Nothing went right for Arizona soccer on Wednesday night at GCU in a 2-0 loss.
The start of the season opener was delayed by over three hours due to weather and had another one-hour lightning delay after 20 minutes of play. The rain was pouring down when the players returned to the field after the second delay. It took over three hours to play the match after it finally started.
More importantly, the Wildcats continued to have difficulty scoring.
Arizona struggled to score last season, finishing the
season without a goal in its final four matches. The 2026 season has started the same way with no one breaking through in last week’s exhibition or the season opener. The Wildcats have not scored since they played BYU on Oct. 16, 2025. They only scored in three matches after conference play started.
The concerning part is that even though the team had difficulty scoring against Big 12 teams last year, the Wildcats were able to score against several nonconference opponents, including the Lopes. They defeated GCU 5-2 in Tucson last season, tying their mark for the most goals in a match during the 2025 season. They also had five goals against UNLV.
That did not happen during the disjointed night in Phoenix.
Arizona had several extended possessions in its attacking third, but most of the match was played in the midfield. Both teams spent over 60 percent of their possession on either side of midfield. Arizona actually had more time in its attacking third, but the Lopes outshot the Wildcats 10-9 and had three shots on goal compared to two for the Wildcats.
It was a physical game with Arizona players regularly ending up on the ground in the first half, although any contact there might have been didn’t generate whistles. The Wildcats cut down on their fouls compared to the 23 they had in the exhibition at UC Irvine last week, but the officials found the fouls this week to be more egregious. The Wildcats earned three yellow cards in their 12 fouls. GCU drew one caution and 11 fouls. There were several conversations between Arizona players and referee Veronica Burr that seemed contentious or extended.
Each of Arizona’s nine shots came from a different player. Jessica Bedolla and Lily Boydstun were the two to officially put shots on goal, but there were other shots that looked close to being on target.
Up Next for Arizona soccer
Opponent: New Mexico State Aggies
When: Saturday, Aug. 15 at 7 p.m. MST
Where: Mulcahy Soccer Stadium in Tucson, Ariz.
Streaming: ESPN+
Stats: Arizona Live Stats
Arizona earned seven corner kicks to just one by GCU, but the Wildcats couldn’t do anything with those opportunities. The first one came in just the first minute. Boydstun put the kick right in front of the goal but the only one there was a defender in a purple jersey.
Arizona had a solid chance in the 13th minute when defender Zoe Mendiola sent a shot from distance. While the official scorer called it “off target,” it appeared to be dipping towards the top corner. GCU goalkeeper Emma Knack was there, anyway.
Both teams created some chances shortly after returning to the field following the weather delay. A bit of chaos in the box by GCU was turned back by the Arizona defense.
A couple of minutes later, Ella Weathersby received a nice pass in the middle of the Wildcats’ box. GCU recovered to make the block.
Arizona pushed down the field again. Boydstun passed the ball to Bedolla in what seemed like a promising play, but Bedolla was going just a touch too fast and couldn’t connect with the pass. The shot ended up coming from Weathersby but it was nowhere near on target.
After battling through the first half, Arizona let down in the opening minutes of the second. UA maintained possession 54 percent of the time and outshot the Lopes 5-3 in the first half, but GCU found its legs quickly in the second period.
Less than two minutes into the second half, there seemed to be confusion on the field. The referee blew the whistle, and the players from both teams appeared to regroup as if the foul was on GCU. That wasn’t the case. Arizona head coach Becca Moros could be seen saying, “Wait. What did she say?” followed by a couple of Wildcats discussing something with the referee as they held their hands up as if they didn’t understand.
Whatever the discussion entailed, GCU ended up with the ball and it was in the back of the net less than a minute later. The Wildcats trailed 1-0 in the 47th minute.
GCU struck again rather quickly. Sophia Rubano got the insurance goal in the 55th minute.
Arizona used a different goalkeeper in each half. Returner Sofia Cortes-Browne kept a clean sheet in the first half. She was replaced by transfer Laurynn Ziller at the break. Both goals were scored against Ziller.
Arizona will return to Tucson to host New Mexico State on Saturday, Aug. 15.
