🆚 Liberty University
📆 Thursday, October 31, 2024
⏰ 6 pm
🏟️ Osborne Stadium – Lynchburg, Virginia
📈 LIVE STATS
📺 ESPN+
🆚 Western Illinois University
📆 Sunday, November 3, 2024
⏰ 1 pm
🏟️ John MacKenzie Alumni Field - Macomb, Illinois
📈 LIVE STATS
Houston Christian University will hit the road for the final two matches of the regular season, both with important seeding implications for next week's OVC Tournament. The Huskies first get a rematch with Liberty on Halloween night before the matinee finale at Western Illinois on Sunday afternoon.
The Huskies head into Thursday night's action at 7-5-4 overall and 5-1-2 in OVC play after last Saturday's scoreless draw to Incarnate Word in San Antonio. Already qualified for the OVC tournament, HCU is currently in second place in the league table, two points behind SIUE and two points ahead of third-place Liberty. While there is still a path towards the regular season title, the Huskies will also be looking to secure one of two first-round byes for the conference tournament.
Now 6-1-4 over its last 11 matches after a tough 1-4 start to the season, the Huskies head to Lynchburg, Virginia looking to avenge their only conference defeat. The Flames are 7-6-1 overall and 5-3 in the OVC and handed HCU its only blemish in OVC play, a 1-0 score on October 6 at Sorrels Field. Gabe Findley scored the games lone goal, a 26th minute blast from the right top side of the box.
Entering the final pair of contests, just three goals have been conceded in the last nine outings and there have been five clean sheets in eight conference games as the Huskies continue their solid defensive efforts this season. The Huskies have allowed just 15 goals in 16 matches this year to go with a very opportunistic and balanced offense. The offense boasts eleven different players to hit the back of the net this season and eight with at least two assists.
Okerayi's game-winning goal against SIUE gave him five on the season to tie Giwa-McNeil for the team lead, and they remain tied for fourth in the OVC. Okerayi also leads the team in assists, tied for fifth in the league. One behind him is Giwa-McNeil with four. The pair continue to be at the top of the league in shots and shots per game, with Okerayi ranking tied for first and tied for fourth and Giwa McNeil tied for first and second respectively.
D'Alessandro Herrera chips in three goals and two assists, and now ranks third all-time in shots on goal with 78. The trio of
Sam Zeeman,
Ricardo Garcia and Worsfold-Gregg each have two goals apiece, while
Freddy Ferguson adds a goal and three assists.
Alex Aitken continues to be solid in the pipes behind a staunch backline. He posted his sixth clean sheet of the season in draw with UIW, good for second in the league. Aitken ranks fourth in the OVC in saves, fourth in saves per game and second in save percentage. He is first in the league in goals allowed average at 0.79, ranking 24th in the NCAA, and is one of just two keepers in the league posting a sub-one GAA on the campaign.
The UIW match marked the 10th shutout of his career, one shy of Christopher Dodd for second place all-time. Aitken has won 15 matches for his career, passing Chance Pope for third place on the career leaderboard. One of just three players with over 200 saves in a career, Aitken now sits at 208 saves after last weekend, just 13 saves shy of former keeper and later HCU head coach Benny Agosto for second in school history.
Thursday marks the second meeting of the season and fourth all-time between HCU and Liberty, with the series 0-2-1 in favor of the Flames. LU features the leagues-leading scorer Michael Huss, who has an OVC-best 10 goals and 22 points on the campaign. Gabe Findley is third in the league in assists with six and has three goals. Owen Moore mans the nets for Liberty and has four shutouts with 45 saves in 13 matches and a 1.17 GAA on the season.
On Sunday, the Huskies trek to Macomb, Illinois to take on the Leathernecks for the second time this season and third all-time. HCU leads the series 1-0-1 after defeating WIU 3-0 on October 3, scoring three times in the first 12 minutes. That included the fastest game-opening tally in school history, as after an opening kickoff and push by the Leathernecks,
Theo Butterworth claimed possession nearly 45 seconds in and launched a long pass down the right sideline to an awaiting
Thomas Wyke. After a couple of dribbles, Wyke played a beautiful pass through the box that found
Ryan Okerayi on a mad dash for the smash off the back of the net at the stroke of the one-minute mark.
Western is 7-9-1 overall on the season and 2-6-0 in league play. The Necks are still fighting for a spot in the postseason tournament as they currently sit in sixth place, one point ahead of seventh place Southern Indiana and two spots ahead of eighth place Eastern Illinois. They are led by Liam Gainey, who is third in the league in goals with six and fourth in points with 14. Micah Ramirez has three shutouts and 41 saves in 14 matches.
The Ohio Valley Conference Tournament is scheduled for November 10-16, hosted by SIUE at Ralph Korte Stadium in Edwardsville for the second straight season. The top two seeds earn byes to the semifinals on Wednesday, November 13 and will the winners from the opening round on November 10. The championship is slated for Saturday, November 16. All games times are still to be determined.
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