By: Everett Corder (everett.corder@lcu.edu)
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LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (3-6-3) vs.
OKLAHOMA CHRISTIAN (5-5-1, 2-3-0)
Saturday, Oct. 18 – 3 p.m.
LCU Soccer & Track Complex – Lubbock, Texas
CHAPARRAL HEADERS
After suffering their first loss in LSC play on Wednesday, Lubbock Christian returns home for a matchup with Oklahoma Christian at 3 p.m. on Saturday
Senior forward Manu Nunez ranks fourth in the Lone Star Conference in shots with 18 and has put 16 of those on goal but is still looking for his first score
Senior defender and team captain Geoffroy Letienne leads the team in time on the field with 1057 minutes played. He also led the team in 2024 with 1452 minutes
Connor Pettigrew made four saves in Wednesday’s game against UT Dallas now has 43 on the season – a mark that leads the Lone Star Conference
The Chaps beat the Eagles 2-0 last year in Oklahoma City and have not lost to OC since 2022, which was a 2OT thriller
HE’S A KEEPER
Despite the loss on Wednesday, Lubbock Christian got a strong performance out of its goalkeeper Connor Pettigrew. The Frisco, Texas native made four saves – all in the second half – keeping the Chaps at just a one-goal deficit. The only goal he allowed in the match came on a penalty kick. Pettigrew’s 43 saves on the year are the most by an LSC goalkeeper and he has a save percentage of .782, having played in all 1080 minutes of LCU soccer action this season. He has played 35 games in his four-year LCU career, posting a career record of 11-14-8.
IN THEIR DEFENSE
In 2025, Pettigrew has been helped by a strong back line of LCU defenders. Lubbock Christian is allowing just 1.00 goals per game so far this year, which is tied for the third-best mark in the league. Chap opponents are averaging just 12.2 shots per game and have put only 56 on goal for a shots on goal percentage of .384. If the season ended today, LCU’s goals against average of 1.00 would be the lowest for the team in the last 10 years, which is as far back as data is available.
OFFENSIVE OUTPUT
Lubbock Christian netted a pair of goals in last Saturday’s draw with UT Tyler, with both Agusto Militao and Francisco Horta finding the back of the net. The opening goal from Militao was the senior’s first of the 2025 season, making him the seventh different LCU player with a goal this year. Horta’s goal was his second of the year, making him the fourth different Chap with multiple goals. Overall, LCU’s offense is averaging 1.00 goals per game, which ranks seventh in the Lone Star Conference. They average 13.7 shots per game and have put 38.4 percent of those shots on goal. On Wednesday, they managed eight shots against UT Dallas, forcing only one save from the Comet keeper.
SHOOTING STARS
Despite their lack of major offensive success this season, LCU has been one of the best teams at creating offensive chances, taking 164 shots overall, which is the third-most in the conference. Their season-high in shots was 28 against Adams State on Sept. 6. Of the total, 63 have been on goal, which is also the third-most in the LSC. They had a season-high 12 of those last Wednesday against TAMIU. Nunez ranks fourth and in the conference in shots per game with 2.50.
LOOKING AT THE LONE STAR
We’re in the back half of Lone Star Conference play now, with Lubbock Christian currently sitting in fourth place in the league standings, although one team above the Chaps (UT Dallas) is ineligible for the postseason, meaning the Chaps would be the No. 3 seed in the league’s postseason tournament if the season ended today. League preseason favorite Midwestern State is atop the standings with a 4-1 LSC record, and St. Edward’s is in second with a 3-1-1 league showing.
FRIENDLY CONFINES
Lubbock Christian is 1-3-1 at home so far this season after going 2-3-3 at the LCU Soccer & Track Complex in 2024. Including the Oklahoma Christian contest, there are three more home games this season. They have not posted more wins than losses in Lubbock since the 2022 campaign, when they were 4-2-3. 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 men have an all-time record of 59-41-21 in home games. The best season at home was just their second in existence, as they went 8-1-1 in 2011.
FRESH FACES
If you haven’t seen the LCU men in action yet this season, you might not recognized a lot of the faces on the field. In both transfers and high school recruits, Lubbock Christian added 19 new players. Seven of the players are transfers from other schools and 11 are fresh out of high school. Three players transferred from Division I schools and made a significant impact this season, including Joao Catafesta (New Hampshire), Pedro Lucas (Albany) and Augusto Militao (Missouri-Kansas City).
SCOUTING THE EAGLES
Oklahoma Christian is 2-3 in LSC play so far this year with wins against Dallas Baptist and Sul Ross
Sophomore forward Ehtan Nakolo lead all of Division II with 14 goals, including a hat trick, including a hat trick on Sept. 20
Nick Hardiman has handled the majority of the goalkeeping for the Eagles, posting a save percentage of .674
Neil Hilton is in his second season leading the OC program after previously playing for the Eagles from 2009-12
The Eagles have a scoring margin of 0.37, which is the third-best in the Lone Star Conference
A WIN ON SATURDAY WOULD
– Be the 123rd in Lubbock Christian program history (122-106-41)
– Be the 21st under head coach Collin Cone (20-25-9)
– Be Cone’s 50th win as a collegiate head coach (49-56-25)
– Be the Chaps’ 12th win against Oklahoma Christian since the all-time series began in 2010 (11-4-4)