PHOENIX – Oregon’s four-game road trip concluded with a 1-0 loss to Grand Canyon Sunday at GCU Stadium.
Maddie Goldberg and the Duck defense nearly withstood every attack by the Lopes. GCU (4-1-1) scored the lone goal of the game in the 36th minute.
The Ducks (0-4-1) finally return to Pape’ Field on Thursday to face California Baptist, 21 days since their last home game.
How It Happened: The Lopes fired off 15 shots in the first half, but Goldberg and the Ducks made some terrific plays on defense, allowing just the one goal.
Goldberg made point-blank saves in the 17th and 19th minutes and also turned away a shot by GCU’s Hannah Smith in the 24th minute.
Oregon’s defense got into the act less than a minute after that by blocking three consecutive close-range shots by the Lopes that were all from eight yards out or less.
GCU finally got one past Goldberg later in the first half when Magdalena Schwartz tapped in a cross from the right side in the 36th minute.
At the other end of the field, Cameron Bourne put a shot on net in the first minute for the Ducks. Livvy Moore just missed over the crossbar from distance in the 34th minute.
Neither team scored in the second half.
Goldberg made sure of that with another point-blank save in the 60th minute, deflecting Gianna Gourley’s line drive up and off the crossbar.
She later made the save of the match in the 88th minute. Gourley got through the Ducks’ back line and charged at Goldberg in a dangerous one-on-one opportunity. Goldberg stepped up to cut down Gourley’s angle on the net and then blocked a line drive with both hands. Goldberg finished with five saves on the match.
Notable: The teams were tied in corners, 7-7, with five of Oregon’s coming in the second half … Bourne and Lauren Kenny led the Ducks with two shots each … Freshman Ryann Reynolds made the first start of her career … This was the first game between Oregon and GCU.
Up Next: Oregon returns home to host California Baptist on Thursday (7 p.m., Pac-12 Network).
– www.GoDucks.com –
