LAREDO, Texas - Fresh off back-to-back shutout victories, the Lubbock Christian men's soccer team heads to Laredo looking for their third straight win, meeting the Texas A&M International Dust Devils in a Lone Star Conference clash.

Lubbock Christian (6-5-3, 3-1-1 LSC) at Texas A&M International (3-5-6, 1-2-2 LSC)
Wednesday, Oct. 19 - 7 PM
Laredo, Texas - Dust Devil Field

CHAP HEADERS
• Lubbock Christian is coming off a 1-0 win over UT Tyler on Saturday. Pablo Galietero Diez scored the eventual game-winning goal in the 29th minute off an assist from Tariq Bakkali. For his efforts, Galietero Diez earned his first career Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors.

• 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 56 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 56 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, the senior picked up right where he left off with a penalty kick goal against No. 8 Midwestern State. Galietero Diez leads the team in goals (6) and shots on goal (14). He now sits tied with Nick Gorrie for the fourth most points in a career with 42. He is also tied with Gorrie for fourth most career goals with 17. The senior also now ranks sixth all time in shot attempts with 86, and is tied with Jorge Martinez for fifth in career shot on goal attempts with 41. 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 five shutouts this season, including two in a row against Eastern New Mexico and UT Tyler. That is already the fourth most for any goalkeeper in LCU history and is the second most in a season for any LCU goalkeeper ever. His .816 save percentage is the second best in program history for a single season and is currently the 16th best in all of Division-II.

IT'S NEVER EASY
As of press time, the Chaps have one more match against a currently ranked foe remaining, a contest against no. 8 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 DUST DEVILS
- The Dust Devils enter the contest 3-5-6 overall and 1-2-2 in the LSC. Texas A&M International did upset no. 18 Midwestern State on the road 1-0 in their last match for their first conference victory. 
- A three-time LSC Goalkeeper of the Week Award winner, Robin Verhoeven has been phenomenal in net for the Dust Devils this season. His 71 saves are first in the Lone Star Conference, and 14th in all of Division-II.  His .816 save percentage is tied with Miles for second best in the LSC and 16th in Division-II.
- The Dust Devils have scored just 12 goals this season, the lowest in the conference. However, their team save percentage of .821 is second best in the LSC.
- Lassana Diakite leads Texas A&M International with four goals and nine points.
- Under Claudio Arias, the Dustdevils won three Heartland Conference Regular Season Championships, including back-to-to back titles in 2010 and 2011. He also elevated the program to new heights in 2019, finishing ranked 20th (topping out at 10th earlier in the season) in the nation in the United Soccer Coaches Poll and advancing to the NCAA Division II National Tournament for the first time in program history.  Arias has compiled an impressive 140-17-24 (.770 winning percentage) record as head men's soccer coach for TAMIU and 183-145-31 overall record in 20 seasons as a men's head coach. 

THE SERIES WITH THE DUST DEVILS
LCU leads the series 5-4 against the Dust Devils, winning the last two matches 1-0 after falling 6-1 to Texas A&M International in 2019. The Dust Devils have not scored a goal against the Chaps in 192:43 of game action. LCU is 3-2 all time in Laredo, but the Dust Devils have won two of the last three at home against the Chaps by a combined score of 7-2.

A WIN WOULD
- Be the Chaps third straight conference win and third straight win over Texas A&M International
- Be the Chaps second straight road victory

UP NEXT
LCU returns home for a tough test against no. 8 St. Mary's on Saturday, Oct. 22. Kickoff from the LCU Soccer & Track Facility is set for 5 PM. Fans can purchase tickets now at lcuchaps.com