LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (2-0) at
MIDWESTERN STATE (1-0)
Tuesday, March 2 – 5:30 p.m.
Stang Park – Wichita Falls, Texas
 
CHAPARRAL HEADERS

• Lubbock Christian has already matched its 2019 season total in shutouts with two through the first two games of the season. Their defense has allowed just seven shots on goal
• Head coach Paul Gilbert is in his fifth season leading LCU, having gone 20-36-9 in his four seasons. He currently ranks second on the all-time LCU win list, two back of the program record
• Junior forward Fernando Flores scored twice in last week's game over Oklahoma Christian, giving him the fourth multi-goal performance of his LCU career
• Midwestern State has played just one game this season against D-III Hardin-Simmons. Their conference opener against DBU last week was postponed
• The Mustangs will be allowing 50 percent capacity at Stang Park this weekend, with all tickets being sold online. They were 7-1 on their home field last season

 
AWARD CENTRAL
It was a clean sweep for the Lubbock Christian men's soccer team when the first Lone Star Conference weekly awards were announced last Wednesday, as they took home Offensive, Defensive and Goalkeeper of the Week honors. The award covered both games the Chaps had played so far this season. Flores earned the offensive award after his two-goal performance against OC. Jonathan Woods claimed the defensive award, helping the Chaps post two shutouts and scoring the game-winner against UT Tyler. And Braxton Thorne was named Goalkeeper of the Week with seven saves and two shutouts through the first two games.
 
NO GOALS FOR YOU
Through 180 minutes on the field so far in this spring 2021 season, the Chaparrals have yet to allow an opposing team to score. Overall, they have allowed just 18 shots, including only seven on goal – all of which have been saved by LCU goalkeeper Thorne. LCU only had two shutouts all of last season, but they posted six during the 2018 schedule. The two shutouts this year have given Thorne 10 for his LCU career. MSU scored seven goals in their only game so far this spring, but it was against Division III Hardin-Simmons.
 
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Tuesday's matchup with the Mustangs will be the second game on the road for the Chaps this year, as they won 1-0 at UT Tyler to start the season. A good road record is key for Lubbock Christian this season, after they went 3-6-2 away from home during their 2019 campaign. In the one road game so far, LCU had seven shots, two of which were on goal, while allowing 10 shots with four on goal. Most of the Patriots shots in that game came in the first half though, and the LCU defense allowed just two shots during the final 45 minutes of play. Woods scored the only goal of the game just before halftime.
 
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Lubbock Christian has scored a goal in the first half of both of their games so far, taking a lead into the break and then locking in defensively in the second half. Scoring first is good for the Chaps, who were 7-2 when they did so last season. They were also 4-1 when leading at half. The first half goals so far this season have come from Woods (43^rd minute at UTT) and Flores (26^th minute PK vs. OC). In the 2019 season, LCU scored just 11 first half goals to 19 in the second half (and three in overtime).
 
IN THE CORNER
Although they have not scored on a corner kick yet this season, the Chaps have seven this season to just three for their opponents. This stands in contrast so far to last season, when LCU opponents earned 67 corner kicks to just 56 for the Chaps. In games where they had more corner kicks than their opponents last season, LCU went 7-2, while they were 2-5-2 when they earned fewer corner kicks.  
 
SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS

• Midwestern State was picked to win the LSC in the spring 2021 preseason poll, and goalkeeper Taylor Lampe was named the Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year.
• MSU dominated their only game so far this season 7-0 at Hardin-Simmons, but they did suffer a 1-0 loss in a preseason exhibition against Mary Hardin-Baylor on Feb. 6, despite leading in shots and shots on goal
• The Mustangs return 15 letter winners and seven starters of last year's team, which went 16-5 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division II tournament.
• Midwestern State added eight freshmen and three transfers to the roster for the 2020-21 school year.
• MSU has reached the NCAA Tournament each of the last seven seasons and 13 of the last 14. They made it all the way to the quarterfinals of the tournament in both 2016 and 2017.

 
THE SERIES WITH THE MUSTANGS
Lubbock Christian and Midwestern State have matchup up six times in men's soccer, with four Mustang wins and a pair of ties. MSU won in 2019 and 2018, but in 2017 the Chaps fought to a 1-1 draw in Wichita Falls when the Mustangs were ranked No. 3 in the nation.