OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mid-America Christian University Athletic Department has officially unveiled its inaugural MACU Men's Soccer Team of the Decade on Tuesday.
After carefully evaluating each player's personal, statistical and team accomplishments, the MACU athletic administration tasked with compiling the list selected 10 standouts to the All-Decade Team, with the inclusion of a "Player of the Decade."
For a player to be accepted to the Team of the Decade list, he or she must have graduated from Mid-America Christian with at least a Bachelor's Degree between 2010-2019 and competed for at least one season between the 2009-10 and 2018-19 academic years. Any student-athletes that competed during the last decade that graduated in 2020 or later will be eligible for the 2020-2029 Team of the Decade list.
Listed below are the 10 student-athletes that were selected to the All-Decade Team, as well as 10 honorable mention players who were strongly considered or did not entirely meet the required criteria.
MACU Team of the Decade | Men's Soccer
Andrew Webster (CO-PLAYER OF THE DECADE)
Position: Defender
Years Competed: 2009-12 (four seasons)
An extremely skilled defenseman with strong leadership skills, Andrew Webster was selected as Co-Player of the Decade. A four-year player from Liverpool, England is easily one of the most decorated players in the history of the program, earning NCCAA First Team All-American accolades three times in his career, the only player in the history of the program to collect three All-American honors. Webster was also the first player in the NAIA era to be selected as an All-Sooner Athletic Conference performer, being named to the all-conference list four times with three First Team honors and one Second Team accolade. Webster led the MACU career record book for matches played with 73 for seven seasons. Webster scored five goals and dished out four assists in his four seasons, four of his goals coming during the 2012 campaign. Webster played a key role in the Evangels' first double-digit wins season in the NAIA era, as the MACU finished the 2009 campaign with an 11-10-1 record. In the 2009 NCCAA National Championships, Webster scored his first career goal, which helped the Evangels pull off the 3-2 win over Mid-Continent University to garner MACU's second ever win at the national meet on the NCCAA Division I level. Webster scored his first career game-winning goal in a 2-0 win over Bethel (Kan.) on Aug. 31, 2012 and headed in MACU's first goal in its NCCAA Central Region Semifinal match against McMurry (Texas) on Nov. 16, 2012. During the 2010 season, Webster was a key component in one of MACU's finest defensive seasons as the Evangels as a whole allowed only 25 goals for a 1.3 goals against average, which held as program record lows until 2017.
"It is a real honor to be selected to the men's soccer Team of the Decade," said Webster. "Thank you to Coach (Zach) Bice and Coach (Evan) Dresel for their trust in bringing me to MACU and for helping to make me a better player and person each and every day. Thank you to all of my teammates from over the years for making Oklahoma City feel like home. I played with some great players, had some unbelievable memories and made lifelong friends at MACU. I am thankful to God for the incredible opportunity to experience life in Oklahoma. MACU is truly a special place filled with lovely people and I cherish the time I was able to spend there."
"Andrew (Webster) was an exceptional leader," said former MACU Head Coach Zach Bice. "The interesting thing about Andrew was off the field, he was meek, humble and selfless, but come game time, he was locked in. He showed phenomenal leadership qualities that everyone gravitated to and rallied around. It was truly unique to see a guy who could flip the switch like that once he hit the pitch. He was one of those guys who could go up and get any ball and completely lock down the box. He left a massive impact on our program as a whole and he certainly is one of the best players to ever play at MACU."
Raphael Bonelle (CO-PLAYER OF THE DECADE)
Position: Midfielder
Years Competed: 2013-15 (three seasons)
A midfielder from Sao Paulo, Brazil, Raphael Bonelle was one of the best strikers to ever compete in a MACU uniform. During his three-year career with the Evangels, Bonelle set every NAIA era (2008-present) offensive record imaginable, including goals scored (37), assists (16), points (90), shots (248), shots on-goal (128) and notched the second-most game-winning goals (8). A two-time NCCAA Second Team All-American, Bonelle's best season came in 2013 when he scored the second-most goals in a single season with 15 to go along with a program-record eight assists for the second-most points at 38. Bonelle is the only player in the NAIA era to record three hat tricks, the first coming in a 5-4 win over Oklahoma Baptist on Oct. 8, 2013 and the next coming just eight days later in a 3-1 victory over Texas Wesleyan. On Sept. 19, 2015, Bonelle scored three of MACU's five goals in a 5-0 shutout at home over McPherson (Kan.). In a Sept. 17, 2015 match against Texas College, Bonelle scored a pair of goals and broke the MACU shots record with 13, becoming the only player in the last 11 years to place 10 shots on-goal. Bonelle is the only player in program history to ever score 10 or more goals in three seasons, holding a third of MACU's double-digit season scoring marks. Bonelle earned Sooner Athletic Conference honors in every year with the team, collecting First Team accolades in both 2013 and 2015 as well as Second Team honors in 2014, while also becoming just the second player in program history to collect three or more All-Conference awards.
