Even on shots, GCU takes 1-0 loss to Texas

Sunday, August 23

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

2-1-0, 0-0-0

Texas

3-0-1, 0-0-0

Team	1	2	Final F
Texas	0	1	1
Grand Canyon	0	0	0

Phoenix, AZ August 23, 2026: The Lopes fall-1-0 to Texas at GCU Stadium. David Kadlubowski/GCU

Photo by: David Kadlubowski

8/23/2026 10:37:00 PM | Women's Soccer, Paul Coro

Box Score Photo Gallery

Longhorns dodge Lopes' close calls to move to 3-0-1

By: Paul Coro

The horn sound that punctuated a 1-0 home loss to Texas did not hurt Grand Canyon nearly as much as three pinging sounds of the first half Sunday night.

The Lopes (2-1) left GCU Stadium feeling good about how they battled the Longhorns (3-0-1) but frustrated with how closely their challenges came to being cheers.
Phoenix, AZ August 23, 2026: The Lopes fall-1-0 to Texas at GCU Stadium. David Kadlubowski/GCU

Before Texas' second-half score, a Lopes flurry of first-half shots clanged off the crossbar twice and off the right post once – all of which were inches from being lead-taking game-changers.

Texas junior forward Alicia Riggins hit a pinpoint shot in the 48th minute for an outlier to the stout GCU defense that had not allowed a goal through seven halves of exhibition and regular-season play.

"We're really good," Lopes head coach Chris Cissell said. "This is a game that will simulate what playing in the national tournament is like. Our goal is to win the Mountain West regular season and tournament and get back to nationals. We've already played two national tournament-type games with Arizona (last week's 2-0 win) and Texas. This was dead even against a Texas that's going to win a lot of games this year."

Texas head coach Marguerite Bates, who went 67-13-9 at UCLA with a 2022 national championship, has the Longhorns operating at a different level that staggered the Lopes for the first seven minutes and denied GCU a shot until the 19th minute. Once the Lopes flipped the attack, they were the Longhorns' match and outshot them 14-9 over the final 72 minutes.

GCU's first shot, from junior forward Amanda Adams, hit the right goalpost. Twenty-one seconds later, sophomore teammate Piper Carlson launched a long, straightaway shot off the crossbar.

In the 22nd minute, the Lopes came even closer to breaking the scoreless tie. Senior midfielder Sandra Guzman sent a pass ahead to sophomore defender Elle Stanley at the top of the 18-yard box, where Stanley headed it wide to set up senior midfielder Sophia Rubano alone. Handling a high bounce, Rubano chipped a shot that was so close to scoring that its crossbar carom went downward.
Phoenix, AZ August 23, 2026: The Lopes fall-1-0 to Texas at GCU Stadium. David Kadlubowski/GCU

GCU was on the doorstep of the goal in the 38th minute, when Adams' long, left-footed cross set up a header by junior forward Ellie Johannes. That shot was slightly deflected, and freshman midfielder Lia D'Anfoseca slid to nearly put away the rebound.

"If one of those goes in and we're up 1-0, I feel like the momentum and belief would have been different," Cissell said. "Looking at the stats, it looks like a dead-even game, and the stats don't even reflect three off the post. We were playing against a really good team, and we were right there. When the final whistle blew, their whole bench celebrated like they knew that they beat a very good team on the road. This was a hard game. They had to really earn this. Our girls competed for every second of every minute."

Like in GCU's two season-opening wins, the back line kept heat off Lopes goalkeeper Emma Knack by clearing balls and blocking shots.

Texas broke through when forward Ashlyn Anderson drew defensive attention on the right side and centered to defender Ashley Moody, who swung the ball to the left to junior forward Alicia Riggins. The West Virginia transfer drilled a diagonal 20-yard shot into the net's bottom-right corner for the match's only goal.

The Lopes put more pressure on the Longhorns, but chances either did not have clean contact or were off-target. For the final five minutes, players also battled a dust storm that changed pass trajectories.

"Our defense is just built on trust," said Carlson, a 5-foot-10 sophomore transfer from Colorado State. "I have to trust that my teammates have my back and them vice versa. I'm going to run 100% for them. It's been built off the field, so that when we step on the field, I know they're going to have my back.

"I was really impressed with how everyone had that fight in them. We wanted that game. We weren't going to give up."

GCU leveled up in opponent but did not veer from its usual tactics. That was reassuring to the coaching staff, who saw the Lopes play to their strengths and prove to be a match for the Longhorns.

The season-opening, four-match homestand will end Thursday against CSU Northridge before the Lopes' road debut next Sunday at UC Irvine.

Texas recorded its third clean sheet in four matches, coming off defeating Houston Christian 3-0 at home, winning 1-0 at Pittsburgh and tying 1-1 at Arizona State.

"I'm sad because I wanted this so bad, but I'm excited because I realize tonight how good we really are," Cissell said. "I like the challenge of playing against a team that makes us better."