LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (0-0) vs.
COLORADO – COLORADO SPRINGS (0-0)
Friday, Sept. 7 – 3 p.m.
LCU Soccer Field (Lubbock, Texas)
 
CHAPARRAL HEADERS
• Lubbock Christian will be competing in the Lone Star Conference for the first time this season after previously competing in the Heartland Conference from 2014 to 2018
 
• Chaparrals finished the 2018 season with a 9-7-3 overall record, winning the Heartland Conference's West Division and advancing to the semifinals of the Heartland Postseason Tournament
 
• Head Coach Paul Gilbert enters his fourth season leading the Chaps, having posted an overall record of 19-29-7 in his three years at the helm
 
• LCU will have a new assistant coach this season in Yuriy Sadula, who was a defender for the Chaps from 2014-18 and is the all-time program leader in minutes played with 5,807
 
• Two All-Region selections from a year ago return to the Chaps, including defender Ivan Muanze-Bengono and midfielder Richie Vaca-Cordova
 
SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW
Like the rest of LCU's NCAA sponsored athletic teams, the Chaparrals will be competing in a whole new league this year… sort of. The men's soccer program will see the least amount of change out of all the LCU teams because the Lone Star Conference did not previously sponsor men's soccer. Previously, any LSC schools that played men's soccer did so as affiliate members of the Heartland Conference, where Lubbock Christian was playing. The only additional foe added to the league schedule this season was UT Tyler, a school that is beginning the transition from NCAA Division III to Division II this year.
 
HOW THE WEST WAS WON
Lubbock Christian is coming off of one of the most successful seasons since the program moved to the NCAA Division II level, winning the Heartland Conference's West Division and earning a victory in the league's postseason tournament for the first time ever. The Chap posted a conference record of 6-5-3 on the year with two wins over West Texas A&M as well as victories against Eastern New Mexico, Rogers State, Newman and Dallas Baptist. This season, the Chaps will play everybody in the league just once, with the top six teams by points at the end of the season advancing to the LSC Postseason.
 
FUTURE TENSE
In their first preseason poll as a part of the new-look Lone Star Conference, Lubbock Christian was picked to finish sixth with 154 points. The league's coaches, sports information directors and media voted in the poll, placing LCU behind Midwestern State, West Texas A&M, St. Edward's, St. Mary's and Eastern New Mexico. The Chaps ranked ahead of Texas A&M-International, UT Tyler, Oklahoma Christian, UT Permian Basin and DBU. WT's Lucca Lima was named the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year while teammate Alexander Vencel was selected as the Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year. Midwestern State's Rory O'Keeffe was named the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
 
HEART ATTACK KIDS
Last season Lubbock Christian went in to overtime six different times last season, going 1-2-3 in those contests. The three ties came against Eastern New Mexico (9/15), St. Edward's (0-0) and UT Permian Basin (10/6). The two losses were at the hands of UCCS and Texas A&M International. LCU's lone overtime win as a 2-1 road victory against then-No. 23 West Texas A&M with a golden goal by Emilio Marti that Fernando Flores assisted.
 
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAIN LIONS

• UCCS is coming off a 10-6-3 2018 season in which they average 2.00 goals per game
• Alex VonHolle led the team in 2018, scoring 14 goals and adding nine assists for an RMAC-second total of 37 points
• Head Coach Brian Miller is entering his ninth season leading the Mountain Lions
• UCCS's 2018 season ended in the RMAC Postseason Tournament with a 3-1 loss to then-No. 5 ranked Colorado School of Mines
• Returner Jensen Scott had the majority of starts in goal last season, making 68 saves in 17 games

 
THE SERIES WITH UCCS
Lubbock Christian and UCCS have faced off two times in the history of the program. The first meeting came in 2016 and was a 1-0 win for the Mountain Lions, who got the game-winner from Conor Langenbahn in a home game. The 2018 matchup was also in Colorado Springs, so 2019 will mark the first time UCCS has traveled to Lubbock. LCU got a 1-0 lead in that game just before halftime, but Corey Carabajal scored once in the second half to force overtime and then scored the golden goal in the 95^th minute for the 2-1 Mountain Lion win.