LUBBOCK, Texas (October 1, 2025) – UTPB goalkeeper Valeria Delgado had to work hard all match long to keep the Falcons in it and made a season-high eight saves to start the match, but Lubbock Christian University finally broke through in the final 10 minutes to take a 1-0 victory over the UT Permian Basin women's soccer team on Wednesday evening at the LCU Soccer & Track Complex.

It was a matchup between a UTPB team ranked third in the Lone Star Conference with a goals-against average of 0.67 goals per match and an LCU squad that was allowing 1.38 goals per match. One difference, however, was that the Lady Chapparals ranked in the top half of the LSC offensively with an average of 1.74 goals per match.

UTPB got the first shot of the match as Allyson Reed sent a shot on goal just two minutes in. It would be the lone shot on goal of the first half for the Falcons and was the first of three shot attempts in the opening period by Reed.

After that, LCU controlled possession early on, and in the 10th minute, Ella Spiller fired a laser beam from outside the top of the box that was saved into the arms of Delgado.

Just over a minute later, Spiller this time passed it to Claire Jacobson in the middle of the box, who saw her shot deflected off of Delgado, who was able to scamper over and fall on the ball.

LCU held a 6-2 shot advantage overall and a 3-1 lead on shots on goal when the match came to a pause when Delgado collided with Jacobson 13:42 into the match. Delgado was able to stay in the match while Jacobson was not for the time being.

After a great centered pass by Riley Espinoza, an offsides call against LCU in the 23rd minute helped prevent a goal on a header by the Lady Chaps.

In all for the first half, LCU outshot UTPB 10-4 overall and 5-1 on shots on goal, forcing five saves from Delgado.

Spiller had three total shots and two shots on goal in the first half for the Lady Chaps, and less than six minutes into the second half she got the ball in the middle of the box but missed high on another shot.

Coming off a two-goal performance on Saturday, Spiller finished with five shots for the match, but could not find the back of the net against Delgado and the Falcons. Spiller was an All-Conference Second Team, All-Freshman Team and All-Region Second Team selection in 2024. Coming into the match, her 14 points ranked third in the LSC and her six goals were the second-most in the league.

Neither team had a shot on goal in the second half until the 70th minute when freshman Sydney Smith's shot from outside the top of the box resulted in a diving save by Delgado to keep it scoreless.

The two teams began to take deeper and deeper shots as the match progressed late into the second half.

UTPB did not get its first shot of the second half until the 72nd minute when a deep shot by Cassandra Ramirez one-hopped into the hands of LCU goalkeeper Emma Wright. Wright has played every minute so far this season for the Lady Chaps, but after entering the match with the second-most saves in the LSC (29), she only had to make two saves against the Falcons.

A missile by Espinoza from the right wing was taken care of by another diving save for Delgado.

Unfortunately, LCU finally broke through in the 81st minute as Smith sent her shot to the top-right corner of the goal and out of the reach of a leaping Delgado. It was the second goal of the season for Smith.

UTPB's only attempt after the goal was an off-target shot by Reed just over a minute after the goal.

After a misplay by the Falcons on a goal kick, LCU nearly added to its lead with a shot by Logan Holloway off the crossbar in the final 90 seconds, but video review determined that the shot did not hit underneath the crossbar as originally ruled.

In the end, the relentless LCU attack totaled 21 shot attempts and nine shots on goal while UTPB had seven shots and just two shots on goal. It was the most shot attempts allowed by the Falcons since the final match of the 2023 season.

Although the Falcons have yet to allow more than one goal in a match so far this season, all four loses in conference play have come by a score of 1-0, including each of the last three matches.

UTPB Head Coach Garrett Kull said, "I know a lot of people will look at the recent run of results and draw their own conclusions, but I'm really proud of this team. It's obviously heartbreaking the way the last couple of games have gone, but what most people won't see is the hard work and effort they are giving on the field and that their execution isn't that far off of winning these games. Right now for us, it's just been small moments, and we've been unlucky those have resulted in goals. I think for us to keep growing as a group we have to learn how to win these games, but that has to start by being in them."

Delgado moves up to 33 saves on the season, which moves her into a tie for second place in the LSC for the time being.

For the UTPB offense, Reed matched Spiller with a match-high five shots.

With the result, UTPB has still yet to hold LCU scoreless in a match since the all-time series began in 2013, a span that now stretches to 18 matches.

UTPB falls to 2-4-1 overall and 1-4-0 in LSC play while LCU improves to 4-3-2 and 2-1-2 with what was its first win since September 17.

Coach Kull concluded, "Offensively, Allyson Reed had a really good night for us and gave us a lot of momentum through the game with her hold up play and shooting. We had five freshmen who played almost 90 minutes for us, and that's a lot to ask. Our biggest asset, however, has been our bench and the energy they are bringing to the game. I've always believed players perform better when their teammates support them, and I feel like we've got a group who are eager to make an impact on the field, but also cheer for their teammates. As a coach, I see that, and some of them are going to get their own opportunity on the field as the season progresses."

Now, UTPB sets its sights on one of the best teams in all of NCAA Division II. The Falcons host No. 3 Dallas Baptist University at 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 4, at the UTPB Soccer Field. It will be the second year in a row the Falcons host the Patriots.