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NO. 7 SEED LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (8-7-2) vs.
NO. 8 SEED ST. EDWARD’S (7-9-2)
Friday, Nov. 7 – 7 p.m.
LCU Soccer & Track Complex – Lubbock, Texas
LADY CHAP HEADERS
It’s time for postseason play, as Lubbock Christian plays host to St. Edward’s in the opening round of the Lone Star Conference Tournament at 7 p.m. on Friday at the LCU Soccer & Track Complex
The Lady Chaps enter the tournament as the No. 7 seed, making the league’s postseason tournament after a two-year hiatus and hosting the No. 8 seed Hilltoppers
Junior goalkeeper Emma Wright made a career-high nine saves in the loss to St. Mary’s, which is the most saves by a Lady Chap since Sept. 6, 2023, when Kara Murray had 10 against Regis
The Hilltoppers and Lady Chaps matched up earlier this season in Austin, with SEU coming away with a 2-1 win on the strength of a pair of first half goals
Junior Casey Storer has anchored the Lady Chap back line that is allowing 1.00 goals per game. She leads the team with 1506 minutes played
LCU AT THE LSC TOURNAMENT
This is LCU’s fourth overall appearance in the Lone Star Conference Tournament. They have previously appeared in 2019, 2020 and 2022. Although the Lady Chaps have never won a game in the LSC Tournament, they did advance to the second round in their first-ever tournament appearance in 2019, passing Angelo State in a PK shootout. In LCU’s most recent tournament appearance in 2022, they suffered a 3-1 loss to St. Mary’s.
IN ALL THE WRIGHT PLACES
In Tuesday’s regular season finale, Lubbock Christian goalkeeper Emma Wright recorded nine saves, which was a new career-high. Her previous career high was eight, done once last season against Colorado School of Mines and once earlier this season against Angelo State. She has played all 1530 minutes in goal so far this season. The Longview, Texas, native has allowed just 17 goals against 195 shots faced. She has 65 saves, which is the ninth-most in the LSC, and a save percentage of .795.
THE DEFENSE DOESN’T REST
All season, Wright has been helped by Lubbock Christian’s stout defense. They have notched six shutouts this season, matching their total from a season ago. The last time they had more than six in a season was 2022, when they had eight. The Lady Chaps are allowing an average of 1.00 goals per game, which is tied for the fifth-best mark in the Lone Star Conference. LCU opponents average 11.5 shots per game, putting just 43.1 percent of those on goal.
OFFENSIVE OUTPUT
LCU was held scoreless in the game against St. Mary’s, but overall, the Lady Chaps have been one of the better offensive teams in the LSC this season, averaging 1.59 goals per game, which ranks seventh among league teams. They are averaging 15.4 shots per game and have put 46/9 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 eighth in the LSC in goals (10) and fifth in points (25). She also ranks eighth in shots and 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 4-4-1 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).
LAST TIME THESE TEAMS MET
The Lady Chaps and Hilltoppers faced off in the regular season on Oct. 25 at Lewis-Chen Family Field in Austin. SEU took an early lead with an 18th minute goal from Marie Hannedouche. She added a second goal in the 26th minute to give SEU a 2-0 lead at halftime. LCU responded with a goal from Trinity Doom early in the second half, but the Lady Chaps were unable to find an equalizer, despite out-shooting the Hilltoppers 19-15, including a 9-6 advantage in shots on goal.
SCOUTING THE HILLTOPPERS
St. Edward’s ranks in the bottom half of the league offensively, averaging just 1.44 goals per game this season
Hannedouche and Annie Rocha are tied for the team lead in goals scored with six apiece
Nick Cowell has been leading the Hilltopper program since 2006 and is the winningest active Division II coach
Daria Schlumbohm has handled almost all of the goalkeeping for the Hilltoppers, posting a 1.38 goals against average and a .747 save percentage
SEU has alternated wins and losses in the last seven games, including a win in its most recent contest against Sul Ross
A WIN ON THURSDAY WOULD
– Be the 139th in Lubbock Christian program history (138-105-36)
– Be the 17th under head coach Alistair Caldwell (16-14-5)
– Be the Lady Chaps’ 4th win against the Hilltoppers all-time since the series began in 2013 (4-15-2)