LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (5-2, 2-0) vs.
TEXAS WOMAN'S (6-1, 2-0)
Thursday, October 3 – 2 p.m.
LCU Soccer Field
 
LADY CHAP HEADERS
• Lubbock Christian has the top offense in the Lone Star Conference, with 25 goals scored for an average of 3.57 per game. They have scored at least three goals in four straight games
 
• The Lady Chaps moved up one spot this week in the United Soccer Coaches South Central Region poll to No. 9, swapping spots with Texas A&M-Commerce, who dropped to 10
 
• LCU's dynamic offense has been led by Celia Duarte and Haley Knesek, who are tied for the conference points with 14 and goals with five
 
• The Lady Chaps were one of just four conference teams to start off league play with a 2-0 record, along with Texas Woman's, Dallas Baptist and St. Edward's
 
• With 25 goals already this season, Lubbock Christian is just six goals away from matching their overall season total from a year ago, when the scored 13 in a 9-10 season  
 
OFFENSIVE FIREPOWER
Through the first month of the season, the Lady Chap offense has been one of the most potent in the nation ranking No. 8 in scoring offense with an average of 3.57 goals per game. So far, LCU has racked up 25 total goals, which is only six fewer than they had in all of the 2018 season. Even though Haley Knesek and Celia Duarte are first on the team (27^th in the nation) in total points,  five other LCU players have tallied multiple goals this year, and another three have scored a goal apiece. The next closest LSC offense comes from Angelo State, where the Belles are averaging 2.57 goals per game.
 
AWARD CENTRAL
Lubbock Christian senior midfielder Haley Knesek was named the Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Week, the conference announced on Tuesday. Knesek had a hand in five of the six goals the Lubbock Christian women's soccer team scored during the weekend as the Lady Chaps went 2-0 to start Lone Star Conference play. The senior scored once in Thursday's win over Texas A&M-Commerce and recorded assists on the other two LCU goals. She then notched her second multi-goal game of the season on Saturday, scoring twice against UT Tyler. She is the second straight LCU player to be honored as Offensive Player of the Week after Celia Duarte claimed the award on 9/24.
 

WIN STREAK
Since losing the first two games of the season, LCU has bounced back tremendously and rattled off five straight wins to close out the month of September. The win streak for the Lady Chaps is their longest since 2015, when they won six straight games from 10/1 to 10/17. In those five wins, LCU has averaged 4.8 goals per game, including a program-high 11 in the 9/22 win against UT Permian Basin. The Lady Chap defense has also stepped up, allowing just two goals in 450 minutes of play and allowing on 14 shots on goal. LCU goalkeepers Hannah Wise and Tory Hudgens have done their part as well, notching 12 total saves in those five contests.
 
CAREER COUNTERS
A couple of Lady Chap players are moving up the LCU record books this season, with some new program marks in danger of falling. This last weekend, senior Haley Knesek moved into second all-time in goals scored with the 23^rd of her career. She surpassed Claudia Sanchez (2014-17), but would need a Herculean effort to surpass Brooke Wendl's first place total of 47. Goalkeeper Hannah Wise has already moved into first all-time in goalie minutes played and needs just two more saves to set a new program mark in that category.  
 
SCOUTING THE PIONEERS

• TWU is second in the conference in goals against average, allowing just four scores from their opponents in seven games played
• Pioneer head coach Babak Abouzar was the first coach in the history of the LCU women's soccer program, leading the Lady Chaps to a record of 14-18-4 in 2010 and 2011
• Junior Haley Ward is tied for the Lone Star Conference lead with five goals through the first seven games of the season
• TWU goalkeeper Daniela Marin has the second-best goals against average in the LSC at .454
• The Pioneers were receiving votes in this week's United Soccer Coaches Top 25 National Poll

 
THE SERIES WITH TWU
The Lady Chaps and Pioneers have met on just one occasion prior to this Thursday, fighting to a 1-1 draw in Denton in 2016. Jamie Boone tallied the lone LCU score on a penalty kick in the third minute, and although the Lady Chaps recorded 20 shots to just 12 for the Pioneers, they did not pick up the win.