KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Earning the program's first ever No. 1 seed for the NCCAA National Championships, the Evangels will kickoff pool play action this afternoon against fifth-seeded Bethel (Ind.) at the Austin-Tindall Soccer Complex at 1 p.m. (EST) on Monday.

The Evangels will wrap-up pool play against No. 4 seed Redeemer (Canada) on Wednesday for a 1 p.m. (EST) kickoff and if MACU wins its pool, it will play in the Championship game on Friday at 6 p.m.
 
MACU SEASON REPORT

• Record: 14-3-2
• Last Match: Lost at No. 9 John Brown (Ark.) – 3-1 – Nov. 7, 2023 – Siloam Springs, Ark. (SAC Semifinal)
• Top Performers:
  • Gladis Avalos – SO – F
    • 7 Goals, 3 Assists, 17 Points, 35 Shots, 19 SOG, 2 GWG
  • Madison Chavez – SO – F
    • 5 Goals, 6 Assists, 16 Points, 44 Shots, 25 SOG, 2 GWG
  • Annika Gerdau – JR – F
    • 4 Goals, 7 Assists, 15 Points, 44 Shots, 19 SOG
  • Kadin Stinson – SR – F
    • 6 Goals, 2 Assists, 14 Points, 44 Shots, 17 SOG, 1 GWG
  • Rachel Torres – SR – GK
    • 13-3-1 W-L, 0.91 GAA, 48 Saves, .774 SV%, 5 SHO, 4 CBO
• Team Notes:
  • Mid-America Christian garnered the No. 1 seed in the NCCAA National Championships after finishing the season with a 14-3-2 overall record. The Evangels picked up a 2-1 win over Southwestern Assemblies of God in the Sooner Athletic Conference Quarterfinal on Nov. 4 before falling to eventual SAC Champion No. 9 John Brown 3-1 in the Semifinal round on Nov. 7.
  • The Evangels enter the championships as the only team that ranks in the top seven of the NCCAA in goals per game (2.6, 7^th), goals allowed average (0.84, 3^rd) and scoring margin (1.84, 2^nd).
  • MACU features a team with incredible offensive balance with eight different players scoring 10 or more points, led by sophomore forward Gladis Avalos who has netted a team-high seven goals to go with three points for a team-best 17 points. Sophomore forward Annika Gerdau leads MACU's distribution efforts with seven assists to go with four goals for 15 points.
  • Defensively, MACU is allowing a combined 0.86 goals allowed average behind the play of its two senior goalkeepers Rachel Torres and Makayla Farquharson. Torres has played a bulk of the time in-goal, allowing a 0.91 GAA with 48 saves for a .774 save percentage while Farquharson has been strong in relief, conceding just 0.60 GAA and tallying 13 saves for an .867 save percentage.
  • The Evangels are competing in their sixth ever NCCAA D-I National Championship, dating back to their first appearance in 2014. MACU's last appearance at the national meet came back in 2021 during head coach Anthony Yousey's first season with the program.

SCOUTING REPORT
Bethel (Ind.)

• Record: 8-8-2
• Last Match: Lost at No. 7 Indiana Wesleyan – 2-0 – Nov. 8, 2023 – Marion, Ind. (Crossroads League Semifinal)
• Series vs MACU: First Meeting
• Last Match vs. MACU: N/A
• Series Streak: N/A
• Players to Watch:
  • Audrey Lerch – GR – F
    • 12 Goals, 3 Assists, 27 Points, 47 Shots, 27 SOG, 4 GWG
  • Leena Thomas – SO – M
    • 8 Goals, 4 Assists, 20 Points, 58 Shots, 36 SOG, 2 GWG
  • Giulia Franco – SO – M
    • 4 Goals, 6 Assists, 14 Points, 43 Shots, 23 SOG, 2 GWG
  • Jael Schubert – SO – GK
    • 8-8-2 W-L, 1.51 GAA, 86 Saves, .761 SV%, 2 SHO
• Team Notes:
  • Much like the Evangels, Bethel advanced to its conference tournament semifinal round in the highly acclaimed Crossroads League after upsetting No. 25 Taylor (Ind.) in the quarterfinal. Following a 1-1 draw, the Pilots advanced 5-3 in the postgame shootout before falling at No. 7 Indiana Wesleyan 2-0 in the semi.
  • Averaging 1.72 goals per game offensively, a bulk load of the BU offense will run through graduate forward Aubrey Lerch, who netted 12 goals for the Pilots during the season while sophomore midfielder Leena Thomas has also been a strong offensive contributor, netting eight goals and dishing out four assists for 20 points.
  • In-goal, sophomore goalkeeper Jael Schubert has played all but 33 minutes for the Pilots, conceding 1.51 goals per game and has made 86 saves for a .761 save percentage.
  • Mid-America Christian and Bethel will be playing each other for the first time in the two programs' respective histories.