OKLAHOMA CITY – The 2019 Mid-America Christian men's soccer team pieced together its finest season in program history, which culminated in winning its first ever National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) National Championship in Kissimmee, Fla. on Dec. 7.
Under first year head coach Mitchell Sowerby, the Evangels won 20 games in a single season for the first time since the program's inception, going 20-3-1 after defeating Grace College (Ind.) 5-0 in the NCCAA National Championship match.
"The team really stepped up and bought into what we asked them to do during the season," said Sowerby. "Winning the NCCAA National Championship is a huge accomplishment, but I think it motivates us to be better for next year. We want to achieve more and raise the bar."
Mid-America Christian received the automatic berth and the No. 1 overall seed in the NCCAA National Championships after avenging a midseason loss to Southwestern Christian in the NCCAA Central Region Championship by pulling out a 6-3 victory over the Eagles at Evangel Field on Nov. 22.
In the first match of pool play at the national championships on Dec. 2, MACU was challenged by No. 9 seed Piedmont International, but Rodrigo Albuquerque's 69th minute goal ended up being the difference maker in a 3-2 victory.
The day after the match, the Evangels had to overcome adversity when senior forward Simon Van Rheeden was rushed to the hospital before being immediately flown back to his home in the Netherlands for further treatment after he was preliminarily diagnosed with pituitary macro-adenoma.
Despite losing their senior leader for the rest of the tournament, the Evangels rallied by dominating the rest of the way as MACU did not allow a single goal in the final three matches of the tourney.
Mid-America Christian advanced out of pool play after defeating Roberts Wesleyan (N.Y.) 2-0 on Dec. 4. Senior forward Allan Sorato pushed across the game-winner in the 75th minute and Pero Mikulic added some insurance with 1:50 remaining.
The Evangels faced Ottawa (Ariz.) in the NCCAA Semifinal in a drama-filled match on Dec. 6, but the biggest moment of the game came with just six minutes remaining as Dominik Tajak touched a pass to Mikulic on the right side of the box. The freshman forward dribbled around his defender and fired a shot into the bottom left corner of the goal to break up the scoreless tie and send MACU to the championship match.
The championship wasn't quite as suspenseful as MACU scored early and often. Sorato scored the game-winner in 13th minute before scoring another in the 23rd prior to Albuquerque netting a score a minute later, giving the Evangels a three-goal lead at the half before cruising to the 5-0 victory.
After the win, the Evangels were highly recognized with a program record five players receiving NCCAA All-American accolades, including senior midfielder Stephen Nganga being selected as the program's first ever Player of the Year while Sowerby was tabbed as Coach of the Year.
Albuquerque joined Nganga on the First Team while freshman defender Fabian Forisch and Sorato were Second Team selections and sophomore goalkeeper Austen Parker was a Third Team honoree. Previously, the most All-Americans MACU ever had in one season was three when Andrew Webster, Austin Custar and Kyle Pezant made the list in 2010.
Mid-America Christian also had a highly successful run in the Sooner Athletic Conference as the Evangels finished second in league play with a 7-1-1 record, placing only behind John Brown who went 8-1 against conference competition.
Since joining the SAC in 2007, it was the first time MACU had ever won seven league games as the previous best came in 2017 when the Evangels went 6-3-1 to place fifth in the conference standings.
Mid-America Christian was well represented in the SAC's postseason honors as well as nine players were named to the All-SAC Team, including junior defender Dejue Johnson who was selected as the SAC Defensive Player of the Year.
Joining Johnson on First Team was Parker, Sorato and Simon Wieschemann while Albuquerque, Carlos Castrejon, Forisch, Mikulic and Nganga were Second Team honorees.
The 2019 MACU men's soccer team shattered multiple NAIA era program records along the way, including goals scored (94), assists (81), points (267), shots (460), shots on-goal (235), goals against average (0.90) and shutouts (13).
In his first season at MACU, Parker was stellar in-goal for the Evangels. The sophomore keeper set the program records for wins, shutouts and goals against average as he played every minute during the campaign.
The Evangels also set several offensive marks. Forisch and Mikulic tied the NAIA era record for assists in a season with eight each, matching Willie Deleon and Raphael Bonelle's marks. Albuquerque and Sorato led the MACU goal scoring with 15 apiece, matching the second-most goals in a season with Bonelle's 2013 mark. Mikulic also set the fifth-best mark with 14 goals scored.
Mikulic and Sorato notched the third-best point scoring marks during the NAIA era with 36 apiece while Albuquerque's 34 notched the fifth-best mark.
Sorato is one of 12 seniors that highlights the winningest class in program history, a group that set several marks in the program record books. Tajak and Sorato graduate as the second and third-most prolific goal scorers in MACU history with 27 and 20 career goals respectively.
In his two seasons with the Evangels, Tajak will also leave MACU with the program record for career game-winning goals (9) while ranking second in points (61), shots (146) and shots on-goal (86).
In the NAIA era career assist book, Caleb Roldan leaves the program with the third-most at 14 after playing in a MACU record 76 matches over a four-year career. Van Rheeden also finishes his Evangels career with the fourth-most career assists with 12 in just two seasons wearing a MACU uniform.
"I've got a lot of respect and love for this senior class," Sowerby remarked. "As a first year head coach, this could have gone one of two ways, but they really bought in and they led the team from start to finish. For them, it's been an incredible journey to end it with a championship. They've left their mark and a legacy that will never be forgotten here at MACU."
