8/11/2026 2:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer, Paul Coro
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GCU opens Wednesday at home vs. Arizona with Cissell's deepest team
By: Paul Coro
Even the greatest scorers of Grand Canyon women's soccer's history could not win alone. The program's best back lines became champions because the players in front of them created goals.
The strength of GCU for the coming season lies in a collective power that goes beyond one player, one line or one starting unit. Line up two teams for a Lopes scrimmage, and the results are delightfully unpredictable.
            Chris Cissell
Opponents, starting with Arizona in Wednesday's 7 p.m. opener at GCU Stadium and on 3TV, are the ones who will have to deal with the Lopes' depth that is the diamond of their direction.
In his seventh season, Lopes head coach Chris Cissell has re-established his desired culture for a team that has come together in preseason and strives to stay together and progress together throughout the regular season.
"The star of the team is the team," Cissell said. "Instead of having a bunch of individual stars, I think the team itself is the star. We have so many good players and so much depth with a culture that is so strong, that's really what the star of the team is instead of focusing one or two players."
The talent of this season's team, Cissell's deepest yet at GCU, matches with his program's largest home schedule.
The regular season puts 11 matches at GCU Stadium. Cissell tells the Lopes they will be playing 13 matches on their home turf, where the conference's top four teams will play in the Mountain West Championship in November.
The Mountain West preseason poll tabbed GCU to improve from an 8-8-2 record last season to a fourth-place prediction for its second MW season, but the Lopes' vision is locked on more to punch their third NCAA Tournament ticket of the 2020s.
"We are a lot more versatile," Cissell said. "One of the things I'm excited about with this team is we're a lot better than last year's team. We have a lot more versatility. We have a lot of players who we have confidence in as a coaching staff. Instead of having the same starting lineup every game, we might be a team that is able to base our lineup more on who the opponent is and the skill sets that our players have to give us the best chance to win."
         Emma Knack
Judging from a shutout exhibition with no shots on goal allowed at New Mexico State, the defense is ahead of the Lopes offense and in line with the program reputation. Last season, goalkeeper Emma Knack was pressed to make the sixth-most saves in the nation (6.6 per match) – a departure from GCU defenses that had allowed less than a goal per match in each on the previous two seasons.
Along with Knack as a returning senior, more of the defense is laden with experience because senior co-captain Madison Hamm returns with 42 career starts while junior Samantha Amato started 15 matches last season as Elle Stanley logged five starts as a freshman.
"We're expecting a big step up in play from Elle from her freshman year to her sophomore year, and she's doing really well," Cissell said.
The Lopes are unsettled on their formation, with their roster versatility giving the coaching staff the option of a couple looks. Hamm, for instance, can play as a center midfielder or center back. She is sharing the captain duties with another four-year Lope, junior midfielder Sabrina Guzman, who has increased her role from a 2023 redshirt to five appearances in 2024 and a major role last season.
"Madi and Sabrina know how things work and how we like to run things," Cissell said. "Those two have been doing really well and have been really steady for us."
          Taylor Gerst
The midfield is stocked with sophomore Taylor Gerst getting 10 starts last season. She had the third-most 2025 minutes among returnees until the recent addition of Hannah Smith, whose fifth year of eligibility was recently granted to rejoin the soccer team after running sprints for GCU track and field in the spring.
Gerst's defensive slant has quality midfield company in attacker Sophia Rubano, a GCU 2023 redshirt who captained a Rome college soccer team before rejoining the Lopes this year.
"Sophia and Taylor are honestly playing at a really, really high level," Cissell said. "They've been enjoying a phenomenal month of preseason."
The Lopes' top scoring threat figures to be junior forward Ellie Johannes, who took the third-most shots per match (3.5) in the Mountain West last season and scored twice in Friday's road exhibition. She scored three goals last season before missing the end of the season to join El Salvador's national team.
          Ellie Johannes
"Ellie looks very hungry and motivated to have a great season," Cissell said.
But Johannes has help up front with the addition of junior forward Amanda Adams, named a Mountain West Player to Watch along with Knack and Johannes. She transferred from Houston to be with GCU through spring training and exhibitions.
Dynamic 5-foot-1 freshman Makayla Gwynn, the granddaughter of Baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, is progressing as rapidly as she runs to become a factor up front.
"I believe, as the season progresses and we play together more and learn tendencies and learn what formations play the best together, we'll be very good on offense and defense," said Cissell, entering his 28th season as a college women's soccer head coach (338-159-48, .664).
That word, "Believe," is on a Ted Lasso-like sign for the team to see. The belief and energy of the players is reflective of their coach, who exudes just as much effort into the holistic and spiritual side of the team as the physical skills.
But the energy also has been transferable to competition, balancing the sides of scrimmages to form the potential of a merged unit when the season kicks off Wednesday night. That will be the first of four consecutive home matches, including an Aug. 23 match against Texas, to kick off the program's 25th season.
"The biggest compliment I can give our team right now is they are not a team; they are a soccer family," Cissell said.
