Men's Soccer | 11.02.2021

LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (7-5-1, 4-1-1) at
DALLAS BAPTIST (5-6, 2-4)
Wednesday, Nov. 2 – 7 p.m.
LCU Soccer & Track Complex – Lubbock, Texas
 
CHAPARRAL HEADERS

• Lubbock Christian is currently in second place in the Lone Star Conference, heading into the final week with a 4-1-1 league record and 13 points
• Although their 154 shots are the third-fewest in the LSC, the Chaps have put 46.1 percent of those shots on goal, and their 5.46 shots on goal per game is the fourth-most in the league
• Lubbock Christian's goals against average of 1.38 is the third-best in the conference, and their scoring average of 1.85 is the fourth-highest mark
• Dallas Baptist is coming off a loss to Midwestern State and is in a three-way tie for fifth in the Lone Star Conference with a 2-4 league record
• If LCU can win both games this week (vs. DBU and at UTPB) they will secure the No. 2 seed at a first-round bye for the Lone Star Conference Tournament

SENIOR NIGHT
Prior to the game on Wednesday, Lubbock Christian will honor eight graduating players who will be competing at home for the last time in their career. The eight players include Ivan Muanze-Bengono, Niklas Neumann, Fernando Flores, Hector Rodriguez-Cabo, Ben Pelz, Feliz Gotthardt, Braxton Thorne and Jonathan Woods. Fans are encouraged to arrive to the game on time in order to recognize a class of players that has been integral to the team's success over the last few years.
 
WIN STREAK
With Saturday's road win against No. 24 St. Mary's, the Chaparrals have now been victorious in three straight games. It is the longest win streak by LCU since the start of the 2019 season, when they won four straight games from Sept. 6^th to the 14^th. Lubbock Christian has been extremely good in general since the calendar flipped to October, going 4-1-1 in the month with just a loss to Midwestern State as the only blemish while earning two wins over nationally-ranked teams. The Chaps averaged 2.17 goals per game in the month while holding opponents to just 1.00 per game. Three of the wins were of the shutout variety.
 
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL
Lubbock Christian has been at their best this season when they score the first goal of the game. They are 7-1-1 when scoring first, including on Saturday against the No. 24 Rattlers, when the scored just 4:32 into the game. The goal, scored by Jacopo Ghezzi, was the third scored by the Chaps in the first ten minutes of play this season. It was also the earliest goal scored by LCU since the spring 2021 regular season finale, when a cross from Rodriguez-Cabo bounced off UT Permian Basin defender and into the goal just 2:08 into the match. The only Chap loss this season was at No. 5 West Texas A&M on Sept. 25, and the tie came at Oklahoma Christian on Oct. 13.
 
BALANCED ATTACK
The final two LCU goals of Saturday's win were scored by Niklas Neumann and Juan Jose Valdez Lopez, and they were the first goals of each players' collegiate career. With the two players finding the back of the net, Lubbock Christian has now had 14 different players score at least one this season. In a three-way tie for first on the team with three goals apiece is Luciano Rodriguez, Kevin Mejias and Pablo Galietero Diez, who also scored against StMU. Four other players have tallied two goals this season and seven others have scored once. Only one player – Tariq Bakkali – has scored multiple game-winners.
 
HE'S A KEEPER
Braxton Thorne has been in goal for all seven of the Chap wins this season, collecting six shutouts in that time and posting a 7-3-1 record. He currently ranks third in the conference with a goals against average of 1.06 and is fifth in save percentage at .700. Thorne – a local product out of Frenship H.S. – is in his fourth year starting in goal for the Chaps. He became the program leader in saves long ago, but earlier this season recorded the 200^th of his career. He is 28-18-3 all-time with 17 career shutouts and a save percentage of .736. Thorne has been named the LSC Goalkeeper of the Week three times this year.
 
FRIENDLY CONFINES
Even with a pair of cancellations early in the season, Lubbock Christian has played six home games this season with a 4-2-0 record there. The Chaps are averaging 1.50 goals on 13.2 shots per game, with 46.8 percent of their shots on goal. This is the second season for LCU to play at the LCU Soccer & Track Complex, which was completed in 2020 and features an AstroTurf playing surface, a Musco lighting system to allow for night games and stadium seating for 500 fans. All-time, LCU is 48-30-11 in home games, including an 22-15-4 home record under head coach Paul Gilbert.
 
SCOUTING THE PATRIOTS

• Payton Franklin anchors the back line, leading the team with 1,021 minutes played this season
• The Patriots had their first four games of the season canceled due to COVID-19 protocols but still went 3-2 in nonconference play, including an overtime win at St. Mary's
• Emmanuel Loni leads the team in goals with five, but another four Patriots have scored multiple goals this year
• Alexander Knepper has been the only goalkeeper used by Dallas Baptist this season, posting a save percentage of .710 in more than 1000 minutes of play
• This season the Patriots have allowed exactly as many goals per game (1.64) as they have scored themselves

 
A WIN ON WEDNESDAY WOULD:

• Be the 99^th win in program history (98-80-22)
• Be the 40^th win in head coach Paul Gilbert's career (39-46-10)
• Be the seventh win over DBU since the all-time series began in 2013 (6-2-0)