OKLAHOMA CITY -- Natalie Carter scored two goals as part of a three-goal first half to lead the Northwood University (Texas) Knights past the Mid-America Christian University Lady Evangels 4-1 in non-conference action Tuesday afternoon (Sept. 25) at MACU Soccer Field.  The next matchup between the two schools will be a conference match, with NU set to join the Sooner Athletic Conference next year. 

Kelly Machado wasted little time in getting the Knights (6-3) on the board, hitting from straightaway 20 yards out at the 7:30 mark. 

Just three minutes later, the Knights took a two-goal lead as Carter drew a foul in the box and nailed the penalty kick at the 10:25 point. 

Carter then rebounded her own shot off a save by Melissa Dobie to score in the 24th minute for a 3-0 cushion.

The Lady Evangels (4-3) tried to fight back as Chelsea Swisher fed Julie Nimal a cross to the middle of the box that Nimal put in with 21:02 remaining to make.  

But a score by Shanelle Warrick in the 78th minute put it away for the Knights. 

The Lady Evangels out-shot the Knights 23-22 overall, including a 15-9 edge in the second half.  The shots-on-goal were even at 13-13.

Nimal had a match-high 10 shots, with five on-goal, while Kassie Byrd recorded seven shots and three on-goal.  Carter and Rachael Knight each had five shots to pace the Knights. 

Dobie made nine saves for MACU and Hideka Shikata made eight stops for the Knights in 75 minutes of action.  Sanda Hernandez came on for the final 15 minutes and made three saves. 

The Lady Evangels will next play a pair of matches in the Sunflower state of Kansas, beginning with a stern test at No. 12-ranked Baker University on Friday afternoon (Sept. 28) at 2 p.m. in Shawnee Mission, Kan.