'Eaters Hot Second Half Leads to 4-1 Win at GCU

Thursday, August 14

Phoenix, Ariz.

7:00 PM

UC Irvine

1-0-0, 0-0-0

Grand Canyon

0-1-0, 0-0-0

Team	1	2	Final F
UC Irvine	1	3	4
Grand Canyon	1	0	1

fiona-shin-mia-colombini-uci-wsoc-2025-grandcanyon

Photo by: John Clingan | UCI Athletics

'Eaters Hot Second Half Leads to 4-1 Win at GCU

August 14, 2025 | Women's Soccer

Box Score

By: Alex Roberts-Croteau

PHOENIX, Ariz. --- UC Irvine women's soccer started the 2025 season with a bang in a 4-1 win on the road at Grand Canyon Thursday night.

The Anteaters take home a win in the season opener for a fourth consecutive season in the initial meeting between the schools.

The scoring started early from the Anteaters putting home the opener in the sixth minute.
- A set piece from the far sideline by Trinity Morales that smacked the crossbar landing to Milan Heisdorf who slipped a ball into the box that Mia Colombini punched on goal and in for a 1-0 lead
The home side Lopes battled to draw after UCI put up the first five shots of the night. GCU's first shot in the 20th minute needed a leaping save by Laurynn Ziller for her first of the night to keep the lead
- GCU eventually evened things up in the 43rd minute as Maya Paeske broke free and beat Ziller to make it 1-1 in the 43rd minute heading into the half
The second half began even and GCU came out as the aggressors putting up five quick shots in the first 10 minutes.
- The Lopes thought they had taken their first lead in the 55th minute, but a goal was disallowed on an offside call
The 'Eaters would take advantage and jump on the attack starting their charge of three goals in nine minutes
- UCI snagged the lead back in the 65th minute starting from a long shot by Mia Colombini whipped on goal. GCU's keeper fumbled the save and Fiona Shin crashing the net knocked it in to lead, 2-1
- In the 68th minute, UCI's attack seemed to be extinguished on a clearance ball, but it fell to Kori Pickelle who gathered and fired from well outside the box lofting it over the leaping keeper to go up, 3-1
- The 'Eaters put the nail in the coffin in the 77th minute with a feed that fell to Morales at the top of the box and her shot took a deflection while heading to goal and slipped inside the near post to make it 4-1
The four goals for the 'Eaters are the most in a match since late in 2023
- UCI finished with a 13-12 edge in shots putting eight of theirs on target
- All six corner kicks in the match went to the 'Eaters holding GCU without one
Three of UCI's goal scorers put home their first as an Anteater
- Fiona Shin's goal went down as the game-winner for her first career goal, point, and game-winner
- Pickelle's long-range goal was also her first career goal and point
- Morales' scored her first Anteater goal in her first match in an Anteater uniform. It's her third collegiate goal and first since her freshman season at Oregon
Mia Colombini finished with a three-point night netting the opening goal, the second of her career, and adding her second career assist on the game-winner
Laurynn Ziller in goal made three saves and collected her first career win in net. Savanna Arruda came on in relief for the final two minutes of the match.
Ziller was 1 of 4 'Eaters making their first collegiate starts joined by Shin, Ella Colombini, and Ariane Haysman Boaler
- Haysman Boaler was 1 of 8 players making their debut as an Anteater which included Morales
- Of the eight debutants, four were true freshmen making collegiate debuts - Fiona Shin, Sophia Speziale, Mara Cochon, and Gianna Costello
- Two other Anteaters were making debuts in their second year with the program in Amelia Sitton, back in her home state of Arizona, and Alissey Fang

SCORE!! ? Set piece finds Milan to Mia (6') with the touch home!

UC Irvine 1-0 Grand Canyon #TWZ pic.twitter.com/1drxg5mtbG
— UCI Women's Soccer (@UCIwsoc) August 15, 2025

Laurynn Ziller's first save of 2025 is a GEM ?? #STRONGwomen pic.twitter.com/eUqMnwHH1r
— UCI Women's Soccer (@UCIwsoc) August 15, 2025

FIONA!! ? cleans up the mess on Mia's shot for her first career goal!! (65')

UC Irvine 2-1 Grand Canyon #TWZ pic.twitter.com/JOLZch7rxr
— UCI Women's Soccer (@UCIwsoc) August 15, 2025

WHAT A SHOT!! ? Kori Pickelle ?? take a bow!! First career goal (68') from downtown and it's 3-1 'Eaters! #STRONGwomen pic.twitter.com/QiMrBvjIPn
— UCI Women's Soccer (@UCIwsoc) August 15, 2025

Hello Trinity!! ? The Arizona native gets her first goal (77') as an Anteater with a little help from a deflection

UC Irvine 4-1 Grand Canyon #TWZ pic.twitter.com/sJuvTVyVXC
— UCI Women's Soccer (@UCIwsoc) August 15, 2025

UCI's opening week continues Sunday up the road in Tucson against the University of Arizona between to 1-0 teams. Match kicks off at 10:30 a.m. broadcasted on ESPN+