OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mid-America Christian University Athletic Department is proud to announce its first ever MACU Women'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 2019-2029 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 | Women's Soccer
Julia Nimal (PLAYER OF THE DECADE)
Position: Forward/Midfielder
Years Competed: 2009-12 (four seasons)
A four-year competitor for the Evangels, Julia Nimal finished the decade as the program's all-time leading point scorer (132), assist leader (30), shots (404) and shots on-goal (215) leader, and is only one of two players to ever score 50 or more career goals (50). The Owasso, Oklahoma native led the Evangels to their winningest season in program history in 2010 as MACU finished the campaign with a 16-4-1 record and placed third in a highly competitive Sooner Athletic Conference. During that season, Nimal led the team with eight assists and 36 points while finishing second in goals scored with 14. Over the course of her four-year career, Nimal pushed across 11 game-winners, which included the go-ahead goal in MACU's 3-0 win over Southwestern Christian in the 2012 NCCAA Central Region Semifinal. During the 2011 season, Nimal garnered SAC Offensive Player of the Week honors after she tied a career-high three goals in MACU's 5-0 win at Southwestern (Kan.) on Sept. 14 and three days later followed it up with a two-goal effort to propel MACU to a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over McPherson (Kan.). Nimal has notched three hat tricks in her illustrious career, the first coming in the final regular season match of her freshman season in a 5-0 victory over Oklahoma Wesleyan before picking up one more in a 5-1 win over Oklahoma Christian on Oct. 12, 2010. Nimal holds three of the program's NAIA era top 10 season records for goals scored, assists, points, shots and shots on-goal. At the conclusion of her Evangels career, Nimal was the only player to this date to be selected as a three-time NCCAA All-American, collecting First Team honors in 2010 and 2011 and Second Team accolades in 2009. Nimal was also the only player to earn All-SAC First Team honors in all four years with the program while also being named a two-time NAIA and NCCAA Scholar-Athlete.
"It's such an honor to receive this award," said Nimal. "I can't say thank you enough to Coach (Zach) Bice and Coach (Evan) Dresel for investing in me on and off the field. Thanks to the best teammates that made this possible and the friendships that came from my time at MACU. We will always share a bond for which I am thankful. MACU holds such a special place in my heart and this only makes it even more special."
"We knew from the first practice with Julia that she was going to be a player that would move our program forward," said MACU Head Coach Evan Dresel. "Her talent was second to none and she was an even better person. Out of all the female players I've ever coached, I don't think I've ever seen someone that can strike a ball like her. She was an incredible goal scorer for teams that went on to have some of the most successful seasons ever at MACU."
Kassie (Shivers) Byrd
Position: Forward
Years Competed: 2009-12 (four seasons)
Joining Nimal on the list is the Evangels' all-time leading goal scorer in Kassie Byrd. Over the course of her four-year career at MACU, Byrd scored 58 goals as well as finished second in the NAIA era record books for points with 130 points and game-winning goals with 12. At the conclusion of the decade, the Noble, Oklahoma product finished second in the MACU record books for the most shots taken (374) and placed the second-most shots on-goal (374). During the 2011 campaign, Byrd scored a career-high 19 goals to notch the second-most goals scored in a single season in the history of the program while her 41 points that year ranks third in the books. The stellar forward played an enormous role on MACU's record-setting 2010 season where the Evangels recorded a program-record 16 wins, serving as the team's leading scorer with 16 goals, the sixth-highest single season mark during the NAIA era. During her tenure at MACU, Byrd notched a pair of three-goal games. The first came in a 5-0 victory over McPherson (Kan.) on Sept. 25, 2010 while the other came in a big 4-1 win over NCAA Division II Western State (Colo.) on Sept. 22, 2012. A few weeks later, Byrd helped the Evangels spark one of the biggest upsets in MACU women's soccer history. In a matchup with No. 4 Oklahoma City on Oct. 2, 2012, Byrd scored the go-ahead goal in the 51st minute, but her biggest play of the game came in the 95th minute of overtime when she found teammate Chelsea Swisher for the assist on a breakaway golden goal seal the victory. Another one of Byrd's biggest goals came in a big upset victory over Rogers State during her freshman season. In the 62nd minute, Byrd placed a header off a corner kick to put MACU in-front for good by a 2-1 score at Evangel Field on Oct. 27, 2009. By receiving her second NCCAA First Team All-American honor in 2011, Byrd is one of just two players in program history to receive multiple All-American awards. She is also one of just four players since joining the Sooner Athletic Conference to be a three-time All-SAC selection, collecting First Team accolades in 2011 while being a Second Team selection in 2010 and 2012.
