OKLAHOMA CITY – After leading the No. 9 Mid-America Christian men's soccer teams to a pivotal season-opening 3-1 victory over Hastings on Friday, senior forward Mason Gonzalez was selected as the Sooner Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week on Monday.
In the win, Gonzalez scored the game-winning goal in the 76th minute, just 43 seconds after the Broncos scored the equalizer before adding an assist on Luan Cesar's insurance goal with 1:03 remaining.
It was the third time in his brief MACU career that Gonzalez tallied three points in a match, the last coming in a 3-1 win over Science & Arts in the SAC Semifinal on Apr. 6. The Fresno, Calif. native ended up earning his first SAC Offensive Player of the Week award following the SAC Championship match after also converting one of MACU's three penalty kicks in the postgame shootout to secure the league title for the second time in three years.
In his first match ever with the Evangels on Feb. 23, Gonzalez scored three goals to become just the 12th player since the program joined the NAIA in 2008 to tally a hat trick in a match as MACU went on to defeat Southwestern Assemblies of God 9-0 in the match.
Mid-America Christian will look to keep the ball rolling on their season tonight as the Evangels host Friends at Evangel Field for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.
