GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Lady Chaps return to the pitch for the 2023 season, heading to Grand Junction, Colo. for a clash with Colorado Mesa.
Lubbock Christian (0-0-0) vs Colorado Mesa (0-0-0)
Friday, Sept. 1 – 8:00 PM (CT)
Community Hospital Unity Field – Grand Junction, Colo.
LADY CHAPS HEADERS
- LCU will play their first three games of the season in Colorado. The Lady Chaps went 4-2-2 away from home last season.
- Lubbock Christian finished the 2022 season 8-3-8, including a 6-0-5 start to the season. Their first loss came on Oct. 8 to UT Tyler.
- The Lady Chaps are 8-0-4 in their last 12 nonconference matches, their last loss coming to 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.
- LCU returns five starters from last seasons team. Including, LSC First Team All-Conference and D2CCA Second Team All-Region selection Lexi De La Cruz, LSC Third Team All-Conference and LSC All-Freshmen Team member Graycen Rasmussen, and defensive anchor Kenley Blevins.
A LOOK BACK
- The Lady Chaps finished with an 8-3-8 record in their 11th season under Head Coach Alex Denning. They entered the Lone Star Conference Tournament as the four seed, falling to the fifth seed St. Mary's 3-1.
- LCU had eight games finish in draws in 2022, the most in program history.
- Lubbock Christian outscored their opponents 31-17 and recorded eight shutouts. The Lady Chap offense averaged 1.63 goals per game while allowing 0.89.
FURTHER BACK
- The Lubbock Christian women's soccer program began in 2010 with a 5-2 loss to UT Permian Basin. On Sept. 2, 2021, they recorded the 100th win in program history, beating New Mexico Highlands 4-1. The Lady Chap program enters the 2023 season with an overall record of 115-84-28.
PRESEASON PICKINGS
- The LCU women's soccer team was picked to finish fourth in the Lone Star Conference preseason poll. Graycen Rasmussen and Kenley Blevins were named players to watch for the 2023 season.
- Rasmussen picked up a pair of all conference honors in her first season as a Lady Chap. She was named to the LSC All-Conference Third Team and the All-Freshmen team. She ranked top-10 in the LSC in shots, shots on goal, and points. She was tied for the team lead in assists with 3. She appeared in 17 contests, starting in 10 of them. Rasmussen recorded 6 goals in 972 minutes of playing time.
- Blevins started in all 19 games for the Lady Chaps in 2022. Her lone goal of the season came against Oklahoma Christian on Sept. 21. She recorded 8 shots with 3 on goal in a total of 1,710 minutes of playing time.
NEW YEAR, NEW FACES
- LCU will feature 14 new players on the 2023 roster. Of those new players, 10 are true freshmen and four are transfers from other universities. The four transfers include Cooper Cowan (Arkansas State), Olivia Weider (Emmanual), Reagan Easter (UT Tyler), and Duschka Diaz (Oklahoma Baptist).
SCOUTING THE MAVS
- The Mavs were picked to finish sixth in the RMAC preseason poll. They earned 86 points in the poll.
- Colorado Mesa finished last season on a tear, going 8-4 in RMAC play and winning six of their last seven regular season matches, but early-season struggles contributed to a 10-8-1 overall record.
- Colorado Mesa is losing two of the most decorated players in program history with Lila Dere,the program's all-time leading scorer and Division II's leading scorer last season, as well as former RMAC Defensive and Academic Player of the Year Michaela Dangler not returning.
- Redshirt juniors Evelyn Hammer and Sauvelyn Randel should have more prominent roles in attack this season after tying for second on the team behind Dere with six goals apiece.
- Mavs starting goalkeeper Chloe Dody returns this season, following a All-Conference Honorable Mention campaign in 2022.
- Colorado Mesa is coached by Megan Remec who is entering her fourth season at the helm.
THE SERIES WITH COLORADO MESA
- This will be the second matchup of all-time between the Lady Chaps and CMU.
- Last year's match ended in a 2-2 draw, Stephanie McClung and Julie Shahi found the back of the net for the Lady Chaps.
A WIN WOULD
- Give LCU an opening match win for a third consecutive year.
- Be the first win all-time for LCU over Colorado Mesa.
- Give the Lady Chaps their 116th win in program history.
