LUBBOCK, Texas (September 2, 2021) – Lubbock Christian University got behind 1-0 and was down to 10 players just 14 minutes into Thursday's opening game of the 2021 season. Even short-handed though, the Lady Chap offense proved to be too much for New Mexico Highlands to handle and LCU cruised to an eventual 4-1 win.
 
This is the second-straight year the Lady Chaps have won their season opener, after beating UT Permian Basin 2-1 to start last season. They are 8-2 in season-openers under head coach Alex Denning and 9-3 all time in the first game of the season.
 
The win was also an important milestone for the Lubbock Christian women's soccer program as a whole, with it being the 100^th win ever. LCU is now 100-74-18 all-time.
 
LCU had the first shot on goal in Thursday night's game, as Karina Vega saved a scoring attempt by Allison Scott, but things quickly turned bleak for the Lady Chaps. Defender Kaylen McNatt was called for a handball in the box in the 14^th minute, resulting in a red card that sent her off the field and allowed Valeria Baca to attempt a penalty kick, which she converted to put the Cowgirls in front.
 
The red card also meant LCU would be without a player for the remainder of the contest. Fighting through the shock of losing a player, the Lady Chap offense began to push again, with shots from Scott and Giorgia Terzoni missing and another from Arely Jimenez hitting off the post.
 
Finally, in the 32^nd minute, Lubbock Christian broke through. Kenley Blevins played the ball in from the corner and after a touch by Scott, Makenna Pate blasted it home. It was Pate's 10^th career goal and she now has 27 points as a Lady Chap.
 
LCU very nearly took the lead before halftime, with Scott heading a cross in just minutes later, but she was called offside to negate the score, and the two teams went into the break still knotted up.
 
Freshman Avery Jennings made sure the tie did not last long though, scoring the go-ahead goal just 1:09 into the second half. The shot, which she took from just outside the 18-yard box, knocked Jennings herself over, but sailed over the NMHU keeper's head and into the upper right corner of the goal.
 

Insurance was added by Jimenez in the 63^rd minute, as Blevins kept a ball from crossing the end line and crossed it in perfectly to her teammate, who headed it home for her fifth goal in an LCU uniform.
 
Finally, in the 79^th minute, it was Blevins' turn to score herself. Finding a seam between defenders in the middle of the field, she was played a perfect through ball by Julie Shahi. Blevins was off to the races, outrunning the last defender and shooting low and left side to beat the keeper for her first collegiate goal. 

 
The four points in a single game by Blevins were the most by a Lady Chap since Sept. 22, 2019, when Scott, Celia Duarte and Haley Knesek all had five points each.
 
Lubbock Christian will try and improve to 2-0 to start the season when they host East Central at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at the LCU Soccer & Track Complex.