LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – The No. 9 Mid-America Christian men's soccer team opened the Labor Day Grizzly Classic in dramatic fashion as Mason Gonzalez headed in the golden goal during the 95^th minute in overtime to give the Evangels a 2-1 victory over Tennessee Wesleyan at the Grizzly Soccer Complex on Saturday afternoon.
 
SCORING SUMMARY

• First Half
  • TWU – 23:02 – Goal: Harry Baggaley (2) – TWU 1, MACU 0
  • MACU – 30:32 – Goal: Ricardo Ferreira (2), Assist: Eugenio Garcia Guerra – MACU 1, TWU 1
• Overtime
  • MACU – 94:02 – Goal: Mason Gonzalez (2), Assist: Ricardo Ferreira – MACU 2, TWU 1

MATCH SUMMARY

• First Half
  • Mid-America Christian was able to get a pair of early opportunities on-goal from Luan Cesar and Eugenio Garcia Guerra, but TWU freshman goalkeeper Michael Garrihy was able to keep the Evangels off the board with a pair of saves.
  • The Bulldogs were able to capture the first lead when Harry Baggaley was able to convert an Evangels turnover into a 24^th minute score to make it a 1-0 TWU advantage.
  • MACU was able to find the equalizer in the 31^st minute off an incredible play. On a deep cross from the right side to the left, Eugenio Garcia Guerra was able to knock the ball down and dribble around his defender, sending a cross into the box for a sliding Ricardo Ferriera, punching the ball through to the right post to bring the score to 1-1.
  • Mid-America Christian managed to muster three more shots on-goal, including one by Mateus Pasquantonio with 12 seconds left, but were unable to put the go-ahead goal across before the half.
• Second Half
  • MACU dominated the possession the entire second half, outshooting the Bulldogs 15-1 in the 45-minute stretch.
  • Tennessee Wesleyan had the chance at the game-winning goal in the 89^th minute, but freshman goalkeeper Jeremi Abonnel recorded his season-high third save to send the game into overtime.
• Overtime
  • In the 94^th minute, the Evangels were finally able to deliver the dagger when Ricardo Ferreira tracked down a ball about to go out the left side end line, sending it back into the air toward the right post for Mason Gonzalez, who headed it in just out of the reach of the keeper to seal the 2-1 walk-off victory.

MATCH NOTES

• Mid-America Christian dominated the possession of the contest, outshooting Tennessee Wesleyan 27-5 with a 14-4 margin in shots on-goal. The Evangels also attempted 11 corner kicks to just one for the Bulldogs.
• Ricardo Ferreira led the Evangels offensively with a goal and an assist for three points while Mason Gonzalez's golden goal tied Ferreira for the team-lead with two on the season.
• The golden goal was MACU's third in the last 10 months. In MACU's 1-0 victory at Southwestern Assemblies of God on Nov. 13, 2020, Rodrigo Albuquerque booted through the game-winner in the 94^th minute. The last winner in overtime came against Bethel (Tenn.) in the NAIA Opening Round when Mandela Singh-Sharpe scored it in the 109^th minute to seal a 3-2 victory on Apr. 24.
• The Evangels are off to their third consecutive 3-0 start to a season.

UP NEXT

• Mid-America Christian will face one of its toughest tests of the season when it takes on No. 16 Georgia Gwinnett for an 11:30 a.m. (10:30 a.m. CST) kickoff on Monday.