LUBBOCK, Texas (October 1, 2024) – After a week off, Lubbock Christian University travels to San Antonio for their Lone Star Conference opener against St. Mary's. The Chaparrals are coming off a scoreless draw against Dallas Baptist in a non-conference game. LCU enters the match with a 3-2-2 overall record and a 1-1-1 record in road games this season. They will be seeking their first conference victory as they face a familiar foe.
 

LSC SOCCER
OPPONENT	LOCATION	DAY	TIME (CT)	WATCH	STATS
St. Mary's	San Antonio, Texas	Wed, Oct. 2	7:00 p.m.	Video	Stats

The Rattlers will also be in pursuit of their first Lone Star Conference victory, as they too open LSC play. They hold a record of 4-2-2 and  3-1-0 home record on the season. St. Mary's is coming off of a loss to Midwestern State in a non-conference match, with a score of 2-0.

St. Mary's and Lubbock Christian have a long history, with several matches occurring over a decade. Both teams are deadlocked with a 5-5-2 record through 12 matches. However, the Rattlers have had the slight edge as of late, boasting a 2-1-2 record through the last five matches. In addition, LCU has the advantage in San Antonio, going 1-0-2 in their last three matches there (3-2-2 overall in San Antonio). The last meeting between the teams ended in a 2-2 draw in San Antonio last season, which is emblematic of the history between the two.

Saimon Gjeci has been the offensive leader for the Chaparrals, recording 15 shot attempts, eight being on goal, and one goal. Following closely behind Gjeci, Francisco Horta and Justin Martinez each have ten shot attempts and one goal this season. Nako Amare has been the most balanced offensive attacker, with six shot attempts, four of which being on goal, and one goal thus far. Moving to the defensive side, goalkeeper Connor Pettigrew has recorded 29 saves through five starts with an impressive 78.4% save percentage. Furthermore, Pettigrew has allowed only eight goals this season and has a 3-2-2 career record in front of the net. As a team, LCU has had eight different goal scorers and has yet to have a multi-goal scorer this season. Statistically, LCU leads the conference for fouls per game (low of 8.86) and have a strong save percentage of 0.784, placing third in the conference. Connor Pettigrew leads in saves per game with an average of 4.14, ranking second in the conference. The team also boasts a solid record in shutouts, with Pettigrew achieving four shutouts, leads the conference and is tied for fourth nationally.

St. Mary's and Lubbock Christian will have first touch at 7 p.m. at Sigma Beta Chi Field in San Antonio. FloSports will carry the game online and it can be viewed at lcuchaps.com/live.