🆚 Liberty University
📆 Thursday, October 30, 2025
⏰ 7 pm CT
🏟️ Sorrels Field – Houston, Texas
📈 LIVE STATS          
📺 ESPN+     
🗒️ GAME PROGRAM      
 
Houston Christian University continues its three-match homestand with the penultimate game of the regular season, facing Liberty University on Thursday night. Kickoff is slated for 7 pm at Sorrels Field as the two teams face off for the second time this season.
 
HCU returns to the pitch after a week off following last Thursday nights hard-fought 2-1 victory over rival University of the Incarnate Word. The Huskies got out of the starting blocks quick, as Joby Reid scored just 2:25 into the match but the Cardinals retaliated in the 21st minute, getting an equalizer from Evan Kraenzel.
 
The Huskies broke on top 20 minutes into the second frame, as Reid put a nice pass to the top of the box, finding Ben Thirkill for a missile past UIW keeper Alejandro De La Torre for the game winner.
 
HCU is now 9-5-1 overall and 4-3-1 in Head Coach Ryan Pratt's ninth season at the helm and 12th season overall with the program. The Huskies sit in third place overall in the league standings and second in their pod, two-points behind Liberty with two games to play in the regular season.
 
A point from its last two matches would secure a spot in the six-team playoff field. The winners of each pod earn first-round byes in the six-team conference tournament field, with Lindenwood currently atop the league table and the other pod.
 
Ryan Okerayi leads the club with 15 points and seven goals having put 21 of his 37 shots on goal thus far for a .568 SOG%. He now sits in seventh place all-time with 19 goals, and is second in the league in goals and fourth in points.
 
The Huskies have now had nine players hit the back of the net this season as Thirkill's goal against UIW opened his collegiate account. Joby Reid is second on the squad in points with 14 and paces the Huskies with six assists, tied for third in the OVC. He has four goals on the season, tied for second on the club with D'Alessandro Herrera
 
Herrera's two-assist game against Eastern Illinois was the third in his career, and his assist against UIW gave him 19 for his career to move into a tie for fourth place all-time. Herrera and Ben Thirkill each have three assists for the Huskies while Ron Pressler and Nico Kross each have a pair as the club has registered 22 assists on 21 goals thus far on the campaign.
 
Alex Aitken was named OVC Goalkeeper of the Week after the win over UIW, his fifth honor of the season and eighth in his career. Aitken leads the league with his seven clean sheets, a 0.87 GAA and a .829% save percentage, while ranking fourth in total saves with 63.
 
The senior from Great Barford, England now has 25 victories for his career, ranking as the all-time leader since the program was restarted in 2006. Aitken also sits atop the leaderboard in shutouts with 19 for his career, passing former keeper and former Head Coach Benny Agosto, and he needs just eight saves to become the first keeper in school history to surpass 300.
 
HCU takes on Liberty in the middle match of the three-game homestand that closes the regular season. The two schools have met a handful of times with all five coming since the two joined the OVC with Liberty leading the all-time series 2-1-2.
 
The Huskies and Flames are meeting for the second time this season, as HCU picked up its first win in the series with a 1-0 victory in Lynchburg, Virginia on October 5. Nico Kross provided the game-winner just under four minutes into the second half, and Alex Aitken posted a career-high 12 saves.

Liberty is led by veteran head coach Kelly Findlay, who is now in his seventh and final campaign at the helm of Liberty after announcing his retirement at the beginning of the month. Findley has been a head coach since 1999, with stints at Mars Hill, Butler and North Carolina State prior to his time in Lynchburg.
 
Now 8-3-5 overall, Liberty sits in second place in the OVC with a 4-1-3 mark. Their 15 points in the league lead the four-team pod over HCU, Southern Indiana and UIW.
 
Zach Lifferth paces an offense that averages 2.2 goals per game as the senior forward has a league-high eight goals. Junior forward Leo Conneh is second on the club and third in the league with six goals while junior defender Perry Blay is second in the OVC with seven assists. Tyler Beck has started every match in the pipes for the Flames, making 49 saves with four shutouts.
 
HCU finishes the regular season slate with a "Senior Day" matinee on Sunday, November 2 against Southern Indiana when it will honor five outgoing seniors: Alex Aitken, D'Alessandro Herrera, Jireh Oyebamiji, Sebastian Rodriguez and Jordan Santa Cruz.
 
#DawgsUp