Bolstered by a pair of tight one-goal victories, the Grand Canyon University Women's Lacrosse team ran the table in four games over the weekend at the Santa Barbara Shootout in Santa Barbara, California. For the first time since they started attending the event in 2018, GCU went unblemished in their four matchups, dominating Colorado State University, 16-8, in their opening matchup Saturday, finishing the day eking out a 17-16 win over University of California-Berkeley; then ending the trip Sunday with wins over University of California-Davis (13-7) and the University of Minnesota (11-10). It's the second time in the last three years that the Lopes left Central California with a winning record at the tournament after winning two out of three in 2023.
 
"I'm not surprised at all coming out 4-0 because I knew going in that it was achievable by this group," said Lopes' Head Coach Tracy Ramirez. "It was just whether they'd step up to it, and they did. The first weekend was a couple of the toughest games we will have all season (losing to defending WCLA National Champion San Diego State University as well as UCLA), so I'm very proud of them for playing their game and finishing each game."
 
The Lopes (5-2 overall, 1-2 WWLL) were truly the 'great unknowns' after those two losses in southern California the previous weekend, and they started out slowly against CSU Saturday morning. Once they found their footing, though, the Lopes took off, ending the game against the Rams with three straight five-goal quarters en route to the victory. Paige DeVries, Shaylee Smith and Nicole Terry led the charge with three goals apiece. In the nightcap Saturday against Cal, GCU led at the end of each quarter, but never found breathing room.  Smith took the lead offensively with a six-goal performance (and an assist), while both Layla Cates and Emma Adams had three goals and an assist in the matchup.
 
Sunday had a similar feel to it for the team in purple – although the morning matchup against Cal-Davis was much tougher than the CSU win. The Mustangs trailed nearly the entire game, but continued to hang around, trailing by two after both the 2^nd and 3^rd quarters, but the Lopes blew it open in the final quarter by shutting out UCD (thanks to GCU goalie Tristen Mielke and her eight saves), and getting late offense from Smith, who finished with four goals and a pair of assists, as well as Cates, who pumped through a pair of goals in the 4^th. The tournament finale mirrored the Saturday evening matchup against Cal, since the Lopes again led throughout, but saw a three-point halftime lead shrink to a single goal heading to the 4^th quarter. The Lopes built an 11-8 edge again, but had to hang on as the Golden Gophers rallied, nearly tying it in the final minute before Mielke made her 11^th and final save, running out the clock after that.
 
"I hope they take confidence from the weekend, understand that they are skilled and can win games and go into our next tournament weekend knowing they can achieve anything they set their minds to," said Ramirez. "We are better at this point in the season than we have ever been at this same point in previous years, so I hope they can use that as extra motivation to keep improving."
 
After a week off, the next road trip for the Lopes is much closer: Tempe, site of the Cactus Classic February 21 through 23. The Lopes will square off against Oregon State University to begin play that Friday night at 5PM.