"I had the chance to do what I love the most in life during college and that was playing soccer," said Bonelle. "I was able to make people happy and enjoy myself at the same time. God has led me in many paths that I am forever grateful for and for Him, I am always thankful."
"Raphael (Bonelle) was an exceptional talent for us at MACU," said Bice. "He had an ability to do some incredible things on the dribble. He was such a strong player as well. He could hold the ball and it was almost impossible to take it off him. He scored some special goals and was a fun player to watch. I also appreciated the fact that he had a desire to grow as a person. He was a good fit for the university."
Tyler McIntosh
Position: Goalkeeper
Years Competed: 2012-15 (four seasons)
A four-year starter in goal for the Evangels, Tyler McIntosh set the bar for goalkeeping within the MACU men's soccer program. The Sand Springs, Oklahoma native to this day still holds MACU's NAIA era career goalkeeping records, including: wins (30), saves (421), games played (71) and minutes played (6635) while recording the second-most shutouts (11), the third-highest save percentage (.740) and third-lowest goals against average (1.95). A two-time NCCAA All-American Honorable Mention selection, McIntosh recorded a program-record 128 saves on the second-highest save percentage (.815) during his freshman campaign, ending the year with a career-best 1.58 goals against average and four shutouts while compiling a 9-6-2 record. McIntosh followed it up with a stellar 2013 campaign, recording a career-high 11 wins and pitching four shutouts. Two of his four shutouts, including one over NCAA Division I Oral Roberts followed by a blanking of Friends (Kan.) helped garner MACU's first ever NAIA Defensive Player of the Week award. In a Oct. 28, 2014 match against John Brown, the NAIA and NCCAA Scholar-Athlete recorded a career-high 13 saves to finish just one shy of Cody English's school record for most saves in a single match.
Kevin Cabello
Position: Defender
Years Competed: 2012-15 (four seasons)
One of the best defensemen in program history, Kevin Cabello saw action in 56 matches over the course of his four-year career. During his freshman season in 2012, the Oklahoma City native helped spearhead one of the best defensive seasons in during the NAIA era as part of a backfield that pitched six shutouts in its 18 games and allowed a 1.6 goals against average. The following year, Cabello helped guide MACU to its first NCCAA Division I Central Region Championship win since 2009. The 6-5 defender scored his first game-winning goal of his career in the crucial 87th minute of a 3-2 victory over the Oklahoma City Stars on Oct. 25, 2013. Cabello wrapped up his stellar four-year career with 10 goals, the 11th-most set by an Evangels player during the NAIA era while his five assists helped him garner 25 points, the 12th-higest mark in the MACU record books. Cabello ended up setting NAIA era top 10 marks for both shots (82, ninth) and shots on-goal (37, 10th). After the 2013 campaign, Cabello was selected as an All-SAC Second Team honoree as well as an NCCAA Second Team All-American.
Oliver May
Position: Defender
Years Competed: 2017-18 (two seasons)
In his two seasons with the MACU men's soccer program, Oliver May helped lead the Evangels to two of the best years in the history of the program. In 2017, the Sheffield, England product was part of a backline that held opponents to an NAIA era record low 1.2 goals per game while pitching nine shutouts, a new program record until it was recently passed during the 2019 NCCAA National Championship season. The following season, May and the rest of the MACU defense held their opponents to only 1.2 goals per game and pitched eight shutouts while setting a new record for fewest goals allowed in a season with 23. May appeared in and started 40 games during the two-year stretch, scoring seven goals and seven assists for 21 points. In the 2017 NCCAA Central Region Championship, May scored the equalizer in the 70th minute to force the match into overtime and then into penalty kicks. May as also able to convert his PK attempt, but MACU fell just short to the eventual NCCAA National Champs. The following season, May recorded his only multi-goal game of his career in a 3-1 victory over Central Christian on Oct. 11, 2018. May played another crucial role in MACU's first ever Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament Championship and helped guide the Evangels to their first ever appearance in the NAIA National Championship Tournament. May was exceptional both on the field and in the classroom, collecting NCCAA Second Team All-American honors in 2018 as well as being named both an NAIA and NCCAA Scholar-Athlete.
Gleydson Neri
Position: Forward
Years Competed: 2015-16 (two seasons)
During the 2015 season, Gleydson Neri matched teammate Raphael Bonelle with 12 goals, the sixth-highest single season goals mark in the NAIA era as well as dished out the eighth-most assists with six to record the seventh-highest points mark at 27. After completing his two-year career with MACU, Neri ended the decade as the program's fourth-most prolific goal scorer (17) with the fifth-most game-winning goals (4) and the sixth-most points (40). Neri is one of just four players in the last decade to attempt more than 100 shots (119), also placing the fourth-most on-goal (58). The Lavras, Brazil native recorded five multi-goal games over a two-year stretch, the first coming in a 3-1 win over Grace (Ind.) on Aug. 25, 2015. In a 4-2 victory over Texas College on Sept. 23, 2015, the 5-11 forward scored a goal and an assist off a season-high eight shots, placing a career-best seven on-target for the fifth-best mark in the MACU record books.
