LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (6-5-1, 2-1-1) at
ST. MARY'S (11-4-0, 4-1-0)
Saturday, Oct. 30 – 7 p.m.
Sigma Beta Chi Field – San Antonio, Texas
 
CHAPARRAL HEADERS

•  Lubbock Christian has won back-to-back games for the second time this season and is looking to stretch their streak to three Saturday at St. Mary's
• Although their 145 shots are the second-fewest in the LSC, the Chaps have put 45.5 percent of those shots on goal, and their 5.50 shots on goal per game is the fifth-most in the league
• Lubbock Christian's goals against average of 1.33 is the third-best in the conference, and their scoring average of 1.67 is the fifth-highest mark
• St. Mary's suffered its first loss in conference play on Wednesday, falling 2-1 to league-leading and No. 7 Midwestern State by a score of 2-1
• LCU won 1-0 on Wednesday over Texas A&M-International, with Hector Rodriguez-Cabo assisting Tariq Bakkali's game-winning goal in the 76th minute

ANOTHA' ONE
Lubbock Christian's win on Wednesday also marked their sixth time this season to shut an opposing team out. It is tied for the most shutouts during head coach Paul Gilbert's time leading the program (2016-Pres.). LCU also had six shutouts in the 2018 season. The program record is eight shutouts, which was done both in 2013 and 2011. This season, Chap opponents have allowed just 1.33 goals on 10.9 shots per game. Only 34.4 percent of those shots this season have been on goal, and in each of the last two games, the opponent has been limited to a single shot on goal. Luca Hollenstein has played the most minutes of anyone on the back line and has twice claimed LSC Defensive Player of the Week honors this year.
 
HE'S A KEEPER
Local product (Frenship H.S.) and four-year starter Braxton Thorne has been in goal for all six shutouts this season and is 6-3-1 overall. He made just the one save on Wednesday, but it was important one as the Dustdevils tried to get an equalizer with just eight minutes left in the game. Thorne has a goals against average of .968 for the year and a save percentage of .722, with both marks ranking third in the Lone Star Conference. He has long been the program record-holder in saves, but earlier this season got the 200^th of his career. He his 27-18-3 all-time.
 
UP THE TABLE
Heading into the weekend, the Chaparrals are currently fourth in the Lone Star Conference. They have a 3-1-1 league record and 10 points, and the team in third place – West Texas A&M – has played one more game (4-2). At the end of the regular season, the top six teams in the league by points will make the conference tournament and the top two teams will receive a first round bye. Saturday's game is important for those top two spots, as St. Mary's is currently second in the league with a 4-1 LSC record. If the Chaps win on Saturday and take care of business in their other two games, they will enter the LSC Tournament with their highest seed ever.
 
FIRST THINGS FIRST
A key to Saturday's game will be which team can break through and score the first goal. If LCU's trends hold, they need to be that team. The Chaps are 6-1-1 in games where they score first, including Wednesday night's win against the Dustdevils. Conversely, they are 0-4 when opponents score first. The only loss for the Chaps when scoring first was on Sept. 25 at No. 5 West Texas A&M, and the tie came on Oct. 13 at Oklahoma Christian. LCU's earliest goal this season was in that tie against OC, when Tomas Casas fond the back of the net just 5:58 into the game.
 
BALANCED ATTACK
Offense has come from all over the place for the 2021 edition of Lubbock Christian soccer. Two players – Kevin Mejias and Luciano Rodriguez – co-lead the team with three goals apiece, but another 10 have found the back of the net at least once. Bakkali's goal against TAMIU was his second of the season, but marked the first assist of the year for Rodriguez-Cabo. Fernando Flores is the team-leader in assists with three, 10 more Chaps have helped on goals. Juan Jose Valdez Lopez has the most shots (10) of any LCU player who has yet to find the back of the net.
 
ROAD JOURNAL
Saturday's game will be Lubbock Christian's sixth on the road this season, where they are 2-3-1 this year. Both wins have come by large margins, as they beat Adams State 3-0 and most recently UT Tyler 4-0. The Chaps have averaged 1.83 goals per game on the road with 66 shots, 29 of which have been on goal. St. Mary's plays its home games at Sigma Beta Chi field, which was completed in the fall of 2013. The Rattlers are 6-2 there this year, with losses to No. 5 Palm Beach Atlantic and Dallas Baptist.
 
SCOUTING THE RATTLERS

• St. Mary's averages 1.933 goals per game, which is the third-most in the LSC. Their goals against average of 1.07 is the second-best in the league
• Besides the nonconference loss to DBU, the Rattlers' only other three losses all came against teams ranked in the top 10 nationally
• Erwin Reese and Alonso Rodriguez co-lead the team in goals scored with five apiece
• StMU goalkeeper Andre Schlaefli is the LSC leader in save percentage at .850. He has allowed just six goals in almost 800 minutes of action
• St. Mary's ranks in the bottom third of the league with just 11.47 fouls per game, but they have been show 36 yellow cards, which is the second-most in the LSC

 
A WIN ON SATURDAY WOULD:

• Be the 98^th win in program history (97-80-22)
• Be the 39^th win in head coach Paul Gilbert's career (38-46-10)
• Be the fifth win over St. Mary's since the series began in 2013 (4-4-1)