OKLAHOMA CITY – The MACU women's soccer team will close out its three game road stand on Saturday when the Evangels head to Hobbs, New Mexico to take on the University of the Southwest for a noon kickoff (1 p.m. CST) at the Bob Moran Soccer Field. On Labor Day Monday, MACU will be back on its home turf as the Evangels face McPherson (Kan.) for a 5 p.m. kickoff on the Dill Soccer Field.
 
MACU SEASON REPORT

• Record: 3-0
• Last Match: Won at Friends (Kan.) – 1-0 – Aug. 28, 2023 – Wichita, Kan.
• Top Performers:
  • Jasmine Morales – JR – F
    • 3 Goals, 6 Points, 9 Shots, 7 SOG, 2 GWG
  • Madison Chavez – FR – F
    • 1 Goal, 2 Assists, 4 Points, 12 Shots, 7 SOG, 1 GWG
  • Gladis Avalos – JR – F
    • 1 Goal, 1 Assist, 3 Points, 6 SOG, 3 SOG
  • Rachel Torres – SR – GK
    • 3-0 W-L, 0.67 GAA, 8 Saves, .800 SV%, 2 SHO
• Team Notes:
  • Mid-America Christian closed out its Kansas road trip on Monday with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Friends on Monday. In that victory, Rachel Torres came up with perhaps the biggest play of the match in the 27^th minute by making a sensational diving save on a penalty kick before the Evangels finally found the match-winner in the 48^th minute.
  • On the game-winning score, Daniela Paez lofted a deep ball from the midfield onto the edge of the 18-yard box, bouncing off the shoulder of Francesca Martella to the left side. Freshman forward Madison Chavez was able to slide her first collegiate goal past the Fralcons keeper to secure the 1-0 win.
  • On Monday, junior forward Jasmine Morales was selected as the Sooner Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week after tallying three goals last week, including a pair with the game-winner in a 3-2 home win over Missouri Baptist before also netting the winning goal just 10 minutes in in a 2-0 victory at Baker (Kan.).
  • MACU is currently on their first three-game win streak to open the season since the 2020 campaign when the Evangels won their first four matches of the year.

SCOUTING REPORT
Southwest (N.M.)

• Record: 1-0
• Last Match: Won at Sul Ross State (Texas) – 5-3 – Sept. 1, 2023 – Alpine, Texas
• Series vs MACU (2022-): MACU leads 1-0
• Last Match vs MACU: MACU won 3-1 – Sept. 5, 2022 – Oklahoma City (Brian Harvey Field)
• Series Streak: MACU won 1
• Players to Watch:
  • Rylee Thatcher – JR – F
    • 2 Goals, 4 Points, 4 Shots, 4 SOG, 1 GWG
  • Arlette Yanez – SR – D
    • 1 Goal, 2 Points, 2 Shots, 2 SOG
  • Maya Sanchez – SR – M/F
    • 1 Goal, 2 Points, 2 Shots, 2 SOG
  • Elena Moya – FR – GK
    • 1-0 W-L, 3.00 GAA, 10 Saves, .769 SV%
• Team Notes:
  • The University of the Southwest opened its 2023 season on Friday with a wild 5-3 win at Sul Ross State (Texas) on Friday. After the Lobos took the early lead in the second half, USW's Arlette Yanez netted the game-tying goal in the 59^th minute before two goals scored in three minutes by Southwestern Assemblies of God (Texas) transfer Rylee Thatcher in the 70^th and 73^rd minutes stretched the Mustangs' lead to 4-2 before eventually holding on for the victory.
  • In her first match with the Mustangs, Thatcher led the USW goal scoring efforts with a pair of scores to go with a goal apiece for Yanez and Maya Sanchez. A familiar face for the Evangels, Thatcher was the top goal scorer for SAGU in two seasons with the Lady Lions, tallying six goals in that time frame.
  • Despite giving up three goals in the win on Friday, the Mustangs got a strong performance in-net by their freshman keeper Elena Moya, notching 10 saves for a .769 save percentage.
  • Mid-America Christian and the University of the Southwest will be facing off for just the second time in the two programs' respective histories. The two teams met last year uptown at Brian Harvey Field on the campus of Oklahoma City University last season as MACU came away with the 3-1 win after getting goals from Annika Gerdau, Mia Willyerd and Francesca Martella in the victory.

McPherson (Kan.)

• Record: 1-1
• Last Match: Lost at Baker (Kan.) – 5-1 – Aug. 30, 2023 – Baldwin City, Kan.
• Series vs MACU (2006-): MCPH leads 4-3
• Last Match vs MACU: MCPH won 3-0 – Aug. 27, 2016 – McPherson, Kan.
• Series Streak: MCPH won 2
• Players to Watch:
  • Olivia Rodriguez – SO – M
    • 3 Goals, 6 Points, 8 Shots, 6 SOG, 1 GWG
  • Caitlin Buendia – JR – F
    • 2 Goals, 2 Assists, 6 Points, 7 Shots, 7 SOG
  • Lizette Loera – JR – D
    • 1 Goal, 1 Assist, 3 Points, 4 Shots, 2 SOG
  • Lauren Kunda – SR – GK
    • 1-1 W-L, 3.92 GAA, 11 Saves, .647 SV%, 0 SHO
• Team Notes:
  • McPherson has had its ups and downs to start the 2023 season. After opening the year with a dominant 7-1 win at Central Christian (Kan.) on Aug. 18, the Bulldogs found themselves on the opposite end of a 5-1 defeat at Baker (Kan.) on Aug. 30.
  • Leading the McPherson attack is sophomore midfielder Olivia Rodriguez, who netted a pair of goals in the win over the Tigers as well as MCPH's lone goal in the loss to the Wildcats.
  • Caitlin Buendia has also made her impact felt on the offensive end for the Bulldogs, leading the distribution efforts with a pair of assists to go with a pair of scores in her own right.
  • Mid-America Christian and McPherson will be renewing a rivalry for the first time in seven years. The Bulldogs and Evangels faced off against each other on seven different occasions between 2006 and 2016 with MCPH holding a slim 4-3 edge in the series during that time frame. MACU will be looking to have a bit more success against McPherson on its home turf as the Evangels are just 1-3 against the Bulldogs at the Dill Soccer Field, suffering a 2-1 defeat on Sept. 19, 2015 in their last meeting in Oklahoma City.