LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (5-2) vs.
MIDWESTERN STATE (6-1)
Thursday, October 3 – 4:30 p.m.
LCU Soccer Field
 
CHAPARRAL HEADERS
• Lubbock Christian will be facing its first ranked team of the 2019 season this Thursday, as they take on No. 13 (United Soccer Coaches) Midwestern State
 
• The Chaps have done well creating scoring chances, ranking second in the LSC in shots with 108 and third in shots on goal per game with 7.29
 
• LCU is tied for fourth place in the conference in scoring average, netting 2.143 goals per game through the first seven contests this season
 
• Lubbock Christian was one of the five teams to start off Lone Star Conference play last weekend with a win, along with TAMIU, Midwestern State, West Texas A&M and St. Edward's
 
• Six different Chap players have scored goals so far this season, including four who have multiple goals. Fernando Flores leads the way with six on the year
 
PABLO'S MASTERPIECE
In Lubbock Christian's only game last weekend, Abou Joof scored the game-winning goal. It was Pablo Galietero Diez, however, who had the best game. Diez played a part in all three of the LCU goals, setting a new career-high with four points in LCU's win over UTPB. He helped open the scoring with an assist on Emilio Marti's first goal of the season. He then scored the game-tying goal five minutes into the second half, before assisting Joof on the game winner. The freshman is now second on the team with seven points.
 
FIRING ON FRAME
LCU is third in shots on goal per game this season, averaging 7.29 per contest so far. The on-target shots have come from all over the field, with 16 different players tallying at least one. Sophomore Fernando Flores leads the way, recording 12 so far this year (fourth in the conference), but Diez and Tariq Bakkali both have more than five as well. Of the 108 shots LCU has taken this season, 51 have been on frame for a shots on goal percentage of .472.
 
FRIENDLY CONFINES
The Chaps' two games at home this weekend will be their fourth and fifth of the season, but they will only have two remaining on the home schedule after that. They are a perfect 3-0 at the LCU Soccer Field. LCU's last loss at home came more than a year ago and against Thursday's opponent, as then-No. 4 Midwestern State came to Lubbock and took down the Chaps 3-1. Last season was a successful one at home, as LCU went 4-2-2 on their own field, and they have had another four seasons with winning records at home since the program's inception in 2010. The best-ever season at home was in 2011 when the Chaps posted a record of 8-1-1.
 
SECOND-HALF MAGIC
LCU currently ranks third in the league with 15 goals this season, but a whopping 80 percent of those (12) have come during the final 45 minutes of their matches. The Chaps do not seem to be creating more chances in the second half, with 51 shots in the first half and 57 in the second half this year. They have, however, drawn 18 corner kicks in the last half compared to just 10 in the first half of games. LCU's only lead at halftime this season was in the 4-0 win over Oklahoma Baptist. They have only won once when trailing at halftime (last week's 3-2 win over UTPB), but they have won all three times that the game has go into halftime with the teams tied.
 
SCOUTING MSU

• Midwestern State swept the Lone Star Conference weekly awards this last week, with Sebastian Venegas winning the offensive award, Adam Conway winning the defensive award, and Taylor Lampe taking home the goalkeeper award
• The Mustangs lead the league in goals against average, allowing just .43 goals per game from their opponents
• MSU has been in the NCAA Tournament 11 of the last 12 seasons, reaching the Final Four in 2007 and 2010
• Head Coach Michael Meachum is in just his second season leading the Mustangs, but posted a 16-1-3 record and won a Heartland Conference title last season
• Two players – Juan Ramirez and Hikaruhito Meike – lead MSU with 15 shots each, but both have scored just one time

 
THE SERIES WITH THE MUSTANGS
LCU has never beaten MSU, with the Mustangs leading the all-time series 3-0-2. In Lubbock Christian head coach Paul Gilbert's first year leading the team, MSU came to Lubbock ranked No. 3 in the country and the Chaps fought to a 2-2 draw. The two teams also fought to a tie in 2017.