The Grand Canyon University women's soccer team kicked off the 2014 regular season with a 3-0 loss to UC Riverside at Peter Johann Memorial Field in Las Vegas. The contest, which was played in conjunction with the UNLV Rebel Classic, marked the regular season opener for both squads. The Antelopes will remain in Las Vegas through the weekend, as GCU will take on host UNLV on Sunday.

"Exceptionally disappointing performance all-around," said head coach Stevie Gill. "We came out flat and did not finish our chances and that came back to haunt us."

The Lopes fired five shots in the first 45 minutes of action, but were unable to find the back of the net in the first half. Grand Canyon tallied four more shots in the second half to make for a total of nine in the game, with four of those nine being on goal.

Canyon freshman Blakely Fraasch got the start in goal and made a save in 90 minutes of work.

Junior forward Cassie Beckwith, who scored a pair of goals during the preseason, led the offensive attack up front for GCU, recording five shots on the night. Freshman Brylee Hawkins notched a pair of shots and fellow first-year players, Kelsey Smith and Madison Reynolds, also contributed with one shot each. The quartet of Beckwith, Hawkins, Smith, and Reynolds all put one shot on goal.

"We need to work much harder off the ball in order to win games," added Gill.

The Lopes will be back at Peter Johann Memorial Field Sunday to take on UNLV in a match that is slated to begin at 1 p.m. (Arizona Time). Fans can find links to live stats and live video, along with a game recap from Sunday's action at www.gculopes.com.

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