DENVER, Colo. - The Lubbock Christian men's soccer team will make the Centennial State their home for the next two weeks, kicking off with a road contest against the MSU Denver Roadrunners.

Lubbock Christian (1-0-1) at MSU Denver (1-0-1)
Thursday, Sept. 1 - 8 PM
Denver, Colo. - The Assembly Athletic Complex

A LOOK BACK
The 2021 Fall season was arguably one of the best in program history for the Lubbock Christian men's soccer team. The Chaps finished the season 6-1-1 in their final eight matches, outscoring their opponents 24-6 and recording six shutouts, including three straight in the Lone Star Conference Championship Tournament. After finishing the first two overtimes deadlocked at zero goals apiece, the Midwestern State Mustangs bested the Chaps for the third time in 2021, defeating LCU 5-4 on penalty kicks. The second-place finish is the highest finish in program history in the LSC, and the Chaps first ten-win season since 2013. The Chapparal offense averaged 2.17 goals per game while allowing just 1.22 goals per game, the second-best in the conference. Luciano Rodriguez finished fourth in the conference in points with 19 and sixth in the conference in goals with six.

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.

THE NOT SO SECRET WEAPON
With a hat trick against Adams State on Aug. 25, Pablo Galietero Diez became the first Chap since Corey Hutchison did so against St. Mary's on Oct. 14, 2017. Galietero Diez added an assist in the second half to finish the match against the Grizzlies with seven points, the second most in a match by one Chap in program history. His three goals are second in the entire Lone Star Conference so far this season. His 14 career goals are fourth-most in program history, and Galietero Diez's 33 shots on goal are tied for eighth-most in a career.

IN THE MOUNTAIN AIR
LCU has played ten games in program history within the state of Colorado, going 4-6-0 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 will play four straight matches in Colorado from Sept. 1-9, facing MSU-Denver and South Dakota Mines in the Mile High City before facing UC-Colorado Springs and 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 ROADRUNNERS
- MSU-Denver was picked to tie for seventh with UC-Colorado Springs in the RMAC preseason poll
- MSU-Denver finished 8-9-2 last season, going 4-0-1 in their final five regular season matches.
- Aidan Bates returns to the Mile High City after earning a First Team All-RMAC selection last season. Bates scored 10 goals for the Roadrunners last season. Bates has scored one goal so far this season on four total shots.
- Second Team All-RMAC selection Bryson Chiles also returns to the pitch for the Roadrunners. Chiles scored a goal and picked up an assist in MSU-Denver's win over Cal State Monterrey Bay
- Head Coach Nick Kirchhoff enters his third season with MSU-Denver. Kirchhoff won a national championship in 2005 with Fort Lewis College as a player and was national runner-up in 2006. In his senior season with the Skyhawks, Kirchhoff was named RMAC Tournament MVP. Kirchhoff spent five seasons at Stanford University as an assistant, helping guide the Cardinal to three straight PAC-12 championships and back-to-back national championships in 2015 and 2016.
- MSU-Denver enters the match with a 1-0-1 record. The Roadrunners scored a goal in the second half to salvage a 2-2 tie against San Francisco State before rolling to a 4-0 win over Cal State Monterrey Bay.

THE SERIES WITH THE ROADRUNNERS
The Chaps and the Roadrunners met for the first time last season in Lubbock, a 3-2 win for MSU-Denver on Sept. 10, 2021. Sam Funnell scored two goals for the Runners to go up 2-0 in the 28th minute, while a goal from Noah Hunnula in the 40th minute pushed MSU-Denver ahead 3-1. LCU outshot MSU-Denver 18-9, but the Roadrunners tallied six shots on goal.

A WIN WOULD - 
- Be the first road win of the season
- Be the first win ever over MSU Denver
- Be the Chaps fifth win all-time in the state of Colorado

UP NEXT
The Chaps stay in Denver for a neutral site contest against the South Dakota School of Mines on Saturday, Sept. 3. Kickoff is set for 2:00 PM