Willy Deleon
Position: Midfielder
Years Competed: 2009-12 (four seasons)
During the 2012 season, Willy Deleon set the Mid-America Christian NAIA era record for most assists in a season, dishing out eight to help lead the Evangels to its second winning season in the NAIA era. Over the course of his four-year career, Deleon finished second in the MACU record books with 15 assists and with nine career goals, which currently ranks 10th in the MACU record books for points with 33. The Oklahoma City native ended the decade with the third-most attempted shots (128) and shots on-goal (61) and is one of only five players in the history of the program to play in at least 70 matches. In his first game with the Evangels, the speedy mid scored the game-winning goal in the 66th minute to propel MACU to a 2-1 victory over McPherson (Kan.) on Sept. 16, 2009. In a 3-2 win over Southwestern Christian on Sept. 20, 2012, Deleon recorded his first multi-assist game.
Peterson Neri
Position: Midfielder
Years Competed: 2013-15 (three seasons)
Joining his brother Gleydson on the list, Peterson Neri was a consistent performer in the MACU midfield in his three seasons with the program. Neri scored five goals in his MACU career, all of which coming in the 2013 season, but his best trait came in the role of a field general in his three seasons with the program. During the 2013 campaign, Neri helped lead MACU to a pivotal 3-1 win over Colorado Christian in the NCCAA Central Region Semifinal leading up to the Evangels' eventual 2-1 victory over Southwestern Christian in the regional championship match to advance to the NCCAA National Championships. The 6-2 mid from Lavras, Brazil came up clutch for MACU in a 5-4 victory over former Sooner Athletic Conference rival Oklahoma Baptist on Oct. 8, 2013 when he fired in the game-winner with just under four minutes remaining. Neri stayed close to the MACU program as he now serves as the Assistant Coach of the Mid-America Christian women's soccer program. In his first year in 2019, Neri helped mentor the Evangels to their second-winningest season in the NAIA era with a 14-6-1 record, which included a 4-0 victory over Southwestern Christian in the NCCAA Central Region Championship as well as a 4-0 win over Erskine (S.C.) in the first match of pool play at the NCCAA National Championships.
Javier Hernandez
Position: Defender
Years Competed: 2010-13 (four seasons)
In his four years with the Evangels, Hernandez was a consistent performer for MACU back field. The Oklahoma City product saw action in 68 matches over the course of his career, the sixth-most of any player in the history of the MACU men's soccer program while his 65 shots is the 14th-most taken during the NAIA era and his 37 shots on-goal is tied for the 10th-best mark. In his first season with the program, Hernandez was part of a defense that gave up only 25 goals for a 1.3 goals against average, which held up as the lowest average until the 2017 season. The 5-10 defender was also instrumental in guiding MACU to back-to-back winning seasons in 2012 and 2013 with 9-7-2 mark and a 11-9-1 records, respectively. Hernandez was a stellar all-around student-athlete as he graduated from Mid-America Christian with both NAIA and NCCAA Scholar-Athlete accolades in 2012 and 2013.
Bryce Jantz
Position: Forward
Years Competed: 2006-09 (four seasons)
Bryce Jantz helped usher the Mid-America Christian men's soccer program into the NAIA era. The Woodward, Oklahoma native helped guide MACU to back-to-back NCCAA Central Region Championship wins, its first at the Division I level. Jantz led the team in scoring both seasons, tallying nine during the 2008 season and coming back with eight in 2009. His 17 career goals during the NAIA era still ranks as the fourth-best mark even 10 years later while his 39 points places him seventh on the all-time list. On Sept. 13, 2008, Jantz became the first player in the NAIA era to record a hat trick, scoring three goals to lead the Evangels past Sterling (Kan.) by a score of 5-2, all the while garnering the program's first ever SAC Player of the Week honors. In MACU's first season at the NCCAA Division I level in 2007, Jantz scored 20 goals and was named an NCCAA All-American Honorable Mention selection.
Honorable Mention
(Were strongly considered through the nomination process or didn't completely meet the requirements)
Djibril Fofana (2017-18)*
Jakob O'Meara-Gill (2015-17)
Austin Custar (2009-10)*
Jeremiah Huff (2009-11)
Andy Ochoa (2016-17)
Daniel Gallegos (2009-11)*
Kyle Pezant (2008-10)
Darko Nikolic (2015-16)
Brad Bennions (2017-18)
John Gonsalves (2008-11)
* - did not meet criteria
