OKLAHOMA CITY – The MACU women's soccer team struggled to stop Science & Arts' second half offensive barrage as its late rally came up just short in a 3-2 defeat to the Drovers at the Dill Soccer Field on Saturday night.
 
SCORING SUMMARY

• 1^st Half – MACU – 40:26 – Goal: Francesca Martella (2) – MACU 1, USAO 0
• 2^nd Half – USAO – 47:15 – Goal: Alicia Rey (14) – MACU 1, USAO 1
• 2^nd Half – USAO – 49:23 – Goal: Laura Barrantes (2), Assist: Caitlyn Worthington – USAO 2, MACU 1
• 2^nd Half – USAO – 75:22 – Goal: Kyleigh Fort (1), Assist: Caitlyn Worthington – USAO 3, MACU 1
• 2^nd Half – MACU – 84:34 – Goal: Kadin Stinson (3), Assist: Madison Chavez – USAO 3, MACU 2

MATCH SUMMARY

• It was an offensive struggle for both teams through the first 30 minutes of the first half as the only on-target shot of the match came from MACU's Jasie Eischen in the 11^th minute when her long distance 25-yarder from the right side was easily stopped by Science & Arts (6-4, 1-1 SAC) goalkeeper Caitlin Bishop.
• The Drovers first shot on-goal didn't come until the 35^th minute when a set piece free kick by from just outside the right side of the Evangels' penalty box by USAO's Ilse de Jong managed to slip past the MACU wall, but Rachel Torres scooped the save on the low liner to keep it a scoreless game.
• In the 41^st minute, Mid-America Christian (8-2, 1-1 SAC) finally managed to get on-the-board on one of the most impressive shots of the season. After a Drovers player was whistled for a foul for grabbing a jersey, Francesca Martella was set up with taking a 35-yard free kick. With the wind to her back, Martella lofted the deep ball from the left side to center goal, getting the shot to fall just under the crossbar out of the reach of the USAO keeper to make it a 1-0 game going into half.
• Early on in the second half, the Drovers found the equalizer on a very close play. With the SAC's leading goal scorer Alicia Rey taking a corner from the left corner, the junior forward hooked the corner toward center goal. Torres got her mitts on the bending corner, but the ball briefly popped out of her hands momentarily before recollecting. However, even though it appeared Torres completed the save, the line judge called that the ball had completely crossed the goal line, giving USAO the equalizer in the 48^th minute
• Two minutes later, the Drovers put through the go-ahead goal. After Caitlin Worthington put a tough-angle shot from the left side of the penalty box on-goal. Torres managed to make the save before deflecting the ball toward the middle of the box. However, Laura Barrantes was in the right place the right time for USAO, putting in the six-yard rebound into the back of the net to set the score to 2-1.
• The decisive goal of the match was scored in the 76^th minute and it once again came off a rebounded Worthington shot. After Worthington was lofting a deep shot from the left sideline toward the right post, Torres once again batted the shot away, but Kyleigh Fort, who was completely unmarked by the Evangels defense put the rebounded 10-yard try past Torres in the one-on-one with the keeper from 10-yards out, making the game-winner at 3-1.
• MACU gave itself some new lift late in the match with just over five minutes left. With the Drovers trying to relay a pass back to Bishop, Madison Chavez managed to step in to steal the ball away from the sliding keeper, dishing it to Kadin Stinson collapsing toward the left post for the contested point-blank put-in to make it a 3-2 game.
• However, the Evangels were unable to force any potential game-tying shots across over the final five minutes as USAO managed to hold on for the win.

MATCH NOTES

• For the first time all season, Mid-America Christian was out-shot by its opponent as Science & Arts held a 17-13 shot advantage with an 8-5 edge in shots on-goal.
• The first half goal scored by Francesca Martella was the senior midfielder's second goal of the season.
• Kadin Stinson's late second half score marked her third goal of the year as the senior forward led MACU's offensive efforts as well with a team-high four shots with one being on-target.
• Madison Chavez's assist on the second goal marked her team-leading fifth of the season, boosting her team-best point total 15 on the year.
• While MACU goalkeeper Rachel Torres tied her season-high save total with five, the senior stopper allowed a season-high three goals while falling to 8-2 in-net for MACU.
• The Evangels were unable to snap USAO's win-streak against the Evangels despite giving it a strong effort as the Drovers have now won four-straight against MACU since 2021.
• At halftime of the men's game, multiple women's soccer alumni were recognized for their achievements with the program as the team celebrated Alumni Night at the Dill Soccer Field.

UP NEXT

• Mid-America Christian will look to get back on-track against a crosstown rival on Tuesday, Oct. 3 as the Evangels will head to Bethany to take on Southwestern Christian (Okla.) at 1 p.m.