OLATHE, Kan. – The No. 6 MACU men's soccer team picked up its second straight statement win in three days as the Evangels pulled away with a 3-1 victory over No. 7 Missouri Valley at Pioneer Field on Saturday.
 
SCORING SUMMARY

• 1^st Half – MACU – 22:03 – Goal: Yasha Schaerer (1) – MACU 1, MVC 0
• 2^nd Half – MACU – 53:02 – Goal: Jack Price (2), Assist: Jair Estrada – MACU 2, MVC 0
• 2^nd Half – MVC – 58:33 – Goal: Kazuki Hashimoto (1), Assist: Sam Green – MACU 2, MVC 1
• 2^nd Half – MACU – 88:44 – Goal: Charlie Betts (2), Assist: Kareem Williams – MACU 3, MVC 1

MATCH SUMMARY

• The first chance for Mid-America Christian (4-0) came in the 18^th minute Jack Price helped lead a breakaway by dribbling down the right side before cutting over the middle, but his 23-yard shot attempt toward the right post didn't have enough power as it was easily saved.
• In the 23^rd minute, the Evangels captured the lead in dramatic fashion. About 28-yards outside the right side of the box, Price was fouled, setting up MACU with an opportune free kick. On the attempt, freshman midfielder Yasha Schaerer came up clutch with a sensational strike, launching a rocket shot toward the top left corner of the goal to give MACU the 1-nil advantage.
• The Evangels managed to hold Missouri Valley (0-2) to without a shot on-goal for the rest of the half to take their one-goal edge into the break.
• The Vikings didn't get their first on-target shot until the 52^nd minute when the Evangels were able to constrict Jaime Olivares to a tough angle from the right side as Claudio Fuentealba made the hand save by the right post to force it out for a corner kick.
• Moments later, Jack Price came up with the decisive goal at the top of the 54^th minute as Jair Estrada set him up for his second straight game-winning goal to bring the score to 2-nil.
• Missouri Valley cut the Evangels advantage in half in the 59^th minute when NAIA All-American Sam Green found Kazuki Hashimoto for MVC's first goal of the 2023 season, making it a 2-1 game.
• Late in the contest as the Vikings were playing everyone up to try and find the equalizer, the Evangels took advantage of it. On a MACU throw-in, Kareem Williams found Charlie Betts wide open down the left side, left completely uncontested all the way down to the penalty box as the junior forward slipped his shot past the crashing keeper and inside the right post to seal the 3-1 victory.

MATCH NOTES

• Despite the 3-1 result, scoring opportunities were few and far between for both squads as Mid-America Christian held a slim 8-6 edge in shot attempts while also holding the on-goal shot mark at 6-3.
• Both Charlie Betts and Jack Price scored their second goals of the season in the match while Yasha Schaerer's first score of the match was also his first collegiate goal.
• Jair Estrada received his second assist of the season on Price's game-winner while Kareem Williams tallied his first assist.
• Claudio Fuentealba earned his fourth straight win in-net, conceding just one goal and tallied a pair of saves.
• Mid-America Christian has now picked up back-to-back victories against NAIA Top 25 opponents after defeating No. 16 Grace (Ind.) at the Dill Soccer Field on Wednesday.
• For the second time in two years, the Evangels have defeated Missouri Valley at Pioneer Field. MACU faced MVC for the first time in program history last season on Sept. 5, coming away with a 1-0 victory on Georg Westerlund's game-winner in the third minute.

UP NEXT

• Mid-America Christian will wrap-up one of its toughest parts of the schedule on Labor Day Monday as the Evangels will face-off against No. 15 MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) at 1 p.m. at Pioneer Field.