TAHLEQUAH, Okla. - The Mid-America Christian University men's soccer team looked to build on their preseason momentum on Friday night, heading on the road for a tough test in their final preseason exhibition match against NCAA D-II #22 Northeastern State University. The Evangels made a statement in the match, taking a 5-1 win over the Riverhawks.
Allan Sorato opened the scoring in the 19th minute of the match, when he got on the end of a combination play in the box and fired the ball into the open goal to give MACU a 1-0 lead.
Dominik Tajak netted his first goal of the night in the 33rd minute to double the lead, and MACU carried a 2-0 lead into halftime.
The Riverhawks got on the board on a penalty in the 68th minute, but that lit a fire under MACU in the final moments of the match. Tajak finished off another combination ball in the 76th minute to restore the Evangels' two-goal lead, and in the final 10 minutes, Simon Van Rheedan and
Kieran Chance each scored as MACU ran away with the win, 5-1.
Each of the Evangels' three goalkeepers played 30 minutes in the match, with
Liam Ward,
Austen Parker, and
Juan Cediel combining for four saves - two each for Parker and Cediel.
MACU will open their 2019 regular season on Friday, August 30, when they head to Arizona for a Laboy Day Weekend trip. The Evangels will take the field at Eagles Park at 7:30 central time, 5:30 mountain standard time, against Benedictine University-Mesa (0-0).