let's be real: Grand Canyon is doing the hard part right now. The Lopes are 5-2-4 overall and 1-0-1 in Mountain West play through 11 matches, and that kind of start puts them right in the mix early. What matters most is simple — they are taking points on the road and keeping themselves in the hunt.
The latest step came Saturday night, when GCU beat New Mexico 2-1 for its first conference win of the season. Sophia Rubano opened the scoring in the 5th minute, and junior forward Savannah Tafireyi finished it off with the game-winning goal, her first as a Lope. In a league race where every result matters, how much cleaner can you ask for than getting the first goal, getting the winner, and walking out with three points?
There is also a bigger story underneath the record. GCU has not allowed multiple goals in 11 consecutive matches to start the season, which the program says is a record. That streak stretches to 13 matches when you include the 2025 season. That is the kind of defensive run that changes the feel of a team. It gives the Lopes a chance every time out, even when the attack is not piling up goals.
The offense has been efficient when it needs to be. Senior midfielder Sophia Rubano leads the team with four goals and shares the team lead in points with senior Ellie Johannes, who has nine. Johannes also assisted Rubano’s goal against New Mexico. Grand Canyon has only won when it has scored multiple goals this season, and the New Mexico result was its first non-shutout victory. That tells you exactly where this team stands: when the Lopes get enough going up front, they can make it count.
Now comes another road swing, with UC Davis on Wednesday at 7 p.m. and Air Force on Sunday at 1 p.m. The UC Davis trip carries some history with it too. Grand Canyon has not beaten the Aggies in 30 years, dating back to the program’s creation in 1996, and the all-time series sits at 1-7 in UC Davis’ favor. Air Force is a different story, with GCU holding a 2-1 edge all-time.
The Mountain West picture is still taking shape, but GCU is already sitting fourth in the conference through two weeks of play. The Lopes were picked to finish fourth in the preseason coaches poll, and right now they are living in that range with a chance to climb. The top four teams reach the Mountain West Championship, which starts Nov. 11 in Phoenix at GCU Stadium, with the semifinals also on Nov. 11 and the championship match on Nov. 14. That is the target. The road results are what keep it in reach.
