Grand Canyon Gives UVU Women’s Soccer First Home Loss
Gabi Campbell, Photographer, @angelikagabriella
Tim Castaneda, Sports Writer, @xTIMBOxSLICEx
UVU women’s soccer lost its first match at Clyde Field this season as it fell to Grand Canyon in a 2-0 shutout loss Sunday afternoon. Grand Canyon avenges last week’s loss against UVU and ends the lady Wolverines’ win streak at 2.
UVU found itself playing from behind from the get-go as the team gave up a goal in the first minute play. GCU forward Mila Benedetti scored on a rebound off a save after she rebounded the ball and hit it into the back of the net to lead her team to a 1-0 halftime lead.
Both teams fought hard in the second half but GCU emerged the victor after Patricia Pape sealed the match with her goal to put her team up 2-0. Pape’s goal came at the 85 minute mark when she received a pass inside the box on the left and put the ball into the right corner of the net. GCU forward Ashly Hilfer assisted on the play.
UVU’s had many near chances to score as they got off a total of 19 shots in the match in an attempt to avoid the shut out. One of those chances came on a shot by forward Taylor Kirck inside the box which missed as it curved just right of the goal. Another great chance came in the 50th minute as Kali Stubbs’ shot inside the box from 18 feet barely hit the top crossbar of the goal.
GCU Blakely Frasch led the defensive unit for the shutout against a very aggressive offensive attack from UVU. Frasch ended up with 8 saves on the night coming on all 8 of UVU’s shots on goal.
With the loss, the UVU women’s soccer now stands at a record of 8-5-2. The lady Wolverines’ record in WAC play is now 3-2-0 and their previously unbeaten home record falls to 6-1-2 at Clyde Field.
UVU women’s soccer heads on a two-game road trip before returning Friday October 24 to Clyde Field to face University of Missouri-Kansas City at 7 p.m. MT.