LUBBOCK, Texas - Fresh off a 3-0 win at Eastern New Mexico, the Lubbock Christian men's soccer team welcomes the UT Tyler Patriots to town for a Lone Star Conference clash on Saturday, Oct. 15

UT Tyler (5-4-2, 0-3-1 LSC) at Lubbock Christian (5-5-3, 2-1-1) 
Saturday, Oct. 15 - 3:30 PM
Lubbock, Texas - LCU Soccer & Track Facility

CHAP HEADERS
• Lubbock Christian is coming off a 3-0 win over Eastern New Mexico on Wednesday, Oct. 12. Tariq Bakkali scored a goal and an assist, while Pablo Galietero Diez also added a goal. Enzo Jaques finished off the Hounds in the 88th minute with his first career collegiate goal.

• Jasper Reese has played all 90 minutes in every single match so far this season. The last time Reese came off the pitch in a start for the Chaps was in the 60th minute on Nov. 3, 2021 against Texas Permain Basin. Reese recorded his first career assist on Oct. 5 against No. 16 Oklahoma Christian on the game-winning goal.

•  Bakkali has now tallied 55 total points in his LCU career, second most all-time. With a pair of shots on goal against Eastern New Mexico, Bakkali now sits third all time with 43 career shots on target. Bakkali also ties Stewart MacDonell for second most matches played in program history, suiting up and seeing the pitch for 71 career matches.

BAKKALI IS BALLIN'
With a goal and an assist against West Texas A&M, Tariq Bakkali became just the second LCU player in program history to record at least 50 career points, with 55 during his time in Hub City. Bakkali's 23 career goals rank second all time, while his 106 career shots are third most all-time. His 43 shots on goal are third most in program history.

THE NOT SO SECRET WEAPON
After returning from injury against West Texas A&M on Oct. 1, Pablo Galietero Diez, picked up right where he left off with a penalty kick goal against No. 8 Midwestern State. Galietero Diez is tied for the team lead in goals (5) and shots on goal (11). Galietero Diez is now in sole possession of seventh place all time with 82 total shots, and is in fifth place all time with 38 shots on target for his career. Galietero Diez is the fifth Chap in program history to pick up at least 40 career points.He is one of three Chaps to make multiple penalty kick goals in a career. In the season opener against Adams State, Galietero Diez scored three goals and picked up an assist, finishing with seven points, the second most points in a single match in program history.

I CAN SEE FOR MILES AND MILES
In his first season as a Chap, Tom Miles is already making a mark on the record books, recording four shutouts this season, and two in the last three matches.That is already the fifth most for any goalkeeper in LCU history. His .791 save percentage is the third best in program history.

IT'S NEVER EASY
The Chaps are currently facing their second straight team to be ranked inside the United Soccer Coaches Top 25. As of press time, the Chaps have one more match against a currently ranked foe remaining, a contest against no. 18 St. Mary's. LCU fell 1-0 earlier in the year to no. 25 CSU Pueblo before knocking off no. 18 West Texas A&M 2-1 later in the year. LCU earned 0-0 draw with no. 4 Midwestern State before knocking off no. 16 Oklahoma Christian for their first conference win of the season. LCU took a 1-0 lead on no. 8 Midwestern State, before a pair of Mustang goals pushed MSU to the 2-1 victory. The Chaps are 6-15-2 all-time against nationally ranked teams, and 5-5-2 in their last 12 matches.

FURTHER BACK
The Lubbock Christian men's soccer program began in 2010 with a 3-1 win against the University of the Southwest (N.M.). On Nov. 9, 2021 in the opening round of the LSC Tournament, the Chaps won their 100th match in program history, rolling over UT Permian Basin 6-0. The Chap program enters the 2022 season with an overall record of 101-81-23.

ROAD WOES
The Chaps are currently 1-5-1 in true road matches, being outscored 12-6 this season. LCU did pick up a victory in their last road match at Eastern New Mexico 3-0 on Oct. 12, their first road win of the season and first win in Portales since 2018. Lubbock Christian has not had a winning record on the road since 2018 when the Chaps went 5-4-1. 

