GCU wins Outrigger No Ka Oi championship

Sunday, September 1

Honolulu, Hawaii

4:30 p.m.

Grand Canyon

4-1-1, 0-0-0

Air Force

3-1-0, 0-0-0

Air Force

Grand Canyon

9/1/2024 8:15:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

Lopes conclude Oahu trip with 2nd shutout, late-game goals

By: Braden Dohrmann

HONOLULU - Grand Canyon needed all 90 minutes to beat previously undefeated Air Force 2-0 and take the Outrigger No Ka Oi championship on Sunday.

GCU (4-1-1) was locked in a scoreless battle with 10 minutes remaining in the championship match against the Falcons (3-1). Finally, a connection was sparked, via junior forward Maddie Brady's through ball that found a streaking senior midfielder Bella Piete. Piete turned toward the goal and fired to the bottom-right corner to give the Lopes the 1-0 lead.

"We really challenged the girls at halftime," said GCU head coach Chris Cissell, whose team is on a five-match unbeaten streak. "I thought the girls really rose to the occasion and earned a win that they deserved today."

Zero. That's the number of shots on goal from both sides in the first half. Rising to the challenge and managing five in the second half gave the Lopes two goals in the last 10 minutes of the match.

Lopes junior forward Hannah Smith struck gold in the 89th minute to put the game away with a 2-0 lead. She received a beautiful cross from graduate wing Alex Sampson, who screamed past the Falcons defense in an attempt to pad the lead..

Smith became the eighth goal scorer of the year for GCU as the Lopes continue to present a multi-faceted attack with 12 players who have recorded at least one assist.

Defensively, another "donut" was recorded as the Lopes did not give up a goal in Hawaii. GCU is unbeaten when scoring a goal this season.

"I think this result tells a lot about our team," Lopes senior defender Aleisha Ganief said. "We have big expectations and don't play for draws."

Ganief returned to the starting lineup Sunday after missing the team's previous two matches at her center-back position due to injury.

In the 80th minute, Ganief could be heard yelling, "How bad do you want it?" to her teammates, urging them to finish strong. The Lopes did just that.

"We needed to be gritty in that moment," Ganief. said "We finished off this amazing trip the way we wanted to. The entire team is super grateful to our coaching staff and athletic department for allowing our entire soccer family to make the trip. It gave us the push we needed."

Air Force dropped its first match of the season, giving the Lopes two wins over previously undefeated teams this week in Hawaii. Air Force was ranked sixth in the United Soccer Coaches Pacific Region Poll coming into the week, just three spots behind GCU at third.

Grand Canyon stacked the Outrigger No Ka Oi All-Tournament team, with five of the eleven players coming from GCU. Goalkeeper DeAira Jackson won MVP after her two shutouts. Defenders Sidney Roberts and Destinee Duran-Wise, as well as midfielders Bella Piete and Madison Hamm joined Jackson on the team.

"We have only allowed three goals in six games," Cissell said. "I also think we are only getting better on the attacking third of the field. With so many girls scoring and assisting, we feel like we are very tough to prepare for."

LMU will be tasked with that very challenge next week in the Lopes' next matchup. GCU will take on the Lions on Sunday at 1 p.m. (Phoenix time) in Los Angeles.

Piete Game-Winner vs Air Force