Lopes look for bounce-back on road

Thursday, Aug. 21  |  7 p.m. (Phoenix time)  |  Matador Soccer Field  |  Northridge, California
	CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE MATADORS (1-0-1)	vs.	GRAND CANYON LOPES (0-1-0)
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The Lopes head to California to face unbeaten CSUN in the Lopes’ first road match of the season.
 

AT A GLANCE

• GCU lost its season opener 4-1 against UC Irvine last Thursday. Freshman Maya Paeske scored the Lopes’ goal in her college debut.
• Grand Canyon enters its first season as a Mountain West member, coming off an 11-6-3 season in which the Lopes fell in the WAC Tournament title match.
• The Lopes won three conference titles in their time in the WAC (two-time WAC Tournament champs plus a regular-season title). All three titles came under head coach Chris Cissell.
• GCU received votes in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll last season for the first time in program history.
• Cissell signed a multiyear contract extension this offseason, keeping him in Phoenix.
• Senior midfielder AJ Loera is three assists away from the program’s all-time record set by Marleen Schimmer and Leah Pirro (18).
• Sophomore forward Ellie Johannes, junior midfielder AJ Loera and junior forward Neve Renwick were named to the Mountain West Preseason Watch List. 
• GCU faces four common opponents from its 2024 schedule. The Lopes went 3-1 against those opponents with wins over NAU, Nevada and Air Force. They fell to Arizona 1-0.
• The Lopes had 14 players with an assist and eight players with multiple assists last season.
• Starting goalkeeper Emma Knack, a junior who transferred from South Dakota State, got NCAA Tournament experience in the net in 2024.
• Grand Canyon has not began its season with consecutive losses since 2020.
• The GCU roster features seven Arizona natives, including three transfers who returned home and three freshmen.

LAST TIME OUT

• GCU lost 4-1 to UC Irvine on Thursday at GCU Stadium.
• The match signified the season opener and was the Lopes’ only match in Week 1.
• Freshman forward Maya Paeske scored the lone Lopes goal in the 43rd minute.

AROUND THE MOUNTAIN WEST

• Grand Canyon joins the Mountain West this fall, making the Lopes the 13th team in the conference for the 2025 season.
• Each team in the MW will play 10 conference matches (five home, five away) over a six-week period.
• The top six teams will make the Mountain West Championship in Boise, Idaho, with the tournament winner collecting an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
• Conference coaches picked GCU to take fifth in the Preseason Coaches Poll. Utah State was picked to take first.
• Grand Canyon will not play Utah State (predicted No. 1) or Colorado State (No. 3) during the regular season.

SCOUTING CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE

• This is the fourth all-time meeting between CSUN and GCU, with the Matadors holding a 2-1 advantage.
• GCU last played CSUN in Phoenix on Sept. 22, 2019, when the Matadors won 2-0.
• CSUN senior Cailey Jackson leads the team offensively with a goal and assist through two matches. She was a top contributor in 2024 as well.
• Matadors goalkeeper Riley Liebsack has been in goal for the team’s first 180 minutes of play, shutting out San Jose State on Sunday.

WHAT’S NEXT? 

• Grand Canyon will travel to Oregon to face Portland State and Oregon over a four-day span.
• Portland State is 0-1-1 heading into Week 2, tying Iowa State on the road.
• Oregon is 1-0-1 heading into Week 2, most recently tying Portland.