LAS VEGAS, N.M. - The Lady Chaps look for their third straight shutout to start the season, wrapping up their opening road stanza with a trek west to face New Mexico Highlands.

Lubbock Christian (1-0-1) at New Mexico Highlands (0-1)
Friday, Sept. 2 - 3:00 PM
Sanchez Family Field

LADY CHAP HEADERS
• The Lady Chaps salvaged a 0-0 tie with Fort Lewis in their last match on Aug. 27. LCU out shot the Skyhawks 14-8 but could not find the back of the net.

• Abby Kone was named Lone Star Conference Goalkeeper of the week for the first week of the season. The freshman out of Uvalde, Texas recorded four saves along with two shutouts to go 1-0-1 to open the season

• The road trip to Las Vegas, N.M. is the final leg of a three-match road stand for the Lady Chaps. LCU will play nine matches in the month of September, with six of those being at home.

• LCU is now 6-0-2 in their last eight nonconference matches. The Lady Chaps last loss was against Angelo State on Feb. 27, 2021 in a match ruled a nonconference match. LCU's last loss to a team outside of the Lone Star Conference was to CSU-Pueblo on Sept. 7, 2019.

YOU'RE HOT AND YOU'RE COLD
The Lady Chaps 2021 fall season started off hot, with LCU opening the year with a 6-0-2 record, recording four shutouts and outscoring opponents 16-4. The Lady Chaps also upset no. 12 Dallas Baptist 1-0 on Oct. 2, 2021. The second half of the season was not as exciting for LCU, going just 2-7 to end the season, being outscored 13-3 and were shutout six times during that stretch.

KONE YOU DIG IT?
After recording two shutouts in her first two matches, Abby Kone was named Goalkeeper of the Week by the Lone Star Conference on Monday, Aug. 29. The freshman out of Uvalde, Texas faced 12 total shots in two matches against Western Colorado and Fort Lewis this past weekend, tallying four saves while going 1-0-1 in the Centennial State.
It is the first time a Lady Chap has been named Lone Star Conference Goalkeeper of the Week since Oct. 4, 2021, when Hannah Wise earned the honor. It is also the first time an LCU has earned a weekly conference honor after their first week of the season since Sarah Palmer won the Heartland Conference Defensive Player of the Week award as a freshman goalkeeper for week one of the 2015 season.


WELCOME BACK LEXI
Lexi De La Cruz is a sophomore transfer from Howard Payne University. De La Cruz was the American Southwest Conference Freshman of the Year in 2021, leading the conference in points (34), assists (8) and goals (8). The Lubbock native was also named Third-Team All-Region by the United Soccer Coaches Association. De La Cruz did not waste long in her return to Lubbock, scoring a pair of goals and recording an assist in LCU's 3-0 shutout of Western Colorado in their first match of the season. She currently ranks third in the conference in points (5) and tied for seventh in the conference in shots on goal (4).

SHUT IT DOWN
Since the program's inception in 2010, the Lady Chaps have recorded at least four shutouts in every single season. LCU talled six shutouts in the 2021 fall season, going 5-0-1 in those contests. The Lady Chaps have already compiled two shutouts this season, and now hold a 72-0-5 record in shutouts all-time

PRESEASON PICKINGS
The Lubbock Christian University women's soccer team was picked to finish eighth in the 2022 Lone Star Conference preseason poll. Celia Duarte, Madison Mayben and Megan Mirabal were named players to watch by the conference for the 2022 season.  
- Duarte played in 11 matches last season for the Lady Chaps, scoring a pair of goals and tallying one assist. Her goal against Texas A&M International on Sept. 25 was the game winner over the Dust Devils and gave LCU their first conference win of the season. 
 - Mayben played in and started 15 matches for the Lady Chaps last season. Mayben was a key part of the Lubbock Christian defense that recorded six shutouts, including four in their first eight matches on the way to a 6-0-2 start. 
 - Mirabal started five games in net for LCU last season, finishing the year with a 3-1-1 record. Mirabal earned the win for the Lady Chaps in her first three matches, allowing two goals and recording 11 total saves. She earned her lone shutout of the season against Adams State on Sept. 9, tallying six saves on the way to the 3-0 victory.

THIS IS HOME
In their second year at the new LCU soccer and track & field complex, the Lady Chaps went 4-4-1 at home, opening the season with a 4-1 thrashing of New Mexico Highlands. LCU is now 57-27-12 in home games all-time, and 7-5-1 all-time at the LCU soccer and track & field complex. Lubbock Christian has never had a losing record at home under head coach Alex Denning. The home schedule for 2022 features nine home games in total, including three-straight contests at home from Sept. 4-10.


SCOUTING THE COWGIRLS
- New Mexico Highlands was voted to finish thirteenth in the RMAC preseason poll
- The Cowgirls went 1-13 last season, with a 2-1 win over Western Colorado on Oct. 8, 2021 breaking a 22-match losing streak dating back to Oct. 27, 2018.
- Head Coach Bianca Contreras-Edwards enters her fourth season as head coach of the Cowgirls. The New Mexico Highlands graduate played JUCO soccer for San Bernadino Valley College, guiding the team to back-to-back Foothills Conference championships and a no. two national ranking in 2010 with a 20-1-4 record
- Valeria Baca and Nitza Rodriguez are two of seven seniors that return for the Cowgirls. Both players led the team with four goals during the 2021 season.
- The Cowgirls opened the 2022 season with a 5-1 loss to Chaminade. Melissa Olivares scored the lone goal for New Mexico Highlands in the 47th minute.

THE SERIES WITH THE COWGIRLS
The Lady Chaps and Cowgirls met in the season opener for both teams last season in Lubbock, their first meeting ever against each other. After a penalty kick by Baca in the 14th minute gave New Mexico Highlands a 1-0 lead, before the Lady Chaps scored four unanswered goals, including three in the second half, to pick up the 4-1 win. Kenley Blevins finished the match with one goal and two assists, while Allison Scott also tallied two assists in the win.

A WIN WOULD
- Be the 95th win all-time at LCU for Alex Denning
- Be LCU's third straight win in the state of New Mexico (3-1 all-time)
- Give the Lady Chaps their second straight undefeated start to a season through three matches (3-0 last season)

UP NEXT
The Lady Chaps return to Lubbock for a three-match homestand, beginning with their home opener against East Central on Sunday, Sept. 4 at 1:00 PM. Fans can purchase tickets for the match at lcuchaps.com