OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mid-America Christian University women's soccer team brought an unbeaten home record into a pivotal match with Southwestern Assemblies of God University. The match proved frustrating in more ways than one, and the Lady Evangels were unable to continue that trend.
MACU (9-4, 4-3 SAC) was unable to get anything going offensively in the first half, and SAGU (9-7, 5-3 SAC) got a late goal to take a 2-1 win.
SAGU controlled play for much of the first half, and in the 30th minute, the Lions cracked the scoresheet. Rachel Freed re-directed a shot from Nadine Jaimes past the left hand of MACU goalkeeper Jennifer Starwalt to put SAGU up 1-0. The Lions kept the Lady Evangels hemmed into their own end for much of the rest of the half, and at intermission, the Lions led 1-0.
When the teams switched ends, the Lady Evangels also got the benefit of having the wind at their backs, and they immediately threatened to level the score. Casey Riley created a chance on a free kick less than a minute into the second frame, and in the 48th minute, MACU caught a break off a corner kick. Kelsey Janko sent a corner kick into the box, and SAGU's Mariah Sanchez attempted to head the ball clear, but she inadvertently headed it into her own goal, leveling the score at 1-1. The Lady Evangels appeared to take the lead in the 78th minute, when Allyson Pamplin fired a shot past SAGU netminder Sarah Palmer, but Pamplin was ruled to have been offside, so the match remained tied.
With overtime on the horizon, the Lions struck in the 85th minute. Jaimes took a pass as the Lady Evangels attempted to trap the Lions offside, and she raced 40 yards into the box, made a move on a defender, and beat Starwalt to put SAGU on top 2-1. MACU pressed late, trying to find the equalizer, but despite creating chances on a free kick from Riley and a late corner kick, MACU was unable to solve the Lions' defense, and time expired as MACU tried to line up for a last ditch corner kick, leaving the Lady Evangels with the 2-1 defeat.
Starwalt (7-3) made eight saves in the loss, and Palmer (9-7) made nine saves in the win.
MACU will be back in action at home on Friday afternoon, when they welcome the Drovers of the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma (13-2-1, 8-0 SAC) to Evangel Field. The match is scheduled to kick-off at 1 p.m.
