LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (5-3-2) at
TEXAS A&M INTERNATIONAL (2-4-2)
Wednesday, Oct. 8 – 7 p.m.
Dustdevil Soccer Field – Laredo, Texas
 
LADY CHAP HEADERS

• After beating Eastern New Mexico Saturday in Portales, Lubbock Christian faces another road trip, this time to Laredo to clash with Texas A&M International
• LCU is looking for its first three-game winning streak of the Alistair Caldwell era. The Lady Chaps won back-to-back games earlier this year and twice last season, but they have not won three straight since Sept. 25 – Oct. 2 of 2021
• The Dustdevils have lost two straight, falling 3-0 to Dallas Baptist and 1-0 to UT Dallas in a pair of games last week
• Junior Casey Storer has anchored the Lady Chap back line that is allowing 1.10 goals per game. She leads the team with 876 minutes played
• Sophomore LCU forward Ella Spiller was named the Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Week for games played Sept. 29-Oct. 5

 
OFFENSIVE OUTBURST
In Saturday's win against Eastern New Mexico, Lubbock Christian racked up a whopping seven goals, which was their most in a single game since Sept. 22. 2019, when they scored a program-record 11 goals against UT Permian Basin. The Lady Chaps are now averaging 2.20 goals per game on the season, which ranks fourth in the LSC. They have amassed 155 shots, 45.8 percent of which have been on goal. Anna Brandt, Riley Espinoza and Casey Storer all scored their first goals of the season against the Greyhounds, giving them nine different players with at least one goal this year.
 
HOW CAN I HELP YOU?
The win against ENMU also featured five assists by Lady Chaps, bringing their season total to 19. That number ranks No. 27 in Division II and is third-best in the LSC. Riley Espinoza, Spiller, Journey Curs and Lauren Rotan all have multiple assists this year, led by Espinoza's five. That mark is second in the LSC and ranks No. 11 nationally, despite Espinoza having only played 421 minutes so far this season. Ten total LCU players have tallied assists overall this year.
 
AWARD CENTRAL
Lubbock Christian sophomore forward Ella Spiller was named the Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Week, the league announced on Monday. The Coppell, Texas native had a hat trick and two assists to lead the Lady Chaps to a 2-0 week against UT Permian Basin and Eastern New Mexico. Her three-goal game – which included the game-winner – came on the road against ENMU and was coupled with an assist. It was the first seven-point match and just second hat trick in the LSC this season. Spiller assisted on the only goal in the match against UTPB.
 
ELLA ENCHANTED
Although the hat trick was her first of the season, it was the third multi-goal game of the year for Spiller. She has nine total goals and along with her four assists has tallied 22 points. Her point and goal totals both lead the LSC and rank sixth and fifth nationally, respectively. She has already 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. Three of her goals have been game-winners. In her 826 minutes of playing time, she has 37 total shots, 18 of which have been on goal.
 
THE DEFENSE DOESN'T REST
On the other side of the field, LCU's defense also put up another shutout against Eastern New Mexico – their second straight and fourth of the season. The Lady Chaps are limiting opponents to 1.10 goals per game this season, which ranks 7^th in the LSC. Opposing teams are averaging just 11.1 shots per game and have put only 39.6 percent of those (44) on goal. Both of last week's opponents were limited to just two shots on goal apiece, and earlier this season LCU kept Sul Ross without a single shot for the entire game.
 
IN THE WRIGHT PLACE
As their last line of defense, Lubbock Christian has used Emma Wright in goal for all 900 minutes of the season. She made one save against ENMU and a pair against UT Permian Basin. The Longview, Texas, native has allowed just 11 goals against 11 shots faced. She has 32 saves, which is the seventh-most in the LSC, and a save percentage of .744. Earlier this season against Angelo State, Wright notched eight saves, which matched her career high. She has an all-time record of 5-3-2 collegiately.
 
ROAD JOURNAL
Lubbock Christian is 2-2-1 on the road on the young season after going 4-4-1 in games away from home last year. The last time the Lady Chaps were better than .500 in road contests was 2019, when they went 5-3-1. Including Wednesday's contest in Laredo, they have four more road contests this season. Saturday was their first multi-goal game of the season on the road. TAMIU plays at Dustdevil Soccer Field, which hosts both the men's and women's soccer teams and features a natural grass playing surface.
 
SCOUTING THE DUSTDEVILS

• TAMIU is averaging just 0.38 goals per game this season, which is the third-lowest mark in the conference
• Only three Dustdevil players have scored goals so far this season and only one has an assist
• Head Coach Jovany Macias is in his third season leading the Dustdevil program after previously serving two years as an assistant coach
• Latae Rodriguez has handle the majority of the goalkeeping minutes, posting an .853 save percentage with 29 saves
• The Dustdevils are 1-3-1 in LSC play so far, ranking 11^th in the league standings by points

 
A WIN ON SATURDAY WOULD
- Be the 136th  in Lubbock Christian program history (135-101-36)
- Be the 14th under head coach Alistair Caldwell (13-10-5)
- Be the Lady Chaps' 14^th win against the Dustdevils since the all-time series began in 2013 (13-2-0)