OKLAHOMA CITY – With the wind howling on Saturday afternoon at Evangel Field, Mid-America Christian University and Southwestern Assemblies of God University battled in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Central Region title match. The Evangels started the match playing into the wind, but that did not matter, as Kierra Morgan made a play to lift her team to the title.
Morgan scored in the 34th minute, and that proved to be enough, as MACU (12-7) punched their ticket to the NCCAA Division I Women's Soccer National Championship for the third time in four years, taking the 1-0 win over SAGU (11-9) who must now wait to see if they will secure an at-large bid to the Championship. The tournament field will be announced on Saturday night.
The Lions started out quickly with the wind at their backs. SAGU notched four shots in the first five minutes, including two on goal that had to be answered by MACU goalkeeper Jennifer Starwalt. SAGU eventually ran up a shot advantage of 11-2 in the half, but the Lady Evangels began to find their rhythm in the middle stages of the half, and in the 34th minute, they broke through.
Alissa Tapp played a ball into the box that went past Allyson Pamplin and was played by Morgan. Morgan then took two touches and shot it home into the left side netting to put MACU on top with her seventh goal of the season. SAGU pressed for an equalizer in the final 11:53 of the half, but all four of their shots were unsuccessful, and at intermission, MACU led 1-0.
SAGU had three chances to tie the score in the second half, but none was better than the one they got in the 74th minute. MACU turned the ball over to Nadine Jaimes – who was named the NCCAA's Central Region Player of the Year – and Jaimes took a shot that trickled just wide on the far post. Playing with the wind at their backs in the second stanza, MACU controlled the play for most of the frame, out-shooting SAGU 8-3, and the Evangels took the 1-0 win to punch their ticket to the NCCAA National Championship.
Starwalt (10-6) made six saves in the match, posting her sixth shutout of the season and her second of the Regional Championship. Sarah Palmer (11-9) took the loss in goal for the Lions.
The Lady Evangels will head to Florida, and they will open up the NCCAA Championship on either Monday, November 27, or Tuesday, November 28. The Lady Evangels will be placed in a three-team pool, and the top four teams from pool play will advance to the Semifinals on December 1, with the National Title Match slated for December 2. The Pools and schedules will be announced on Saturday Night.
