"Unfortunate scorelines, but still a good experience overall."
 
Lopes' Head Coach Alex Martins had just his experience from playing for GCU Men's Club Soccer at nationals a year ago to draw upon, and he tried to relay that as effectively as he could to his Grand Canyon University Women's Club Soccer team as they headed to the National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association Women's Soccer National Championships in Overland Park, Kansas for the first time ever. Unfortunately, slow starts didn't help the team's cause, and a couple of 2^nd-half rallies by its opponents kept the Lopes without a win in its three matches.
 
The Lopes endured a tough Game 1 draw in a 5-0 loss to Michigan State University Thursday morning. Knowing they needed a win in the afternoon matchup against Auburn University to have any hope of advancing to bracket play, Averi Baas gave the Lopes their only lead of the tournament with a first-half goal before the Tigers knotted the score at 1-1 at halftime. Auburn's defense neutralized the Lopes' attack for the final 45 minutes of play and cashed in the gamewinner in the latter stages of the match in a 2-1 Lopes' loss. In Friday's consolation-round match, the Lopes played the University of Wisconsin extremely tight in a scoreless first half before the Badgers cashed in their only second-half scoring chances to eliminate GCU from the tournament, 2-0.
 
"Reaching the national tournament this year reminded the players how strong this program can and should be," said Martins. "We know the quality we have here at GCU, and it's our job to continue looking to get better every day. They just knew that even if the (opposing) goalkeeper saved this one, or if our last shot went wide, that our next press or attack could be the gamewinner."
 
The Lopes' history-making season winds up with an 8-6 record overall, a 5-2 mark in conference play, and a dramatic region title in their first season in Region V play.