OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mid-America Christian women's soccer team was able to gain an early lead on No. 24 John Brown, but the Golden Eagles rallied with three unanswered goals to come away with a 3-1 win over the Evangels at the Dill Soccer Field on Tuesday night.
SCORING SUMMARY
- 1st Half – MACU – 12:33 – Goal: Kealy Juarez (3), Assist: Francesca Martella – MACU 1, JBU 0
- 1st Half – JBU – 20:12 – Goal: Aniyah Gibbs (1), Assists: Elise Bosma, Aubrey Winter – MACU 1, JBU 1
- 2nd Half – JBU – 74:24 – Goal: Lauren Walter (12), Assists: Elise Bosma, Bella Graber – JBU 2, MACU 1
- 2nd Half – JBU – 75:31 – Goal: Gifte Pavatt (2), Assist: Bella Graber – JBU 3, MACU 1
MATCH SUMMARY
- Mid-America Christian struck first on its first opportunity on-goal. After Kanasa Spybuck put a pass into the box from the right side, Francesca Martella was able to make a nice sliding play to stop it from getting to the foot of the defender before relaying it over to Kealy Juarez on the left side. Juarez fired a 15-yarder through the left post, out of the reach of the keeper to make it a 1-nil Evangels lead.
- In the 21st minute, John Brown found the equalizer. On a right-side corner kick from Aubrey Winter, the low line-drive kick found Elise Bosma on the near side, who flicked a heel kick cross toward the right post. MACU keeper Makayla Farquharson made a diving play to try and stop it, but the ball bounced off her hand and to Aniyah Gibbs, who, put the open six-yarder into the back of the net.
- Farquharson made a pair of saves in the 40th and 42nd minutes to keep the Golden Eagles from adding to their lead, but MACU had a pair of close opportunities in the final minute.
- With just under a minute remaining, Francesca Martella boomed a deep floater from the right side off a free kick that initially slipped through JBU goalkeer Chloe Griffin's hands, but she was able to fall back on-top of it before the Evangels could boot in the rebound.
- Immediately off the goalie's clearance, MACU immediately won the ball back as Jasie Eischen found Spybuck breaking wide open down the right side. However, Spybuck pushed her shot just a little left trying to slip the shot past the keeper crashing at the point of attack, keeping it to a 1-all game going into half.
- For a 17-minute stretch in the second half, JBU put together an offensive onslaught. Between the 56th and 73rd minutes, the Golden Eagles attempted 11 shots and put six shots on-goal, but Farquharson was able to stop every on-frame shot to keep the match tied.
- In the 75th minute, JBU was finally able to break through the MACU defense when Bella Graber delivered a midfield cross toward the top of the 18-yard box for Elise Bosma, who dished it to Lauren Walter toward the left side. From 24-yards out, the SAC's top striker rifled an incredible shot that pinged off the inside of the right post and in for her 12th goal of the season.
- A minute player, JBU scored an insurance goal when Graber's right-side corner found the foot of Gifte Pavatt on the left side of the box as she tapped in a six-yarder through to the left post to swell the Golden Eagles' lead to 3-1.
- JBU had opportunities to add to its lead, but Farquharson nabbed two more saves in the 79th and 80th minutes to keep it to a two-goal game.
- MACU's last chance came a minute later when Kadin Stinson delivered a pass from the top of the box toward Spybuck breaking into the right side, but her attempt on-frame was snatched by Griffin to ultimately seal the 3-1 final.
MATCH NOTES
- John Brown was able to control the offensive possession for most of the match, outshooting Mid-America Christian 22-10 with a 14-3 edge in shots on-goal.
- The goal scored by Kealy Juarez was her third of her freshman campaign, moving her into a tie for the team-lead with Kanasa Spybuck. Francesca Martella's third assist drew her even for the team-lead with Annika Gerdau while Spybuck tallied her first dime of the 2022 season.
- Despite giving up three goals in the match, junior goalkeeper Makayla Farquharson put together one of her best matches of the season by coming away with a career-high 11 saves for a .786 save percentage.
- Even though the Evangels came up short, MACU played its closest match against John Brown since 2017. The two-goal differential was the fewest in its meetings with the NAIA perennial power since a 2-1 loss in Siloam Springs, Ark. on Oct. 7, 2017.
- The loss dropped MACU to 4-9-1 overall and 3-2-1 in Sooner Athletic Conference play while John Brown improved to 9-4 with a 5-1 league mark.
UP NEXT
- Mid-America Christian will be back at home on Saturday as the Evangels will celebrate Senior Night. Kickoff is slated for 5 p.m. at the Dill Soccer Field.
- MACU will hold a ceremony to honor its five graduating seniors at 4:45 p.m.
