MSOC Bethel Pregame - 8/20/22

Men's Soccer Adam Stanek - MACU Sports Information

Men’s Soccer to Battle Bethel in Season-Opener

OKLAHOMA CITY – The No. 8 Mid-America Christian men's soccer team is set to open the season on Saturday night as the Evangels host Bethel (Kan.) for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff at the Dill Soccer Field.
 
MACU SEASON REPORT
  • 2021 Record: 19-1-1 (8-0-1 SAC)
  • Last Match: Lost vs. Marymount California – 3-2 – NAIA Opening Round – Nov. 18, 2021 – Costa Mesa, Calif.
  • Stat Leaders:
    • Rodrigo Albuquerque – SR – 15 Goals, 9 Assists, 39 Points, 85 Shots, 47 SOG, 5 GWG
    • Luan Cesar – JR – 11 Goals, 3 Assists, 25 Points, 37 Shots, 24 SOG, 1 GWG
    • Cesar Ramirez – JR – 4 Goals, 12 Assists, 20 Points, 49 Shots, 19 SOG, 3 GWG
    • Jeremi Abonnel – FR – 19-1-1 W-L, 1.04 GAA, 46 Saves, .676 SV%, 4 SHO
TOP RETURNERS
  • Rodrigo Albuquerque – GR – F
    • 2021 SAC Player of the Year
  • Jack Price – SR – F
    • 2021 SAC Newcomer of the Year; 8 Goals, 3 Assists, 19 Points, 20 Shots, 12 SOG, 2 GWG
  • Jeremi Abonnel – SO – GK
    • 2021 SAC Goalkeeper of the Year
  • Fabian Forisch – SR – D
    • 2021 All-SAC First Team, 3 Goals, 6 Points, 10 Shots, 5 SOG, 2 GWG
TOP NEWCOMERS
  • Ridwane Boukraa – JR – M – Arizona Western
    • 9 Goals, 7 Assists, 25 Points, 22 Shots, 17 SOG, 3 GWG
  • Georg Westerlund – FR – F - Seinäjoen Lukio FC
    • Scored nine goals for club team during 2019-20 season
  • Ricardo Sepulveda – JR – D – Barton (Kan.)
    • Three-year starting defender, started for 2019 KJCCC Championship team
TEAM NOTES
  • Mid-America Christian is coming off its best season by winning percentage in program history after going 19-1-1 (.929) and finished a win shy of tying the 2019 NCCAA Division I National Championship team's single-season wins total (20-3-1).
  • With an 8-0-1 record in Sooner Athletic Conference play during the 2021 campaign, the Evangels are the first team in the league to undefeated in conference play since Wayland Baptist in 2016.
  • The Evangels return their top five goal scorers and seven of their eight players that notched at least 10 points.
  • Offensively, MACU will be led by the Sooner Athletic Conference Player of the Year Rodrigo Albuquerque, who tallied 15 goals and nine assists for 39 points while also netting five game-winning scores. Through the first three years of his career, Albuquerque has broken every offensive statistical category in the MACU record books, including: goals (47), assists (23), points (117), shots (292), shots on-goal (146) and game-winning goals (19).
  • During the 2021 season, three MACU players finished in the top four for most single-season assists, including: Cesar Ramirez (12, program record), Rodrigo Ferreira (11) and Albuquerque (9).
  • On-top of the SAC Player of the Year, the Evangels also return the SAC Goalkeeper of the Year in sophomore Jeremi Abonnel and the SAC Newcomer of the Year in Jack Price as well as All-SAC First Team defender Fabian Forisch and Second Teamers Cesar Ramirez and Luan Cesar.
  • While MACU returns quite a bit of talent, the Evangels brought in nine players who have already been making a big impact during pre-season play. Arizona Western transfer Ridwane Boukraa brings in a very strong offensive game from the midfield, Georg Westerlund will add a strong striking ability from the wing while Cedric Morales Sampson, Kareem Williams and Ricardo Sepulveda have been proving a major spark on the outer edge and in the backfield.
SCOUTING REPORT
Bethel (Kan.)
  • 2021 Record: 8-10
  • Last Match: Lost at Oklahoma Wesleyan – 7-1 – Nov. 5, 2021
  • Series History: MACU leads 6-0
  • Last Match vs MACU: MACU won 5-0 – Sept. 13, 2019 – Dill Soccer Field
  • Top Returning Players:
    • Juan Nicoletti – SO - F
      • 14 Goals, 2 Assists, 30 Points, 53 Shots, 30 SOG, 5 GWG
    • Lucas Pardo – JR - M
      • 4 Goals, 1 Assist, 9 Points, 30 Shots, 15 SOG
    • Colton Rothwell – JR - GK
      • 6-6 W-L, 1.81 GAA, 51 Saves, .699 SV%, 3 SHO
  • Team Notes:
    • Offensively, the Evangels will be looking to lock down All-KCAC Second Team forward Juan Nicoletti, who finished fifth in the conference in goals scored (14).
    • On the defensive side, Colton Rothwell was the Threshers starting keeper for the first 12 games of the 2021 season. When competing in-net for Bethel, Rothwell led the Threshers to a 6-6 record while tallying 51 saves on a .699 save percentage.
    • Mid-America Christian has dominated the all-time series against Bethel, going 6-0 in the previous meetings while outscoring the Threshers 17-2 combined in those matchups. In their last meeting, MACU came away with a 5-0 victory at the Dill Soccer Field on Sept. 13, 2019. Rodrigo Albuquerque netted a pair of goals, including the game-winner in the ninth minute while Allan Sorato, Simon Van Rheeden and Kieran Chance also scored goals for the Evangels.
 
 
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Players Mentioned

Kieran Chance

#7 Kieran Chance

F
5' 9"
Sophomore
Allan Sorato

#11 Allan Sorato

F
5' 8"
Senior
Simon Van Rheeden

#9 Simon Van Rheeden

F
6' 2"
Senior
Fabian Forisch

#2 Fabian Forisch

D
5' 10"
Freshman
Rodrigo Albuquerque

#16 Rodrigo Albuquerque

F
5' 8"
Sophomore
Jeremi Abonnel

#1 Jeremi Abonnel

GK
6' 0"
Sophomore
Luan Cesar

#7 Luan Cesar

M
5' 8"
Graduate Student
Rodrigo Ferreira

#6 Rodrigo Ferreira

M
5' 9"
Sophomore
Jack Price

#26 Jack Price

MF
5' 8"
Senior
Cesar Ramirez

#11 Cesar Ramirez

M
5' 9"
Redshirt Senior

Players Mentioned

Kieran Chance

#7 Kieran Chance

5' 9"
Sophomore
F
Allan Sorato

#11 Allan Sorato

5' 8"
Senior
F
Simon Van Rheeden

#9 Simon Van Rheeden

6' 2"
Senior
F
Fabian Forisch

#2 Fabian Forisch

5' 10"
Freshman
D
Rodrigo Albuquerque

#16 Rodrigo Albuquerque

5' 8"
Sophomore
F
Jeremi Abonnel

#1 Jeremi Abonnel

6' 0"
Sophomore
GK
Luan Cesar

#7 Luan Cesar

5' 8"
Graduate Student
M
Rodrigo Ferreira

#6 Rodrigo Ferreira

5' 9"
Sophomore
M
Jack Price

#26 Jack Price

5' 8"
Senior
MF
Cesar Ramirez

#11 Cesar Ramirez

5' 9"
Redshirt Senior
M