NORMAN, Okla. – Despite the match being moved to Royal Field at Community Christian School due to hazardous field conditions, a short-handed No. 25 Mid-America Christian men's soccer team got back on the winning track by picking up a crucial 2-0 victory over Oklahoma Panhandle State Saturday afternoon.
Freshman defender Fabian Forisch scored his second game-winning goal of the season in the 20th minute while sophomore goalkeeper Austen Parker secured the top spot in the Mid-America Christian (12-2-1, 5-1-1 Sooner Athletic Conference) record book for the most shutouts in a season after pitching his ninth of 2019.
Oklahoma Panhandle State (8-5-2, 3-4-1 SAC) opened with the early momentum, getting the first look on-goal but Parker was able to make the save on Andres Munoz's shot seven minutes into the half to keep the Aggies off the board.
With 19:30 elapsed into the first half, Forisch launched a shot through the top right corner from the middle after Stephen Nganga found him open from the right side to take the 1-nil advantage.
The stifling Evangels defense allowed just one shot for the remaining time in the period, but Parker came up with another save in the 28th minute to allow MACU to take its 1-0 lead into the halftime locker room.
Mid-America Christian added some early insurance in the second half when Pero Mikulic placed a cross from the left side of the goal box to a waiting Rodrigo Albuquerque on the right side, firing in a shot past the keeper to extend the Evangels' edge to two.
MACU closed out the match with an 18-6 lead in shots, including 6-2 margin in shots on-goal. Mikulic and Kieran Chance led the MACU attack with four shots apiece.
The defense was also solid for the Evangels, allowing just six shots with only two finding the hands of Parker. On top of becoming MACU's season shutouts leader, Parker also matched Jakob O'Meara-Gill at the top of the MACU record book with his 12th win, improving his 2019 record to 12-2-1.
With the Sooner Athletic Conference regular season title on the line, Mid-America Christian will now prepare for a major showdown with conference leader John Brown at 7 p.m. in Siloam Springs, Ark. on Tuesday, Oct. 29.
