Weather delays, slow start lead to Lopes loss

Thursday, October 9

Albuquerque, N.M.

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

New Mexico

Photo by: Jayden Todd

10/9/2025 10:43:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

GCU drops conference match at New Mexico 4-1

By: Braden Dohrmann

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Lightning delays and a hot start from New Mexico were enough to leave Grand Canyon playing catch-up Thursday night in Albuquerque, where GCU fell 4-1 to the Lobos in a Mountain West match.

A scheduled 7 p.m. local start (6 p.m. Phoenix time) was doomed from the get-go, as lightning surrounded the Albuquerque area most of the night. The match began an hour after the planned kick off, only making it 10 minutes into the match before lightning again delayed the match. At 8 p.m. (Phoenix time), the match resumed and received no more delays.

New Mexico (6-2-4, 2-0-2 MW) was ready for the refocusing challenge despite the delays and weather. The Lobos dominated the first half, firing 13 shots, nine of which were on goal to score three times.

In the 20th minute, UNM's Kennedy Brown was able to get a shot off in the middle of the box where multiple GCU defenders attempted to clear the ball. The shot found the back of the net to start the scoring. The Lobos grabbed two more scores in the next 20 minutes, one on a rebound shot from a save by GCU goalkeeper Emma Knack.

The offensive onslaught from New Mexico did not come as a surprise, with the Lobos leading the Mountain West in goals, points and goals per match coming into the week. It was quite the matchup on paper with Knack leading the conference in saves.

Knack managed six saves in the first half before she and other starters were replaced for the second half. In fact, for the first time all season, all 22 players on the travel roster appeared in the match, including redshirt freshman goalkeeper Taylor Gardner, who made just her second career appearance.

Gardner allowed one goal and added three saves in the second half. She made a diving, highlight-worthy save in the 79th minute.

GCU managed to get on the scoreboard in the final minute of play, when freshman defender Elle Stanley cleaned up a deflected corner kick for a goal.

The goal is Stanley's first of her career, although she did score on a corner in the Lopes exhibition match vs New Mexico State. She was assisted by her former SC Del Sol club teammate Caprice Chiuchiolo, who has recorded a goal and assist in her freshman campaign.

Grand Canyon moves to 7-6 (2-3 MW), giving it six points in conference play to be in a fifth-place tie with three other MW teams.

One of those teams is UNLV, where GCU heads next. The team will fly to Las Vegas in the morning as it prepares for a noon start on Sunday at UNLV. The Rebels tied San Diego State at home Thursday night.