Lubbock Matadors SC is an American soccer club in Lubbock, Texas. It currently competes in the Lonestar Conference of the National Premier Soccer League, considered the fourth tier of the United States soccer league system.
The team's home field is returning to Lowery Field in Lubbock after spending their second season at Lubbock-Cooper High School's Pirate Stadium due to renovations to their typical home pitch.
History
On December 14, 2021, the National Premier Soccer League announced a new expansion team would be placed in Lubbock for the 2022 season.[1] The ownership effort was led by former DC United and FC Dallas front office member Michael Hitchcock, along with Texas Tech alumni Brent McCarty, David Joyner, Eric Cunningham, and Lance Patton.[2]
The Matadors announced Paul Gilbert as the team's first head coach on December 20.[3]
The team's first game was an NPSL matchup against Fort Worth Vaqueros FC on Monday, May 9 at Lowery Field. Their first game of the season ended in a 3–1 loss drawing in 4,239 fans for the first NPSL game in Lubbock.[4]
On Tuesday July 11, 2023, the Matadors set a franchise record attendance with 5,422 fans in attendance for their first NPSL home playoff game in club history.[5] This attendance also put the Matadors at the No. 9 spot for highest attendance in NPSL history at the time.[6][7]
Lubbock qualified for its first U.S. Open Cup in 2024 based on its league results from the previous season.[8][9]
Stadiums
| Stadium | Capacity | Location | Year(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowery Field | 8,471 | Lubbock, Texas | 2022, 2024 | |
| Lubbock-Cooper Pirate Stadium | 5,619 | 2023 | ||
| LCU Soccer & Track Facility | 2,000 | 2024 | Hosted the First and Second Round of the 109th Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup |
Players and staff
Head Coaches
| Name | Nationality | Tenure | G | W | L | T | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Gilbert |  United States
|
December 21, 2021 – April 16, 2024 | 27 | 18 | 7 | 2 | 66.6 |
| Brandon Misuraca | United States
|
March 25, 2024 – Present | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
Staff
| Executive | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Michael Hitchcock
|
| Owner | Brent McCarty
|
| Owner/Investor | David Joyner
|
| Owner/Investor | Eric Cunningham
|
| Owner/Investor | Lance Patton
|
| General Manager | Dustin McCorckle
|
| Business Ops Manager | Eleni Hitchcock
|
| Community Outreach Manager | Alexandrea Torrez
|
| Marketing & Operations Manager | Thomas Wolf
|
| Coaching staff | |
| Manager | Brandon Misuraca
|
| Assistant Manager |  Yuri Sadula
|
| Assistant Manager | Braxton Thorne
|
Club culture
Mascot
The Mascot of the Lubbock Matadors is a bull named Notorious. He was officially unveiled on February 25, 2023 at the Two Docs Brewing Company, the main kit sponsor for the Matadors. Notorious has since been a key part of the marketing efforts for the Matadors both at games and at different events throughout the community.
Supporters
The Lubbock Matadors' officially recognized supporters group is the Mozos. The group consists of fans that play different instruments, have chants and songs prepared for throughout the game, and smoke bombs that go off following a Matadors Goal.
Rivalries
The Lubbock Matadors' main rivalry is with West Texas FC in El Dustico. The two teams compete for the Golden Tumbleweed, symbolic of the two teams - who are separated by just 118 miles.
Record
Year-by-year
| Season | League | Position | Playoffs | U.S. Open Cup | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League | Conference | Pld | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD | Pts | PPG | Conf. | Overall | |||
| 2022 | NPSL | Lone Star | 12 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 25 | 15 | +10 | 20 | 1.66 | 6th | 36th | DNQ | DNE |
| 2023 | NPSL | Lone Star | 11 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 8 | +28 | 30 | 2.72 | 1st | 3rd | Conference Finals | DNE |
| 2024 | NPSL | Lone Star | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | TBD | Third Round |
| Total | 23 | 16 | 5 | 2 | 61 | 23 | +38 | 50 | 2.17 | – | – | – | – | ||
Honors
NPSL
- Lone Star Conference Champions: 2023
References
- ^ "Lubbock Matadors Join the NPSL for the 2022 Season". Lubbock Matadors SC. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
- ^ "OWNERSHIP". Lubbock Matadors SC. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
- ^ "Lubbock Coaching Staff to Lead Matadors in Inaugural Season". Lubbock Matadors SC. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
- ^ "Matadors Fall Short In Historic Home Opener". Lubbock Matadors SC. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
- ^ "Tweet". Twitter. Retrieved 2023-07-12.
- ^ "Tweet". Twitter. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
- ^ Hadorn, Christopher (10 July 2023). "NPSL: Lubbock rolls past West Texas FC in regular season finale". Midland Reporter-Telegram. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
- ^ "Full Slate of 32 Open Division Underdogs Set for 2024 Open Cup | U.S. Soccer Official Website". www.ussoccer.com. 11 December 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
- ^ Soliz, Brandon (12 December 2023). "Lubbock Matadors selected to play in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tournament". KCBD NewsChannel 11 Lubbock. Retrieved 15 February 2024.