OKLAHOMA CITY – Coming off the program's fifth NCCAA Division I Central Region Championship in the last eight years, the Mid-America Christian women's soccer program will be looking to build upon that success with the signing of 17 standouts to join the team for the 2022 campaign.
"I am very excited about this group," said MACU head women's soccer coach Anthony Yousey. "We brought in 17 new players that I think will be very exciting to watch. We have added a lot of pace, goal scoring ability and experience to the roster that should bring a level of excitement here to MACU."
Of the incoming players, 12 of which are collegiate transfers while five will be making their collegiate debut out of high school this fall.
Five of the incoming transfers bode from Barton County College, a squad that finished the year with a 13-4-1 record while competing at the NJCAA Division I level and will be joining former Cougars teammates Daniela Paez and Kadin Stinson on the roster. That group consists of sophomore forward Annika Gerdau, sophomore midfielder Francesca Martella, junior defender Mercy Azanapo, sophomore defender Silvia Cinque and sophomore midfielder Mariah Alonso.
Last season, Gerdau was the team's top striker, finishing the season with 12 goals and five assists for a team-best 29 points. The Steele, Germany product hit the net with precision in her 2021 season, as 34 of her 57 shot attempts landed on-goal. As a result, Gerdau garnered All-KJCCC West First Team honors.
Also earning All-KJCCC West First Team acclaim, Azanapo as well as All-KJCCC Second Team honoree Cinque patrolled a backline that allowed just 1.67 goals per game on 17.7 shots per game. Both players also contributed to the offensive production as well as Cinque scored three goals and an assist while Azanapo pitched in two goals and assist from the backfield.
Martella also made her mark on the offensive end of the field as one of five players to tally more than 10 points. The 5-4 mid netted four goals and dished out five assists to finish with 13 points to earn All-KJCCC West Second Team accolades.
The Evangels also brought in three talented players from one of the top NJCAA programs in the country in Cowley College, a program that finished the 2021 campaign with a 15-1-2 overall record and placed ninth in the NJCAA Division I Top 20 Poll.
Junior goalkeeper Makayla Farquharson comes to MACU after putting together a sensational season in net for the Tigers as one of the top goalkeepers in the country. The Kitchener, Ontario, Canada product earned All-KJCCC First Team accolades after wrapping up the year with a 0.74 goals allowed average, the 13th-lowest at the NJCAA Division I level and made 39 saves for a .780 save percentage.
Junior defender Michaela Seahorn will also help shore of the MACU defense after earning All-KJCCC Second Team honors for the Tigers squad that allowed just 12 goals on a 0.68 goals allowed average.
Sophomore midfielder Anna Beatriz will also look to provide some offensive depth for the Evangels out of Cowley as she netted a pair of goals in 12 games last season.
The Evangels added four other transfer standouts, which include NCAA Division II UT-Tyler standout Bruna Faleiro, Jacksonville College goalkeeper Rachel Torres, Brazilian Club star Deborah Silveira and Southwestern Christian forward Keiley Parsons.
Of the five incoming high school players, Westmoore defender Cammy Hargrove continues the trend of great Jaguars players bringing their talents to MACU. Hargrove helped lead WHS to a 10-6 record during the spring 2022 campaign while being named an All-State alternate.
Two more local talents, Yukon High midfielder Jasie Eischen and Guthrie High forward Makayla Deloney will be looking to make some strong contributions to the roster in the 2022 season.
Another strong high school standout that MACU women's soccer will look to implement in its attack is Randall High School wing Kealy Juarez, who makes her way to Oklahoma City from Amarillo, Texas.
The MACU women's soccer team will see its first action of the season on Aug. 13 as the Evangels will travel to Oklahoma Baptist for a pre-season scrimmage before officially kicking off the season with a high-profile matchup at the Dill Soccer Field on Aug. 18 against NCAA Division I Tulsa.
