LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY (5-7-2, 4-4-2) at WEST TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY (8-4-1, 6-3-1)
Thursday Oct. 19, 2017 – 7:00 p.m.
The Pitch (Canyon, Texas)
LCU Twitter: @LCUChaps, @LCUMensSoccer
WTAMU Twitter: @wtathletics
CHAPS FLIGHT DECK
• Lubbock Christian University will embark on their final road trip of the regular season beginning with a Heartland Conference West Division showdown against West Texas A&M University Thursday evening. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at The Pitch in Canyon, Texas.
• LCU is coming off of their largest victory of the season with a 4-1 win at home over St. Mary's University. Senior
Corey Hutchison recorded a hat trick in the win marking the sixth in program history. He earned Heartland Conference Offensive Player of the Week for the effort.
• The Chaps hold a 1-2-2 road record this season and a 35-27-7 all-time record in away matches.
• Head coach
Paul Gilbert's squad is 1-1 in West Division contests this season and a 2-5-1 record since Gilbert took the helm in 2016.
STORY LINES
• Lubbock Christian is still looking for their first Thursday win this season. The Chaps are currently 0-4-1 this season when playing on Thursday.
• In four of their five wins this season, the Chaparrals have managed to score first. Of their five victories, LCU has held their opponents scoreless on three occasions.
•
Parker O'Quinn has posted a .825 save percentage on the season, ranks second in the Heartland Conference with 52 saves and has managed a 5-4-2 record.
• The Chaps have not won back-to-back games since last season, when they defeated Oklahoma Christian (10/8/16) and Texas A&M International (10/13/16) in a pair of 1-0 victories.
• Nine of Lubbock Christian's matches in 2017 have been decided by a one-goal margin. Four of their five victories have been one-goal games and their most recent win over St. Mary's marked the Chap's first contest with more than two goals since a 3-1 win over Texas – Permian Basin in the 2016 season (10/29/16).
SCOUTING WTAMU
• The Buffs have had no problem getting themselves into the scoring column this season as they currently lead the Heartland Conference with 37 goals. Julio Vargas and Callum Challinor have each notched seven goals to lead the West Texas A&M squad.
• Though they have a firm lead on the West Division with 19 points, WTAMU holds a 2-2-0 record when playing at home this year. Both losses came at the beginning of their Heartland schedule against Texas A&M International and then-No.8 Midwestern State University.
• Goalkeeper Alexander Vencel has remained between the posts for a majority of the season logging a total time of 1,186:03. There is a 22:07 stretch where the freshman goalie has not been on the field. Vencel has allowed 12 goals on the year for a .91 goals against average. He has also registered 41 saves for a .774 save percentage on his way to an 8-4-1 record.
• Of their 37 goals this season, West Texas A&M has scored 27 in the second half of play. The Buffs have been taken to overtime twice this season, both against ranked opponents, and were unable to record a goal in each of those matches.
• The WTAMU offense is averaging 2.85 goals per match, a mark that ranks seventh in the nation and first in the Heartland. Earlier this season, the Buffs posted an explosive 13-2 victory on the road over Texas – Permian Basin to help boost their goals per game average.
SERIES HISTORY WITH WTAMU
The Chap's meeting with WTAMU will be the second of the 2017 campaign and the seventh overall in a series that dates back to the 2013 season. West Texas A&M holds a 4-2-0 record over Lubbock Christian in addition to an 11-8 scoring margin. The Chaparrals have managed one win on the road in the series, a 3-2 result in the 2015 campaign (Nov. 2, 2015). In the most recent meeting, WTAMU handed LCU a 2-1 loss (Sept. 28) in a match that was moved from LCU Soccer Field to Frenship High School in Wolfforth, Texas due to weather conditions.