IN THE MOUNTAIN AIR
LCU has played ten games in program history within the state of Colorado, going 5-9-0 there all time. The first-ever Chaparral trip to the Centennial State was a successful one, as they beat Colorado Christian 5-1 behind a hat trick from Mbongeni Ndlovu on Sept. 11, 2015. They also beat Adams State 2-1 on that 2015 trip. Last season, LCU went 1-1 in the Centennial State, falling 3-1 to Fort Lewis in Durango, while defeating Adams State 3-0 in Alamosa. The Chaps went 1-3 in Colorado this season, knocking off South Dakota Mines 4-0 in Denver, before dropping matches to MSU-Denver, UC-Colorado Springs and no. 25 CSU Pueblo on the road.

NEW YEAR, NEW TEAM
LCU will feature an astonishing 24 new players on the 2022 Fall roster. Of those new players, 12 are true freshmen, while the other 12 are transfers from either the junior college ranks or other universities. It is a diverse group, with seven players from Texas, four from England, four from Brazil, and the rest from Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Puerto Rico and Spain internationally, along with new faces from Oklahoma, Pennslyvania, and Wisconsin in the states.

PRESEASON POLL
For the first time since joining the Lone Star Conference, the Chaps earned a first-place vote in the preseason polls, slotted to finish fourth in the LSC this season. The last time the Chaps earned a first-place vote was prior to the 2014 season, when LCU earned four first-place votes and were predicted to finish second in the Heartland Conference.
 
THE CONE ERA HAS BEGUN
 - Collin Cone was hired as the Head Men's Soccer Coach at Lubbock Christian University in April of 2022, coming to LCU after leading the men's soccer team at LeTourneau University for the last four seasons. He posted back-to-back winning records in 2021 and the 2020-21 season, and had the team improve in every year he was the head coach. The YellowJackets 6-5 showing in the 2020-21 season was the program's first winning season since 2010.
- Cone also spent three years at Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana. He played a key role in the recruiting efforts for the Lancers while working with the goalkeepers. In his final season at Grace, the Lancers won the Crossroads League Championship for the first time in 25 years and made it to the NAIA National Championship for the first time in 35 seasons. Cone's time at Grace as a coach was marked by one conference championship, one NAIA national championship, two NCCAA National Tournaments, and two regional tournament titles.

SCOUTING THE PATRIOTS
- The Patriots enter the match 5-4-2 overall and 0-3-1 in the LSC. UT Tyler has lost three straight matches and are 0-4-1 in their last five, being outscored 10-4.
- Nolan Giles leads the Patriots and is tied for fifth in the conference with five goals this season. Giles 11 total points this season rank seventh in the LSC.
- Thato Meko paces the Pats with three assists this season.
- Goalkeeper Asier Vegas has the lowest save percentage in the Lone Star Conference at .708. Vegas has only played in seven matches this season, the least of all eligible goalkeepers.
- Kenny Jones has led the program to a 224-86-42 (.667) overall record since the inaugural season in 2002, and has received six Coach of the Year honors throughout his storied career, the most recent of which came in 2021 as the Co-Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year. The Patriots claimed six American Southwest Conference Championships (2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2015) and made four NCAA Division III National Tournament appearances (2008, 2010, 2011, 2017) in 15 seasons competing at the Division III level.

THE SERIES WITH THE PATRIOTS
LCU leads the series 4-0, outscoring the Patriots 10-3 overall. The Chaps rolled to a 4-0 victory in Tyler last season. LCU has never shut out the Patriots at home, winning 3-2 in overtime in 2019 and knocking off UT Tyler 2-1 in Hub City in the 2021 spring season.

A WIN WOULD
- Be the Chaps second straight conference win
- Be LCU's fifth all-time against UT Tyler

UP NEXT
The Chaps are back on the road, heading to Laredo, Texas to face Texas A&M International on Wednesday, Oct. 19. Kickoff is set for 7 PM