Oklahoma City, Okla. -- Coming off a school-record 16-3-1 regular season, the Mid-America Christian Lady Evangels received their due as co-head coaches Zach Bice and Evan Dresel were named Sooner Athletic Conference Co-Head Coaches of the year and six Lady Evangels garnered All-Conference honors, the league office announced today.
Leading the way for the Lady Evangels were first-team selections Melissa Dobie (Edmond, Okla.) and Julia Nimal (Owasso, Okla.).
Second-team MACU selections were forward Kassie Byrd (Noble, Okla), midfielder Nicole Farquhar (Mustang, Okla.) and defenders Lindsey Neher (Oklahoma City, Okla.) and Rachel Scott (Moore, Okla.).
Dobie was a four-time SAC Defensive Player of the Week receipient after posting a conference-best 0.70 goals-against-average and ranking third in saves (117) and saves per game (5.85). She also recorded 11 shutouts in the net this season.
Nimal scored 14 goals on the season, good for second on the team and fourth in the SAC. She also dished out a team-high eight assists, which tied her for seventh in the conference while also ranking fifth in points (36).
Byrd's team-high 16 goals on the season were tied for second in the conference and she was also sixth in the SAC with 35 points.
Farquhar tallied four goals and also led the Lady Evangels with four assists.
Neher and Scott were key defenders on a unit that allowed the fewest goals in the SAC this season. Scott even got in on the offensive act with three goals and two assists.
Bice and Dresel shared the Co-Head Coach honors with Okahoma City head coach Brian Harvey.
The Lady Evangels will now await their fate on a possible at-large berth into the NAIA National Tournament.
If MACU does not get it an at-large berth with the NAIA, it will compete in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Central Regional Tournament on Nov. 18-20 in McPherson and Lindsborg, Kan.
The Lady Evangels are currently the No. 1 seed in the regional tourney and would receive a bye in the first round. They would face the winner of the match between the fourth seed Colorado Christian and the fifth seed Central Christian College on Friday (Nov. 19) at 4 p.m. in McPherson, Kan.
