OKLAHOMA CITY – The No. 2 MACU men's soccer team will be setting its sights for its third straight Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament Championship on Friday night as the Evangels will take on third-seeded Science & Arts at 5 p.m. at the Dill Soccer Field.
 
MACU SEASON REPORT

• Record: 16-1-2
• Last Match: Won vs. (4) John Brown (Ark.) – 1-0 – Nov. 8, 2022 – Dill Soccer Field (SAC Semifinal)
• Top Performers:
  • Rodrigo Albuquerque – GR – F
    • 11 Goals, 4 Assists, 26 Points, 51 Shots, 24 SOG, 2 GWG
  • Ricardo Ferreira – SO – F
    • 11 Goals, 3 Assists, 25 Points, 39 Shots, 23 SOG, 5 GWG
  • Jack Price – SR – M
    • 5 Goals, 7 Assists, 17 Points, 34 Shots, 18 SOG, 1 GWG
  • Jeremi Abonnel – SO – GK
    • 16-1-2 W-L, 0.43 GAA, 43 Saves, .843 SV%, 12 SHO, 1 CBO
• Team Notes:
  • Mid-America Christian is coming off a thrilling finish in its SAC Semifinal match against fourth-seeded John Brown on Tuesday night. In the 1-0 victory, Ricardo Ferreira netted his team-best fifth game-winner of the season with a header off a gorgeous free kick pass from his brother Rodrigo Ferreira in the 87^th minute.
  • It is the second straight year that the Evangels defense frustrated the high-octane John Brown offensive attack in the SAC Semifinal. The Evangels held the Golden Eagles to a season-low five shots, placing just three on-target after holding JBU to just eight shots with one being on-goal in last year's 5-0 victory in the SAC semi on Nov. 8, 2021.
  • It is the third straight year the Evangels are hosting the SAC Conference Championship match. In last year's title bout, MACU topped crosstown rival Southwestern Christian by a score of 2-0 when Luan Cesar punched in the game-winner in the 38^th minute before Endri Copa headed in an insurance goal in the 60^th minute. In the championship clash with Central Christian two seasons ago, the two squads battled to a 0-0 draw after 110 minutes to force a postgame shootout. In PKs, Cesar, Dejue Johnson and Mason Gonzalez each netted scores while Sven van den Oever made a pair of clutch saves to seal the 3-0 final.
  • This year's title tilt is a rematch of the 2018 SAC Championship match played in Chickasha, Okla. on Nov. 9. After Kieran Chance scored the equalizer in the 65^th minute and the two teams played to a 1-1 draw after two overtimes, the Evangels earned their first SAC Tournament Championship after Simon Van Rheeden booted in the match-sealing PK to secure the 5-3 final in the shootout.

SCOUTING REPORT
(3) Science & Arts (Okla.)

• Record: 12-4-3
• Last Match: Won at (2) Southwestern Christian (Okla.) – 3-2 – Nov. 8, 2022 – Bethany, Okla. (SAC Semifinal)
• Series vs. MACU (2008-): USAO leads 11-6-3
• Last Match vs. MACU: Match Tied 1-1 – Oct. 14, 2022 – Chickasha, Okla.
• Players to Watch:
  • Justin Croke – JR – M
    • 10 Goals, 13 Assists, 33 Points, 73 Shots, 38 SOG, 3 GWG
  • Devon Charles – JR – F
    • 11 Goals, 1 Assist, 23 Points, 35 Shots, 20 SOG, 4 SOG
  • Gideon Bossman – SR – M
    • 6 Goals, 5 Assists, 17 Points, 40 Shots, 21 SOG, 2 SOG
  • Louis Owens – SO – GK
    • 4-1-1 W-L, 1.01 GAA, 20 Saves, .741 SV%, 2 SHO
• Team Notes:
  • Science & Arts put together a dominant offensive performance in the first half in its SAC Semifinal matchup at Southwestern Christian by netting three first-half goals before holding on for a 3-2 win at Cagle Family Field in Bethany, Okla. on Nov. 8.
  • The Drovers are led offensively by SAC Newcomer of the Year Justin Croke. The junior midfielder leads the SAC with 13 assists and has scored 10 goals for the second-highest point-total in the conference at 33. MACU will also need to focus on shutting down the team's top striker in Devon Charles, who has netted 11 goals during the 2022 campaign.
  • Since taking over the starting goalkeeper position during the midseason, sophomore stopper Louis Owens has provided a defensive spark by allowing only 1.01 goals per game, the third-lowest rate in the league and has saved 74.1 percent of the opposition's on-target shots.
  • The last time the two teams met this season back in Chickasha on Oct. 14, the Evangels needed to battle back from just their second deficit of the season when Gideon Bossman punched in the go-ahead goal for the Drovers in the 19^th minute. With 17:34 remaining, Luan Cesar fired a bullet into the bottom right corner on a PK after USAO was called for a hand-ball in the box to force the 1-1 draw.