Completed Event: Women's Soccer versus Arizona on August 12, 2026 , Win , 2, to, 0
W Soccer
vs Arizona
W 2-0
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Thursday, August 27
Phoenix, Ariz.
7 p.m.
Grand Canyon
3-1-0, 0-0-0
3
vs
0
CSUN
1-3-0, 0-0-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSUN | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Grand Canyon | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Photo by: David Kadlubowski
Offense bull-rushes Matadors for 3-0 win
8/27/2026 10:15:00 PM | Women's Soccer, Paul Coro
Lopes launch 25 shots, get bench goals from Gwynn, Chiuchiolo
For nearly four consecutive halves of soccer, Grand Canyon's attack was constantly barking up the goalpost.
The Lopes gave it some bite Thursday night.
GCU's heavy-shot, no-score string became a net positive. Three goal scorers made more dominant defense stand up for a 3-0 win over Big West defending champion CSU Northridge at GCU Stadium.
Sophomore midfielder Caprice Chiucholo (39th minute) and freshman midfielder Makayla Gwynn each scored goals off the bench to give the Lopes six scorers on their first six goals of the season. Senior midfielder Sophia Rubano (76th minute) became GCU's first repeat scorer of the season and added an assist.
The Lopes had fired 38 shots over four halves of soccer without scoring when GCU freshman midfielder Lia D'Anfoseca sparked the first scoring opportunity by heading a CSUN goalkeeper long ball at midfield.
That sent the ball ahead to senior midfielder Sabrina Guzman, who split two Matador defenders to push the ball upfield. She passed to Gwynn, who led junior forward Amanda Adams streaking into the right side of the 18-yard box.
Adams corralled control, drawing defenders out of the middle before centering the ball to a charging Chiucholo, who one-timed a left-foot touch into the right side of the net from 12 yards out.
"It built up from the back," said Chiucholo, who scored her first career goal last season at Arizona. "That goal was just really gritty. Amanda taking that ball down the sideline and cutting back, that's just class from Amanda. It felt great. I couldn't have done it without the rest of the team."
Although GCU added two more goals on a 25-shot night, its defense does not need much of a cushion this season. The Lopes have allowed one goal, in the loss to Texas, over their first four matches and have taken only one loss in their first four matches for the sixth consecutive season.
The Lopes stretched their lead to 2-0 in the 59th minute on an end-to-end attack that covered about 70 yards with six GCU passes among seven players. From midfield, Rubano threaded a feed to senior forward Ellie Johannes behind the CSUN defense on the left side.
Johannes set up Gwynn filling the middle, where the 5-foot-1 speedster shielded her defender and scored to the left as the goalkeeper recovered the opposite way.
"I didn't expect it, but I'm so happy it happened," Gwynn, the San Diego native, said of her first career goal. "I'm so thankful for my teammates. They helped me get to this point and build up.
"I'm super thankful for my coaches having faith in me. I love the girls. They're all nice and encouraging. If it wasn't for them, I don't think I'd be where I am right now."
On one of GCU's seven corner kicks, junior defender Samantha Amato executed the set piece by placing the ball outside the far post to sophomore defender Elle Stanley. With a header, Stanley redirected the ball at the goal's doorstep to Rubano, who took the pass off her jersey number for the 3-0 final score and her second goal of the season.
The dominance allowed Cissell to use 25 players in the match, but the most meaningful 20 minutes went to Addie Vali. The junior midfielder competed in a regular-season match for the first time since Sept. 28, 2023, after a 2025 fight with Hodgkin lymphoma cancer and a 2024 knee surgery.
Vali logged 20 minutes as 14 GCU reserves accounted for more than one-third of the match's playing time.
"We were hoping to get a game where we would score goals and still keep the shutout," Cissell said. "I wanted to get more girls playing time. Mentally and physically, the girls who play a lot will go into the Sunday game (at UC Irvine) feeling fresh."
The Lopes offense flooded the zone, but a placement-over-power bench directive helped steer GCU shots on goal for a season-best three goals.
"We had so many other chances that we could've finished and put in the back of the net from so many different girls across the board," Chiucholo said. "It just shows the depth of our team and how good our team is and the potential of every player on the field.
"We were ready for the goals to just explode and have a great scoring night. Tonight was that night. It was amazing to see different goal scorers, younger players, older players. It was awesome across the board. I'm just super proud of the soccer family and the performance we had."
GCU plays Sunday at UC Irvine before returning home a week later to face Long Beach State.
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The Lopes gave it some bite Thursday night.
GCU's heavy-shot, no-score string became a net positive. Three goal scorers made more dominant defense stand up for a 3-0 win over Big West defending champion CSU Northridge at GCU Stadium.
