OKLAHOMA CITY – After getting off to a 4-2 start to the 2019 regular season, the Mid-America Christian women's soccer team will open Sooner Athletic Conference play with a big time game against No. 11 Science & Arts (Okla.) at 1:30 p.m. on Friday at Evangel Field.
LAST TIME OUT
The Evangels are returning to the field after a 13-day break from their last match. MACU improved its win streak to four on Sept. 14 as the Evangels won back-to-back 7-0 games against Bethel College (Kan.) on Sept. 13 and crosstown foe Randall the following day. It was the first time in the program history that Evangels had won back-to-back games by seven goals or more.
Liz Lozano and Bayleigh Fink led the MACU offensive onslaught, as Lozano poured in four goals between the two games and Fink netted three goals for the Evangels attack. Even more impressive in the wins was Mid-America Christian's defensive efforts as the Threshers and Lady Saints combined to take just five shots and putting one on-goal in the two contests.
SCOUTING THE DROVERS
The 11th-ranked University of Science of Arts is off to hot start to the 2019 season, going 8-0 in non-conference play and outscoring opponents by a 36-1 margin in those eight matches.
Last week, the Drovers picked up a 3-0 win at home over Kansas Wesleyan on Sept. 17 before following it up with a 5-0 victory over Friends (Kan.) on Sept. 20.
Spearheading the USAO attack will be sophomore forward Emma Rice, who leads the team with 15 goals this season. The Norman, Okla. product has scored two or more goals in six of the Drovers' eight matches this season, which includes tying a career-high four goals in a 6-0 victory over Ottawa (Ariz.) on Sept. 14.
Makenzie Haloub has also played an intricate role in the Drovers attack this season, recording a team-high seven assists while ranking second on the team with 13 points.
The likely starter in goal for the Drovers will be Taylor Sorrell. Making starts in seven of the previous eight matches, Sorrell has conceded just one goal and recorded 19 saves with a .950 save percentage.
HISTORY WITH THE DROVERS
The Evangels will look to put past a rocky history with the powerhouse USAO program, falling in 12 of the previous 13 matches to the Drovers. In last year's matchup in Chickasha, USAO defeated MACU 8-0 and the last time the Evangels and Drovers met at Evangel Field, the Drovers came away with the 3-1 win.
The last time MACU defeated Science & Arts was on Oct. 5, 2010, as the Evangels pulled out a 3-2 win over the Drovers at Evangel Field.
LOOKING UP FOR LOZANO
Scoring just one goal for the Evangels in the previous four matches, Lozano was the key offensive figure for the Evangels attack in their last two matches against Bethel and Randall. After missing the Sterling match the week prior, Lozano came out on-fire in the Evangels home opener against Bethel. Lozano scored two goals on five shots, three of which were on-target. The Aguascalientes, Mexico native was just as sharp against Randall, tallying pair of scores on five shots, four of which were on-goal while also dishing out an assist. Lozano effectively doubled the offensive output from her three previous matches, taking just five shots and putting four on-goal compared to a combined 10 shots and seven on-target against Bethel and Randall.
FIRSTS FOR THE FINKS
Bayleigh and Brooklyn Fink shared a fantastic moment in the match against Bethel. Bayleigh scored her first collegiate goal and Brooklyn tallied her first career assist on the same play in the 26th minute against the Threshers. On the play, Brooklyn launched a throw-in from the right side to the middle of the goal box. The loose ball bounced over the Threshers defense, finding her sister Bayleigh, who kicked it into the left side of the net to make it a 3-0 Evangels advantage.
Bayleigh Fink scored again in the second half with a 52nd minute goal and added one more against Randall the following day with a seventh-minute score against the Lady Saints.
HOME SWEET HOME
Seeing action for the first time this season, freshman forward Nadia Santillan took advantage of the opportunities the last time out. The Oklahoma City native scored a goal in each of the two contests, the first coming in the 78th minute against Bethel College. On the play, Santillan received a beautiful cross from Sylvie Willie from the right side in the middle of the goal box and fired a well-placed shot in the top right corner of the goal, just out of the reach of the outstretched arms of the keeper to cap the MACU scoring at 7-0.
Santillan notched her second career goal against Randall in the 32nd minute when she launched a shot from the middle, just outside the goal box into the top right corner of the goal once again, extending MACU's advantage to 5-0 over the Lady Saints.
