5-match homestand starts Thursday with Incarnate Word

Thursday, September 19

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Incarnate Word

9/18/2024 4:30:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Lopes look for 3rd consecutive win before ranked match Sunday

By: Braden Dohrmann

Thursday, Sept. 19 \| 7 p.m. (Phoenix time) \| GCU Stadium \| Phoenix, Arizona

	INCARNATE WORD CARDINALS (2-3-2)	at	GRAND CANYON LOPES (6-2-1)

WATCH: ESPN+ \| STATS: View

Grand Canyon goes for its third straight win Thursday night when it plays Incarnate Word at GCU Stadium.

GCU went 2-0 last week, including its first road win of the season Sunday at Nevada.
The Lopes beat Northern Arizona 1-0 at a packed GCU Stadium on Thursday. The attendance was a program record of 3,475 fans.
The NAU game ranks as the ninth-highest attended match in the nation, entering Thursday. GCU home matches rank 14th in average attendance.
Lopes senior midfielder Brenna Alderson scored her first goal of the season in the 82nd minute. She is the ninth goal scorer for GCU this year.
Alderson received WAC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 5 (Sept. 9-15, 2024).
Senior Destinee Duran-Wise received WAC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 5 (Sept. 9-15, 2024).
The Lopes have 14 players with an assist through the first nine matches of the season. They are tied for fifth in the country for assists.
Goalkeeper DeAira Jackson has accumulated five shutouts on the season. That ties her for sixth in the country in this category after she recorded seven last season.
Senior defender Aleisha Ganief, junior midfielder AJ Loera and Jackson received Preseason All-WAC recognition. Jackson was named Preseason All-WAC Goalkeeper of the Year.

GCU beat Nevada 1-0 on Sunday at Mackay Stadium in Reno.
Graduate forward Ellie Crisler scored her team-leading third goal of the season late in the first half.
Jackson, who made seven saves, and company notched the Lopes' fifth shutout of the season.

GCU has allowed four goals all season. Only one goal has been given up in the second half.
The Lopes are tied for 19th nationally for goals allowed per match (0.44). Only one goal has been allowed in the last five matches.
The four GCU players with the most minutes are in goal or on the back line.

This is the second all-time meeting between Incarnate Word and GCU.
The Lopes last played the Cardinals in San Antonio on Aug. 27, 2021, winning 1-0.
Incarnate Word sophomore Alex Knutson leads the team in points (five) on two goals and an assist.
Cardinals goalkeeper Erica Defferding has 32 saves with a 0.780 save percentage. She has started six of the seven matches this season.