OKLAHOMA CITY – Coming off a win at home against Bacone College earlier this week, the Mid-America Christian women's soccer team will look to stay aggressive on the attack as the Evangels return to Sooner Athletic Conference play by hosting Southwestern Assemblies of God at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
LAST TIME OUT
In the 11-0 victory over the Warriors on Tuesday, Mid-America Christian 6-3-1 (1-1-1 SAC) took a program-record 72 shots. Eight different players scored goals in the win, led by Ariadna Ramirez with the first five-point match of her career by tallying a pair of goals and an assist. Liz Lozano and Aimee Bland also scored two goals apiece to become the first match in the 2019 season where at least three different players scored multiple goals.
SCOUTING THE LADY LIONS
Southwestern Assemblies of God makes its way into weekend with a 2-8 overall record and an 0-3 mark against SAC competition. SAGU is coming off a heartbreaking loss to Wayland Baptist at home on Tuesday, falling 5-3 to the Pioneers after taking a 3-1 lead into the halftime break.
The focal point of the SAGU attack will be junior midfielder Natalia Torres and senior mid Natalie Solorio. Torres is the squad's top goal-scorer with six on the season for a team-best 15 points while Solorio has netted a pair of goals to go with a team-high three assists for a tally of seven points.
The goalkeeping duties have been split this season between Taylor Jackson and Sarah Palmer. Jackson has started in seven matches and has conceded 21 goals while making 58 saves for a 0.734 save percentage. In five contests, Palmer has given up 14 goals and made 40 saves for a 0.741 save percentage.
HISTORY WITH THE LADY LIONS
Mid-America Christian has fared well against SAGU since their first meeting in 2007, winning 11 of the 13 matchups, including the last two. In last season's matchup on Oct. 16, 2018, the Evangels netted four goals with Liz Lozano and Alex White each putting a goal across and goalkeeper Jennifer Starwalt made eight saves to lead MACU to a 4-1 victory.
LOTS AND LOTS OF SHOTS
In the win over the Warriors, the 72 shots taken shattered the previous school record of 59 that was originally set in an 8-0 victory at Texas College on Sept. 17, 2015. In the match, 17 of the 18 Evangels position players that participated took at least one shot with seven players taking five or more shots. Bland led all Evangels with nine shots while Ana Luiza Rodrigues took eight with seven being on-goal.
RECORD-SETTING PACE
With six matches remaining in the regular season, the MACU offensive attack is on a torrid pace to chase the program scoring record. Through the first 10 matches, the Evangels have netted 39 goals for a 3.9 goals per game average.
The only other time Mid-America Christian averaged more than three goals per match came during the highly successful 2017 campaign that saw the Evangels go 10-6 during the regular season before eventually going on to win NCCAA Central Region Championship and advance to the NCCAA National Championship Tournament.
The MACU offense has been paced by the dynamic duo of Lozano and Kyleigh Gibson with 21 points apiece. Gibson is the team's top goal scorer with nine thus far while Lozano has netted eight herself to go with a team-best five assists.
