Tough tie sends GCU to MW play at 4-2-3

Thursday, September 17

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

4-2-3, 0-0-0

Northern Arizona

3-4-2, 0-0-0

Team	1	2	Final F
Northern Ariz.	0	1	1
Grand Canyon	1	0	1

Photo by: Presley Burdick

9/17/2026 10:28:00 PM | Women's Soccer, Paul Coro

Box Score

Lopes score on NAU in 2nd minute, allow tying goal in 74th minute

By: Paul Coro

This year's Grand Canyon team set a program record Wednesday night for least goals allowed over a full nonconference schedule, yet this same team has the Lopes' fewest wins over a full nonconference schedule since 2019.

It ain't natural, as Ted Lasso says about ties, which are the reason why GCU left "Believe Night" with belief in its potential to win and frustration with a 4-2-3 record entering Mountain West play.
Sabrina Guzman

GCU scored its fastest goal in nearly two years Thursday night, but Northern Arizona hit a long, late-match equalizer for a 1-1 final at GCU Stadium.

The Lopes outshot the Lumberjacks 19-13 but could not pad their lead after senior forward Ellie Johannes' second-minute goal. That left NAU the chance to tie on Big Sky Preseason Player of the Year Micala Boex's 25-yard blast in the 74th minute.

"We talked about starting strong," GCU head coach Chris Cissell said. "Thank you to the Havocs and the fans. This was an awesome 'March to the Match.' We had a big crowd. We had the pep band and the flags here. We came out on fire and scored a great goal less than two minutes in.

"When you don't get that second goal and put teams away and let them stick around, we've learned the hard way a couple times in nonconference that one goal is not enough. As great as we are defensively, they (the Lumberjacks) get out of here with a draw and that hurts."

GCU has been waiting for its offense to level up to its defense this season. The wait seemed short Thursday night, when junior forward Amanda Adams set up Johannes' goal by taking two defenders wide and deep with her right-side dribble.
Ellie Johannes

Nearing the goal, Adams centered the ball to Johannes alone in the middle of the 18-yard box. The Glendale, Arizona, native one-timed a screamer to the high center of the net to score for a second consecutive match. Less than halfway through this season, Johannes has scored as many goals (three) as she did last season.

At 1:48, it was GCU's earliest goal since AJ Loera scored 39 seconds into a 2024 match at Southern Utah.

Adams had shots saved or blocked, and senior midfielder Sabrina Guzman had a shot stopped to leave the halftime lead at 1-0, thanks to a late-half kick save by senior goalkeeper Emma Knack.

Johannes set up a Sophia Rubano one-touch shot that nearly scored about as quickly in the second half. But GCU could not give its stellar defensive line any breathing room, with an Adams shot being stopped on a diving save and a firm shot by sophomore Mai-Helen Nguyen Todnem also stopped.

The Lopes' back line of fifth-year defender Adelaide Wolfe, senior co-captain Madison Hamm and sophomores Piper Carlson and Elle Stanley staved off threats to keep the 1-0 lead. GCU has not yielded a multi-goal total this season and is allowing 0.55 goals per match (five in nine matches) to rank 32nd in the nation.

Thursday's tying goal came when NAU (4-4-1) reset after GCU stifled a corner-kick threat and found Boex, the Lumberjacks star who scored her 15th career goal by pounding a straightaway 25-yarder over the leap of goalkeeper Bryanna Peery, who replaced Knack at halftime.
Elle Stanley

"It was just another unlucky thing, but I feel strong in the defense," Stanley said. "We have really held it down. All the goals that have been scored have been nothing bad on our behalf. I feel confident in the back and our build-up. Once we get down finishing in the final third, we'll be good.

"We have a lot of experience in the back. We just all communicate so well together. We have so much pace and work well off each other."

The Lopes applied heat over the final 14 minutes, starting with sophomore Jasira Gates hitting a sliding pass that set up an in-box header by junior forward Lauren Knox that was caught. The 1-1 score stood despite two more Guzman shots and NAU goalkeeper Lexi Saveski diving for a loose ball just before Johannes could get it to a potential empty-net touch.

The tie stretched GCU's unbeaten streak in the NAU series to four matches, although Thursday marked the first time that the Lumberjacks scored on the Lopes since February 2020. GCU is 0-2-3 when allowing one goal this season.

The Lopes will take a weekend break before starting preparation for their Mountain West opener, a Sept. 27 home match at 1 p.m. against UNLV. They must finish in the top four of an 11-team conference to qualify for the Mountain West Championship, which will be held at GCU Stadium on Nov. 11 and 15.

"Every game determines whether you get into the playoffs or not," Cissell said. "I'm hoping that these ties should be wins in Mountain West play. They are going to have to be wins in Mountain West play to get us where we want to go."