southern. She is the lone freshman to start for the Lopes.
- Senior defender Aleisha Ganief scored a goal via header on a corner kick vs. CSU. She has the most goals by a returner last year with four. Graduate forward Ellie Crisler scored the team's third goal in her first match as a Lope (transfer from Lee).
EXPECTED TO LEAN ON DEFENSE
- GCU returns Jackson in goal, as well as Roberts and Ganief at senior center-backs. Senior Destinee Duran-Wise and junior Jayden Sanders both return from last year as well, contributing heavily to the defensive game plan from their outside back positions. Ganief, Roberts, and Duran-Wise are captains this season.
- Graduate transfer Alex Sampson adds more talent and experience to the back line, coming from future WCC opponent Pepperdine. The Phoenix native appeared in more than 40 matches in the three years she was healthy enough to play.
SCOUTING UTAH
- First-ever meeting between Utah and GCU.
- The Utes enter with a 1-0 record after a 2-1 win over Gonzaga on opening night in Salt Lake City.
- Utah returns a pair of scoring threats in Taliana Kaufusi and Katie O'Kane, who scored six and eight goals respectively, last season.
- O'Kane assisted Kaufusi on the first goal of the season for the Utes, in the eighth minute.
- Goalkeeper Erin Gibbs started in 29 matches for Eastern Washington and Morehead State before making her way to Utah. She had five saves in the season opener.
WHAT'S NEXT?
- The Lopes will face Little Rock at GCU Stadium on Sunday at 7 p.m. (Phoenix time).
- Little Rock (0-1) will face Arizona State in Tempe on Thursday night.
Players Mentioned
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