Lubbock Matadors Win Lone Star Conference Championship After Overtime Thriller

Once again, the Lubbock Matadors won the NPSL Lone Star Conference in 2024, beating foe West Texas FC 4–2 in overtime in Midland on Saturday night.

The playoff game was the third time these two teams had played each other this season. West Texas had won both of the regular-season games, including the most recent one, which gave them the top playoff seed. This time, though, it was the Matadors who stepped up in a "win or go home" situation.

A little more than 20 minutes into the game, Pablo Torre scored the first goal for Lubbock, giving them a 1-0 lead. West Texas scored early in the second half, and in the 59th minute, a well-placed shot beat Matadors goalie Andre Schlaefli to tie the game.

Once West Texas scored the equalizer, the momentum changed in their favor, and they scored again to take a 2-1 lead. Things were not over for the Matadors, though.

During extra time, the Matadors had a magical moment. The game ended in extra time with a score of 2-2 after a pass from Jack Thomas to Theo Butterworth, who scored the goal.

Butterworth did more great things in the first half of extra time. Ryan Naidoo missed a penalty kick, but Butterworth was in the right place to head home the rebound, giving Lubbock a 3-2 lead.

In the second part of extra time, Adam Aboohamidi scored for Lubbock, giving them a 4-2 lead that they would not lose.

With goals in both extra time and a crucial equalizer in dead time, the Matadors showed how tough and deep they are. Lubbock made history with their win; they won the Lone Star Conference Championship and continued their impressive playoff run.

With the energy of an exciting comeback win and their first-ever conference title, Lubbock moves on to the next round of the NPSL playoffs.

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