LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (7-6-2) vs.
OKLAHOMA CHRISTIAN (6-8-2)
Saturday, Nov. 1 – 1 p.m.
LCU Soccer & Track Complex – Lubbock, Texas
LADY CHAP HEADERS
- After playing its final road game of the regular season on Wednesday, the Lubbock Christian soccer team starts a two-game homestand, hosting Oklahoma Christian at 1 p.m. Saturday
- Logan Holloway found the back of the net late in the win against West Texas A&M, becoming the 11th different LCU player to score this season
- OC has not won a game since Oct. 15 against Texas A&M International, going 0-3-1 in their last four, including losses to UT Dallas, DBU and Texas Woman's
- Junior Casey Storer has anchored the Lady Chap back line that is allowing 1.07 goals per game. She leads the team with 1326 minutes played
- Sophomore LCU forward Ella Spiller is third the conference in both points (25) and goals (10) while ranking in the top 10 in both shots and shots on goal
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Lubbock Christian applied lot of offensive pressure early on Wednesday against West Texas A&M and was rewarded with a 22
nd minute goal from
Riley Espinoza. Going on to win the game, the Lady Chaps remained undefeated this season in games in which they score first – a perfect 7-0 record. Besides Espinoza's score against the Lady Buffs, Spiller has scored a whopping five leadoff goals, and
Sydney Smith has the other. LCU is still looking for its first comeback win of the season, but has responded to tie a pair of contests in which they faced a deficit (0-6-2).
OUTSTANDING OCTOBER
The Lady Chaps finished the 10
th month of the year with a 4-3 record overall, winning game against UT Permian Basin, Eastern New Mexico, Texas A&M-International and West Texas A&M. LCU finished the month with 12 total goals, although seven of those came in the match against the winless Greyhounds. They averaged 1.17 goals per game across the seven games while allowing just 0.71 goals per game, including three shutouts. The Lady Chaps averaged 16.6 shots per game, putting 50 percent of their total on frame for the month.
LOOKING AT THE LONE STAR
If the regular season ended today, Lubbock Christian would be in the Lone Star Conference tournament as the No. 8 seed. LCU jumped St. Edward's, who was idle on Wednesday, in the league standings, which are now being decided by conference points per match due to games being canceled for weather. Left on the schedule for the Lady Chaps are the team currently in 10
th place and currently in seventh place. DBU has already clinched the conference title this season, going 15-0 so far en route to their sixth LSC regular season championship.
OFFENSIVE OUTPUT
LCU scored twice in the win over the Lady Buffs, marking the first time they scored multiple goals in a game since Oct. 4, when they matched their program record with seven against Eastern New Mexico. Overall, the Lady Chaps have been one of the better offensive teams in the LSC this season, averaging 1.73 goals per game, which ranks seventhg among league teams. They are averaging 15.3 shots per game and have put 47.8 percent of those shots on goal, including a season-high 15 on Wednesday. Eleven different LCU players have scored at least one goal this season, including
Ella Spiller,
Sydney Smith,
Mia Chambliss and
Lexi De La Cruz with multiple goals.
ELLA ENCHANTED
Spiller is not only leading the Lady Chap offense, but has been one of the best offensive players in the conference so far this year. The Coppell, Texas, native is third in the LSC in both goals (10) and points (25). She also ranks eighth in shots and ninth in shots on goal. On Oct. 4 against Eastern New Mexico, she scored a hat trick, becoming the first LSC player with a three-goal game this season. She has already far surpassed her goal (5) and point (17) totals from her freshman season, when she was named to both the All-Region and All-Conference Second Teams. Four of her goals have been game-winners.
WHERE THE HEART IS
Lubbock Christian is 3-3-1 at the friendly confines so far this year, with wins against CSU-Pueblo, Sul Ross and UT Permian Basin. Including Saturday's game, they have two home games left this season. Last season they wen 4-3-2 on at their home field. The LCU Soccer & Track Complex was completed in August of 2020 and features an AstroTurf playing surface, a Musco lighting system to allow for night games and stadium seating for 500 fans. LCU's women's team has an all-time record of 70-36-23 all-time in home games. They have only posted losing records at home twice in 15 seasons. They did not lose a home game in 2015 (7-0-2) and won a program-high eight home games in 2019 (8-1-1).
SCOUTING THE EAGLES
- Eight different players have scored this season for Oklahoma Christian, including six players with at least two goals
- Head coach Evan Dresel is in his fifth season at the helm of the Eagle program
- Junior Breanna Wooten has handled the goalkeeping duties for OC this season, posting a .778 save percentage
- Oklahoma Christian players have amassed 21 yellow cards this season, which is the second-most in the LSC, behind only West Texas A&M
- OC has been shut out in four straight games. Their last goal came in the second half of the Oct. 15 win against Texas A&M International – more than 400 minutes of game time ago
A WIN ON SATURDAY WOULD:
- Be the 138th in Lubbock Christian program history (137-104-36)
- Be the 16th under head coach Alistair Caldwell (15-13-5)
- Be the Lady Chaps' 14
th win against Oklahoma Christian since the all-time series began in 2010 (13-1-2)