Chelsea Swisher
Position: Forward
Years Competed: 2011-14 (four seasons)
Another stellar striker for the Evangels, Chelsea Swisher not only set several MACU NAIA era scoring marks, but also helped lead Mid-America Christian to its first ever NCCAA Central Region Championship win. At the end of the decade, the Moore, Oklahoma native ranks third in the NAIA era for career goals scored (49) as well as second for assists (26) to become only the third player in the history of the program to eclipse the 100-point mark (125). During the 2013 campaign, Swisher set the NAIA era single season record assist (14) and points (53) marks while tying Byrd's single-season goals (19) record before it was eclipsed by Brittney Stephens in 2017. Swisher became the first Evangels player since joining the Sooner Athletic Conference in 2008 to record four hat tricks, the first coming in a 6-2 win over Houston-Victoria on Sept. 7, 2013 before getting another later in the season in a 6-0 win over Southwestern Christian on Oct. 18. Swisher opened the 2014 season with a hat trick in a 10-0 victory over Jarvis Christian before racking up another three-goal effort two weeks later in a 7-0 win against Texas College on Sept. 15, 2014. In a 6-1 victory over Southwestern (Kan.) on Sept. 14, 2013, Swisher set MACU's single game assist record with five and tied Caroline Yowell's 2008 second-best mark of three against Johnson & Wales (Colo.) on Oct. 12, 2013. Swisher was selected as an NCCAA Second Team All-American in 2014 and was a three-time All-SAC First Team honoree in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Swisher also earned both NAIA and NCCAA Scholar-Athlete accolades in 2013 and 2014.
Brittney Stephens
Position: Forward
Years Completed: 2015-18 (four seasons)
An elite level striker in the MACU women's soccer program, Brittney Stephens helped lead MACU to a pair of NCCAA Central Region Championships in 2015 and 2017. During the 2017 season, not only did Stephens help lead MACU to its most prolific offensive season of the decade by scoring 67 goals, Stephens scored nearly a third of the team's goals with a single season program record of 20 while her 45 points that year is the second-most during the NAIA era. Stephens ended her four-year playing career with 43 goals and 93 points, the fourth-highest marks in the last 11 years and her eight assists is tied for the ninth-most by any player in the history of the program. Stephens could be considered one of the most clutch performers in the history of the program as she is the squad's NAIA era record holder for career game-winning goals with 14. On Sept. 23, 2017, the Moore, Oklahoma native tied Kaci Power's second-best single match goals record with four in the victory and followed it up with another four-goal effort in a 12-1 win over Bacone (Okla.) on Oct. 10, 2017. Stephens came up with one of the biggest goals in the history of the program on Nov. 16, 2017 as she scored the golden goal in the 103rd minute of double overtime against Colorado Christian in the NCCAA Central Region Semifinal. During her freshman season, Stephens had a breakout game for the Evangels at the NCCAA National Championships. In a 6-0 win over Columbia International (S.C.) in the second match of pool play, Stephens scored a pair of goals to secure the pool win for MACU, allowing the Evangels to advance to their first ever NCCAA National Championship Semifinal. Stephens was selected as a NCCAA Second Team All-American in 2017 while garnering All-SAC Second Team honors in 2017 and 2018.
