BOX SCORE Sonoma State 4, Grand Canyon 1 -- Box Score

ST. GEORGE, Utah -- Cara Curtin netted two early goals and Sara Studer and Ashley Martin scored as well, propelling the Sonoma State women's soccer team to a 4-1 regular season-opening victory over Grand Canyon in a neutral site game in St. George, Utah.

It took just 5:47 for the Seawolves to score its first goal and it was none other than Curtin, who was the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Women's Junior College Division III National Player of the Year as a member of Santa Rosa JC last season.  She wasn't finished.  At 18:01, the 5-foot-6 forward struck again to give SSU a quick 2-0 lead, not even 20 minutes into the regular season.  Sara Studer would add another score for Sonoma State at the 33:45 mark to go up by three goals at the intermission.

The only goal allowed by the Seawolves came after an SSU foul in the penalty box in the 58th minute.  Grand Canyon's Sasha Scott answered the call and converted the ensuing penalty kick to wipe out Alexis Sciacqua's bid for an opening day shutout.  However, it would prove to be the only goal scored by the Antelopes for the remainder of the match.  While Sciacqua did work between the posts, Ashley Martin connected for Sonoma State's fourth goal of the afternoon in the 66th minute, which held up as the final score for either team in SSU's 4-1 triumph over GCU in neutral territory.

The Seawolf defense faced just six shots all day, three in each half; Sciacqua made saves on five of the six Antelope shots.  Meanwhile, 12 attempts at the goal came off the foot of Sonoma State players, including three apiece from Curtin and Martin.  Grand Canyon netminder Catherine Lena made two stops on Thursday.

Sonoma State will take a day off before facing host Dixie State on Saturday at 8:00 am Pacific Time.