Sophomore midfielder Caprice Chiucholo (39th minute) and freshman midfielder Makayla Gwynn each scored goals off the bench to give the Lopes six scorers on their first six goals of the season. Senior midfielder Sophia Rubano (76th minute) became GCU's first repeat scorer of the season and added an assist.
The Lopes had fired 38 shots over four halves of soccer without scoring when GCU freshman midfielder Lia D'Anfoseca sparked the first scoring opportunity by heading a CSUN goalkeeper long ball at midfield.
That sent the ball ahead to senior midfielder Sabrina Guzman, who split two Matador defenders to push the ball upfield. She passed to Gwynn, who led junior forward Amanda Adams streaking into the right side of the 18-yard box.
Adams corralled control, drawing defenders out of the middle before centering the ball to a charging Chiucholo, who one-timed a left-foot touch into the right side of the net from 12 yards out.
"It built up from the back," said Chiucholo, who scored her first career goal last season at Arizona. "That goal was just really gritty. Amanda taking that ball down the sideline and cutting back, that's just class from Amanda. It felt great. I couldn't have done it without the rest of the team."
Although GCU added two more goals on a 25-shot night, its defense does not need much of a cushion this season. The Lopes have allowed one goal, in the loss to Texas, over their first four matches and have taken only one loss in their first four matches for the sixth consecutive season.
The Lopes stretched their lead to 2-0 in the 59th minute on an end-to-end attack that covered about 70 yards with six GCU passes among seven players. From midfield, Rubano threaded a feed to senior forward Ellie Johannes behind the CSUN defense on the left side.
Johannes set up Gwynn filling the middle, where the 5-foot-1 speedster shielded her defender and scored to the left as the goalkeeper recovered the opposite way.
"I didn't expect it, but I'm so happy it happened," Gwynn, the San Diego native, said of her first career goal. "I'm so thankful for my teammates. They helped me get to this point and build up.
"I'm super thankful for my coaches having faith in me. I love the girls. They're all nice and encouraging. If it wasn't for them, I don't think I'd be where I am right now."
On one of GCU's seven corner kicks, junior defender Samantha Amato executed the set piece by placing the ball outside the far post to sophomore defender Elle Stanley. With a header, Stanley redirected the ball at the goal's doorstep to Rubano, who took the pass off her jersey number for the 3-0 final score and her second goal of the season.
The dominance allowed Cissell to use 25 players in the match, but the most meaningful 20 minutes went to Addie Vali. The junior midfielder competed in a regular-season match for the first time since Sept. 28, 2023, after a 2025 fight with Hodgkin lymphoma cancer and a 2024 knee surgery.
Vali logged 20 minutes as 14 GCU reserves accounted for more than one-third of the match's playing time.
"We were hoping to get a game where we would score goals and still keep the shutout," Cissell said. "I wanted to get more girls playing time. Mentally and physically, the girls who play a lot will go into the Sunday game (at UC Irvine) feeling fresh."
The Lopes offense flooded the zone, but a placement-over-power bench directive helped steer GCU shots on goal for a season-best three goals.
"We had so many other chances that we could've finished and put in the back of the net from so many different girls across the board," Chiucholo said. "It just shows the depth of our team and how good our team is and the potential of every player on the field.
"We were ready for the goals to just explode and have a great scoring night. Tonight was that night. It was amazing to see different goal scorers, younger players, older players. It was awesome across the board. I'm just super proud of the soccer family and the performance we had."
GCU plays Sunday at UC Irvine before returning home a week later to face Long Beach State.
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Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's Soccer
M
/ Women's Soccer
F
/ Women's Soccer
F
/ Women's Soccer
M
/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's Soccer
M
/ Women's SoccerTeam Stats
CSUN
GCU
Goals
0
3
Shots
13
25
Shots on Goal
8
12
Saves
9
8
Corners
5
7
Fouls
7
8
Scoring Plays
Caprice Chiuchiolo (1)
Assisted By: Amanda Adams , Makayla Gwynn
GOAL by GCU Chiuchiolo, Caprice Assist by Adams, Amanda and Gwynn, Makayla.
38:26
Makayla Gwynn (1)
Assisted By: Ellie Johannes , Sophia Rubano
GOAL by GCU Gwynn, Makayla Assist by Johannes, Ellie and Rubano, Sophia.
58:50
Sophia Rubano (2)
Assisted By: Samantha Amato , Elle Stanley
GOAL by GCU Rubano, Sophia Assist by Amato, Samantha and Stanley, Elle.
75:34
Game Leaders
Shots
3
SOG
2
Goals
1
Assists
1
Shots
2
SOG
2
Goals
1
Assists
1
Shots
2
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
fwd
Shots
8
SOG
3
Goals
0
Assists
1
Thursday, August 27
Monday, August 24
Sunday, August 23
Saturday, August 22