Melissa Dobie
Position: Goalkeeper
Years Competed: 2009-12 (four seasons)
Serving as the Evangels starting goalkeeper for three seasons, Melissa Dobie set almost every MACU goalkeeping record during the NAIA era. The Edmond, Oklahoma product holds the career marks for saves (341), goals against average (1.23), wins (34), shutouts (24) and minutes played (5166). Dobie helped lead MACU to its best defensive season in program history when the team allowed just 16 goals in 21 matches during the 2010 campaign for a 0.8 goals against average, pitching a program-record 13 shutouts in the process. In that successful campaign, Dobie made 119 saves for a program-best .881 save percentage while allowing a record low 0.76 goals against average and pitching a single season record 11 shutouts. In a Oct. 30, 2010 matchup at Oklahoma Baptist, Dobie recorded the NAIA era record for most saves in a shutout with 12 to allow the Evangels to escape with a scoreless draw. In a critical matchup against No. 4 Oklahoma City on Oct. 2, 2012, Dobie put together one of the best performances of her career by recording 14 saves, the fourth-most in a single match during the NAIA era to allow the Evangels to pull the 2-1 upset victory. The keeper was instrumental in leading MACU to its first ever Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament win, registering 10 saves in a 2-0 shutout victory over Oklahoma Baptist in the SAC Quarterfinal match on Nov. 6, 2010. Dobie played a vital role in the Evangels locking up their highest ever SAC finish just four days prior, pitching a four-save 1-0 shutout over former SAC power Rogers State to lock up the No. 3 seed. To this day, Dobie still holds the MACU record for most Sooner Athletic Conference Player of the Week awards, collecting five SAC Defensive Player of the Week honors, four of which set during the 2010 campaign. Dobie was named an NCCAA Second Team All-American in 2010 while garnering All-SAC First Team accolades in 2010 and 2011.
Cici Mitchell
Position: Forward
Years Competed: 2013-15 (three seasons)
In her three seasons with the MACU women's soccer program, Cici Mitchell was a consistent performer year-in and year-out, scoring double-digit goals in all three years with the team. The Midwest City, Oklahoma product closed out the decade as MACU's sixth-most prolific goal scorer (37), while finishing third on the career assist list (19) and fifth on the career points list (93). Mitchell's best season as an Evangel came in 2014 when she tied a career-high 13 goals and notched the fourth-most assists in a single season during the NAIA era with nine to tally the eighth-most points with 35. In MACU's season-opening match against Jarvis Christian on Sept. 2, 2014, Mitchell recorded her first career hat trick and dished out a pair of assists to tie Kaci Power's single match points record at the time with eight. In MACU's 7-0 win over Texas College two weeks later on Sept. 15, Mitchell recorded a career-high three assists, the second-most in a single match in the NAIA era. While recording seven game-winning goals in her career, Mitchell was a clutch performer in the postseason with three of them coming in the NCCAA Central Regional and National Championships. In MACU's 2-0 win over Colorado Christian in the 2014 NCCAA Central Region Championship, Mitchell kicked in the go-ahead goal in the 17th minute off a free kick to help propel MACU to its first ever NCCAA National Championship meet. In the 2015 regional championship, Mitchell came up clutch once again. Not only did she record an assist on Power's go-ahead goal, but scored the eventual game-winner in the 69th minute to propel the Evangels to a 2-1 win over Southwestern Assemblies of God. At the NCCAA National Championships, Mitchell scored the go-ahead goal against Columbia International to allow MACU to win its pool and advance to the program's first ever NCCAA National Semifinal. Mitchell garnered NCCAA Third Team All-American honors in 2015 and was named to the All-Sooner Athletic Conference Team twice, as she was awarded Second Team in 2014 and First Team in 2015. Mitchell also collected NCCAA Scholar-Athlete honors twice in 2014 and 2015.
Rachel Lynn
Position: Defender
Years Competed: 2012-15 (four seasons)
A four-year starter on the MACU women's soccer backline, Rachel Lynn played in the third-most matches of any player in program history with 79, starting in all but one of those matches. The Moore, Oklahoma native helped lead the defense to three straight winning seasons between 2013-15, which included back-to-back NCCAA Central Region Championships in 2014 and 2015. Lynn played a big role on the defensive side during MACU's 2015 NCCAA Tournament run that saw the Evangels record the third-lowest goals against average (1.4) in the history of the program as well as helped the defense record nine shutouts during the 2014 campaign, the third-most clean sheets during a single season during the NAIA era. The Evangels defense was particularly strong late in the 2015 season as Lynn helped spearhead a backfield that gave up only three goals in their five matches during both the NCCAA Central and National Championship Tournaments. At the conclusion of her career, Lynn had garnered 2015 NCCAA Second Team All-American accolades while also receiving a pair of NAIA and NCCAA Scholar-Athlete awards.
