CHICKASHA, Okla. – The No. 22 Mid-America Christian men's soccer team bounced back from its second loss of the season in emphatic fashion as the Evangels scored five first half goals to come away with a 5-1 victory over Science & Arts on Saturday night at McLaughlin Field.
 
SCORE

• Mid-America Christian 5, Science & Arts 1
  • Mid-America Christian (11-2, 5-0 SAC)
  • Science & Arts (6-3-2, 2-2 SAC)

SCORING SUMMARY

• 1^st Half
  • MACU – 3:16 – Goal: Dante Luz (4), Assist: Luan Cesar – MACU 1, USAO 0
  • MACU – 6:33 – Goal: Carlos Castrejon (1) – MACU 2, USAO 0
  • USAO – 11:38 – Goal: Butch Hampton (1) – MACU 2, USAO 1
  • MACU – 26:21 – Goal: Luan Cesar (3), Assist: Dante Luz – MACU 3, USAO 1
  • MACU – 31:30 – Goal: Rodrigo Albuquerque (14) – MACU 4, USAO 1
  • MACU – 34:05 – Goal: Bruno Sperandio (1) – MACU 5, USAO 1

MATCH SUMMARY

• Mid-America Christian was aggressive in its attack right out of the gate. Early on in the fourth minute, Dante Luz broke down the right side of the 18-yard box before dishing it middle for Luan Cesar, who touched it back to Luz who fired an eight-yard strike to inside the left post to give the Evangels the early 1-nil advantage.
• Just three minutes later, Carlos Castrejon added to it when a left side cross went off a pair of Drovers defenders' head before corralling it in the box and putting the open shot into the left side of the goal to extend the edge to 2-nil.
• In the 12^th minute, the Drovers broke into the scoring column after a MACU foul was called just outside the 18-yard box, setting up USAO defender Butch Hampton for a 21-yard free kick to from the middle to just inside the left post to trim the Evangels' lead to 2-1.
• Mid-America Christian got the two-goal advantage back just five minutes later. After a handball was called on a Drovers defender inside the goal box, junior forward Rodrigo Albuquerque scored his fourth penalty kick goal of the season by putting through the left side of the net with 13:30 remaining in the half.
• In the 35^th minute, Bruno Sperandio capped off the MACU scoring. After a foul was called on USAO to the left of the 18-yard box, the junior mid fired a line drive free kick that bounced in through the six-yard box untouched to the right side of the goal to allow MACU to go into the half with a 5-1 advantage.
• Mid-America Christian primarily played possession style soccer in the second half as the Drovers in desperation mode could only muster five shots, two of which were on-goal in the second half.

MATCH NOTES

• Mid-America Christian finished the match with 18 shots with nine being on-goal while the Drovers attempted just six shots with three being on-goal. The biggest differential came in the first half when MACU held a 10-1 shot differential heading into the break.
• Five different Evangels scored in the contest, marking the third time MACU had five different players score in a single match during the 2020-21 campaign.
• Carlos Castrejon netted his first game-winning goal in his two seasons with the MACU men's soccer program.
• Rodrigo Albuquerque netting his 14^th goal of the season moved him into a tie for fifth on MACU's NAIA era single season goals record list with former teammate Pero Mikulic (2019).
• Since taking over the starting goalkeeper duties in the spring, Sven van den Oever improved to 6-1 for the Evangels after giving up a goal and notching two saves.
• The Evangels were able to get vengeance against the Drovers after USAO defeated MACU by a score of 3-2 at Evangel Field on Oct. 23.
• The last time Mid-America Christian won in Chickasha, Okla., the Evangels defeated Science & Arts 5-3 in penalty kicks to come away with the program's first ever Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament Championship on Nov. 9, 2018.
• In his second season at the helm of the MACU men's soccer program, the Evangels have yet to lose back-to-back matches under head coach Mitchell Sowerby. MACU bounced back from a 3-1 defeat at No. 1 Central Methodist on Tuesday, Mar. 9.

NEXT UP

• Mid-America Christian will return to Evangel Field on Tuesday, Mar. 16 to start a three-match home stand. The Evangels will face off against Oklahoma City for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.