OKLAHOMA CITY – A shorthanded Mid-America Christian women's soccer team battled hard against one of the top women's soccer programs in the country in Science & Arts (Okla.), but could not overcome a pair of early second half goals by the Drovers as USAO escaped Evangel Field with a 3-2 win on Friday.

 
SCORING SUMMARY

• 1st Half
  • USAO – 28:39 - MacKenzie Holub (5) – USAO 1, MACU 0
  • MACU – 39:58 – Brooklyn Fink (2), Assist: Marga Franco – MACU 1, USAO 1
• 2nd Half
  • USAO – 51:19 – Laura Barrantes (1), Assist: Emma Rice – USAO 2, MACU 1
  • USAO – 67:50 – Emma Rice (9) – USAO 3, MACU 1
  • MACU – 85:45 – Kyleigh Gibson (6), Assist: Joanne Nakirya – USAO 3, MACU 2

 
MATCH SUMMARY

• Mid-America Christian (4-1) had the first great opportunity 22 minutes into the match when Brooklyn Fink put a fantastic cross from the right sideline into the left side of the six-yard box, but Kelsey Henry's header bounced just right of the goal to keep the match scoreless.
• Science & Arts (4-1) drew first blood when MacKenzie Holub was able to make a strong move near midfield and beat the Evangels defenders down the right side before firing in the go-ahead goal in the 29^th minute to bring the score to 1-nil.
• The Evangels battled back and were able to find the equalizer in the 41^st minute. The score was setup when Alex White drew a foul when she was tackled in the 18-yard box while trying to receive a pass from the left side, setting up an indirect free kick. Marga Franco tapped the ball to Brooklyn Fink and she blasted a 17-yard shot from the left side of the box to the top right corner of the net, sending the game into the half locked up at one.
• USAO's Laura Barrantes gave the advantage back to the Drovers just over six minutes into the second half with a header off an Emma Rice corner kick while Rice, the 2019 SAC Player of the Year added an insurance goal that ended up being the game-winner in the 68^th minute on a penalty kick to bring the score to 3-1.
• Despite being shorthanded for the final 14 minutes of the match after a red card on Fink reduced the Evangels' numbers down to 10, MACU refused to give up as Kyleigh Gibson pushed across her sixth goal of the season with a few minutes left. On the play, Joanne Nakirya was able to receive a pass on the right side and break away down the right side. Inside the 18-yard box, Nakirya dished it to Gibson sprinting alongside and precisely placed an eight-yard shot into the top right corner to cut the deficit to 3-2.

 
MATCH NOTABLES

• Science & Arts outshot Mid-America Christian by a 13-6 margin and a 6-3 edge in shots-on-goal.
• It was the closest match between the two squads in four seasons with the last one-goal differential coming on Oct. 21, 2016 when the Drovers defeated the Evangels in Chickasha by a score of 1-nil.
• It was also the first time the Evangels have scored multiple goals in the same match against the Drovers since a 6-3 defeat at Drover Field on Oct. 21, 2014.
• Mid-America Christian was able to keep the match close despite being without one of the top goal scorers in the NAIA in senior forward Liz Lozano, who missed her second straight match.

 
NEXT UP

• Mid-America Christian will have a couple of weeks to rest and recover as the Evangels will return to Evangel Field on Friday, Nov. 6 to take on Sooner Athletic Conference foe Oklahoma Panhandle State for a 1 p.m. match.