Kaci Power
Position: Forward/Defender
Years Competed: 2011, 2013-15 (four seasons)
In her four seasons with the MACU women's soccer team, Kaci Power was a potent scorer on the Evangels frontline. Over the course of her career, the Bixby, Oklahoma native scored the fifth-most goals with 39 while also recording the eighth-most assists (9) to finish with the sixth-most points (87) in the NAIA era. Power's best season with the Evangels came in 2015, when she recorded 17 goals to lead the team and set the fourth-best single season mark during the NAIA era while her 36 points that season is tied for the sixth-highest mark. In a Sept. 15, 2015 match against Texas College, Power became the first Evangels player to ever score five goals in one match and is one of only two players in the program to ever score at least four goals in two matches when she pushed four across in a 5-0 victory over College of the Ozarks on Sept. 20, 2013. Over the course of her career, Power scored 11 game-winning goals, but the biggest came at the 2015 NCCAA National Championships when she pushed across the golden goal in the 108th minute of double overtime to stun Warner (Fla.) 2-1 in the opening match of pool play. She followed it by scoring one of MACU's six goals in a 6-0 win over Columbia International (S.C.) to help propel the Evangels to their first ever NCCAA Semifinal in program history. Her five game-winners in that 2015 season was the second-most in the MACU record books, the first coming on a 36th minute score against Texas Wesleyan to secure the 1-0 victory. Power's 94th minute golden goal in overtime against SAGU allowed the Evangels to come away with a 2-1 win on Oct. 20 and a week later pushed cross a 74th minute goal to propel MACU to a 4-3 victory over Southwestern Christian. Power claimed NCCAA Third Team All-American honors at the finish of the 2015 season.
Nicole Farquhar
Position: Forward
Years Competed: 2008-11 (four seasons)
A consistent four-year starter for the Evangels over the course of her career, Nicole Farquhar helped lead the Evangels into its transition to the NAIA and Sooner Athletic Conference. The Mustang, Oklahoma native was a key piece of the 2010 team that to this day still holds the program's NAIA era record for overall wins (16) and conference wins (8). Over the course of her career, Farquhar ranks fifth in the NAIA era for career assists (13) and scored 13 goals to finish with the ninth-most points (39). During that 2010 campaign, Farquhar scored three game-winning goals, the first coming with an 87th minute score against Northwestern Oklahoma in a 2-1 victory on Oct. 15. Farquhar came up with another crucial game-winner at Southern Nazarene 11 days later with a 71st minute score to allow MACU to come away with another 2-1 win. In a rematch with Oklahoma Baptist in the Sooner Athletic Conference Quarterfinal, Farquhar scored the go-ahead goal early in the ninth minute to allow the Evangels to record their first ever SAC Tournament win by a 2-0 score over the Bison. Farquhar finished her MACU career as a three-time All-SAC honoree, scoring Second Team accolades in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
Rachel Scott
Position: Defender
Years Competed: 2007-10 (four seasons)
On the defensive side, Rachel Scott not only helped lead a highly successful transition to the Sooner Athletic Conference for the Evangels, but she was one of the key pieces in a back line that put together the best defensive season in the history of the program. During the 2010 season, the Moore, Oklahoma product helped guide the Evangels to not just their winningest season with 16 victories, but the defense as a whole allowed a program-record low 16 goals for a 0.8 goals against average while pitching 13 shutouts in MACU's 21 contests. While primarily contributing on the defensive end, Scott was able to pitch in offensively as well, scoring six goals and dishing out three assists during her three years that the program was a part of the NAIA and Sooner Athletic Conference. During the 2010 season, Scott scored the Evangels first goal of the campaign off a penalty kick to help lead MACU to a 6-0 victory over Southwestern Assemblies of God on Aug. 25. Scott was able to take advantage of the limited opportunities, scoring a career-high three goals on 10 shots during that 2010 season. In MACU's inaugural NAIA season, Scott scored the game-tying goal in the 39th minute against Southwestern (Kan.) on Sept. 20 before teammate Caroline Yowell came up with the game-winner with seven minutes left to secure the 2-1 victory. Scott, alongside teammate Nicole Farquhar were selected as MACU's first ever All-Sooner Athletic Conference honorees, collecting Second Team honors in both 2009 and 2010.
Honorable Mention
(Were strongly considered through the nomination process or did not completely meet the requirements)
Jordan Stanbrough (2016)*
Casey Riley (2017-18)*
Alex Macias (2012-15)*
Lindsey Neher (2008-11)
Michelle Medina (2010-13)
Madison Donihoo (2016-17)
Kaitlyn Whitten (2013-15)
Taylor Moseley (2013-16)
Briana Jezioro (2012-15)
Kayla Baldwin (2012-15)
*- did not completely meet criteria
