OKLAHOMA CITY – The Sooner Athletic Conference unveiled its 2023 All-Conference Team on Saturday afternoon as the Evangels placed four on the distinguished list while Gladis Avalos was named the league's Newcomer of the Year.
Sophomore forward Cammy Hargrove was named to the All-SAC First Team for the second year in a row and was joined by senior goalkeeper Rachel Torres on the esteemed list. Coming in on the second team for the second time in her MACU career was junior midfielder Francesca Martella while senior forward Kadin Stinson also nabbed Second Team acclaim.
A 5-2 sophomore forward from Mazatenago, Guatemala, Avalos has made her biggest impact on the offensive end for the Evangels, leading the team in goal-scoring with seven to go with three assists for a team-best 17 points.
Avalos recorded her first career hat trick in a 5-1 win at the University of the Southwest on Sept. 2 and even made a huge impact after receiving the award when she netted the game-winning goal in MACU's 2-1 win over Southwestern Assemblies of God in the SAC Quarterfinal after the awards were announced.
The heart of the Evangels backfield, Hargrove is highly regarded as one of the best center-backs in the league while matching up on the opposition's top striker in the defensive third. The Oklahoma City native has logged the most minutes on the squad at 1516 over 18 games this season.
Overall, the MACU defense has been one of the stoutest in the league, allowing league-low 0.74 goals on 9.2 shot attempts per game.
Even if shots have been able to get by the star center-back, Torres has been able to keep most of the opposition's tries out of the back of the net.
In her first season as a starter, Torres has amassed an impressive 13-2-1 record in-goal, which ranks as the fourth-most single season victories for a MACU goalkeeper in the NAIA Era (2007-present).
At the moment, the LaPorte, Texas is also notching a 0.79 goals allowed average, which not only sits as the second-lowest average in the SAC, but also the second-lowest in MACU's single-season record book, sitting only behind Melissa Dobie (0.76, 2010).
The SAC Newcomer of the Year last season, Martella earned her second-straight All-SAC Second Team accolade as the center piece of the MACU midfield. In 17 games this season, the Bergamo, Italy product offensively has scored five goals, who of which were game-winners as well as dished out three assists.
Martella's biggest impact came in a 2-1 win over Texas Wesleyan on Oct. 7 when she netted both of MACU's goals to get on the brace in the victory.
Rounding out the honorees, Stinson in her third season with the Evangels has been making her biggest impact on the offensive end.
Over the course of the season, the senior forward from Emporia, Kansas has scored six goals to go with two assists for 14 points. In a 2-1 victory over SAGU on Oct. 14, Stinson also got on the brace by pushing across goals in the 11th and 57th minutes.
Mid-America Christian is currently putting together one of its best seasons in program history as the Evangels will enter the SAC Semifinals with a 14-2-2 overall record and went 6-1-2 during the SAC slate. On top of its stellar conference season, the Evangels were the only team to not fall to the SAC Champion No. 9 John Brown as the Evangels picked up a 0-0 draw in Siloam Springs, Arkansas on Oct. 21.
MACU will look to do one better in the rematch against the Golden Eagles on Tuesday in the SAC Semifinal as the Evangels will battle JBU at 5 p.m. at Alumni Field.
