LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (3-3-1) at
ST. MARY'S (4-3-0)
Wednesday, September 13 – 7 p.m.
Sigma Beta Chi Field – San Antonio, Texas
 
CHAPARRAL HEADERS

• Lubbock Christian University opens up Lone Star Conference play against St. Mary's at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Sigma Beta Chi Field in San Antonio, Texas
• LCU finished non-conference play with a 3-3-1 overall record, including wins against Adams State, Newman and Sul Ross and a draw against Fort Hays State
• Chaparral junior Milo Paci earned his second shutout of the season in LCU's win against Sul Ross State, making a pair of saves and raising his percentage to .765
• LCU junior midfielder Aron DePaula found the back of the net twice against Sul Ross, becoming the first Chap with a multi-goal game this season
• Lubbock Christian's last win against St. Mary's came in 2021 by a score of 4-2 in a game that featured goals by four different Chaparral players

 
OFFENSIVE OUTBURST
Lubbock Christian's offense exploded for four goals against Sul Ross, three of which came in the second half. It is the most goals they have scored in a game this season. Two of the goals came from DePaula, who became the first Chap with a brace this season, and RJ Rodriguez also scored, finding the back of the net for the first time in his collegiate career. The Chaps are averaging 1.71 goals per game, which is tied for the fourth-best mark in the LSC. LCU puts up 13.4 shots per game on average and has put 46.8 percent of those on target. DePaula, Alex Lachevre and Augusto Militao are all tied for the team lead with two goals apiece, and five more LCU players have found the back of the net this season.
 
THE DEFENSE DOESN'T REST
The Chapparals notched their second shutout of the season in the win against the Lobos, lowering their goals against average to 1.14, which is the fourth-best mark in the conference. LCU also shut out Adams State 2-0 earlier this year. Opposing teams are averaging just 10.7 shots per games against LCU and have put only 45.3 percent of those on frame. Carlos Kramer Silva has played the most minutes of any defender with 565, and Max Moorahrend is also over the 500-minute mark.
 
HE'S A KEEPER
Chap keeper Milo Paci played his part in the shutout with a save and each half for his second clean sheet. The Frenchman has had a stellar start to the season with a saver percentage of .765 that ranks third in the Lone Star Conference. Paci has faced 76 shots this season in 618 minutes of action, posting a goals against average of 1.16 with 26 total saves. He is no stranger to LSC competition, starting his career at Eastern New Mexico before the Greyhound program disbanded. Paci was named the LSC Goalkeeper of the Week for week three of the season.
 
PRESEASON PICKINGS
With LSC play starting this week, it is a good time to look back at the league's 2026 preseason poll. The Chaps were picked to finish fourth in the Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll, which is voted on by coaches, sports information directors and media throughout the league. It is LCU's highest ranking in the preseason poll since 2022, when they were also picked fourth. Midfielder Alex Lachevre was named an Offensive Player to Watch, and fellow newcomer Milo Paci was named a Goalkeeper to Watch. One of LCU's 2026 captains, Joao Catafesta, was named a Defensive Player to Watch.
 
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Lubbock Christian has been at their best this season when they are the first team to find the back of the net. They have scored first five times this season and only lost one of those games – at No. 12 UCCS. They are 3-0-1 in the other three contests, including 3-0 in games where they lead at halftime. The earliest goal they have scored this season came in the contest against Newman, when Lachevre scored in just the sixth minute against the Jets. LCU went on to win that game 3-1. 
 
ROAD JOURNAL
This game is the third of seven total road games Lubbock Christian will play in the 2026 regular season. LCU is 0-2 on the road so far this year and went 4-4-2 in road games last season with wins at Adams State, St. Edward's (2) and West Texas A&M. The last time they had more wins than losses in road games was the 2023 season, when they were 3-1-4. Their best season on the road was in 2013, when they went 6-2-0. St. Mary's plays its home games at Sigma Beta Chi Field, which features a natural grass playing surface.
 
SCOUTING THE RATTLERS

• St. Mary's is 4-3 on the season, but two of their losses have come against teams currently ranked in the top 25
• Sophomore forward Eduardo Fernandez is tied for second in the LSC in goals with five, but three of those came in StMU's 10-0 win against Sul Ross
• Nichita Misac has handled the majority of the goalkeeping for the Rattlers, posting a .758 save percentage with a 1.17 goals against average on 64 shots faced
• Head coach Johnny Clifford is in his ninth season leading the St. Mary's program and has an all-time record of 83-40-29 during his time at the school
• The Rattlers average just 7.29 fouls per game, which is the lowest mark in the Lone Star Conference

 
A WIN ON WEDNESDAY WOULD:
• Be the 131st in Lubbock Christian program history (131-112-42)
• Be the 31st under head coach Collin Cone (30-29-21)
• Be the Chaps' sixth win all-time against St. Mary's since the all-time series began in 2013 (5-6-3)