OKLAHOMA CITY – After putting together one of its most stellar seasons under fourth-year head coach Anthony Yousey, the MACU women's soccer team will look to start off its season strong as the Evangels host LSU Shreveport for a 5 p.m. kickoff at the Dill Soccer Field on Thursday.

MACU will have a short turnaround for its first away match of the season as the Evangels will head to Winfield, Kansas on Saturday for a 7 p.m. kickoff at Richard L. Jantz Stadium against Southwestern.
 
SEASON REPORT

• 2023 Record: 15-4-2 (6-1-2 SAC)
• Last Game: Won vs. Redeemer (Canada) – 5-1 – Nov. 29, 2023 – Kissimmee, Fla.
• Top Returners:
  • Annika Gerdau – GR – F
    • 6 Goals, 7 Assists, 19 Points during 2023 season
  • Francesca Martella – SR – M
    • 5 Goals, 3 Assists, 13 Points during 2023 season
    • All-SAC Second Team
  • Cammy Hargrove – JR – D
    • All-SAC First Team
  • Rachel Torres – SR – GK
    • 14-4-1 W-L, 53 Saves, .768 SV%, 5 SHO during 2023 season
    • All-SAC First Team
• Top Newcomers:
  • Guadalupe Amicone – JR – M – Previous School: Lincoln Trail (Ill.)
    • NJCAA Region 24 Co-Player of the Year in 2023
    • Scored 19 goals and dished out 13 assists in two seasons with the Lady Statesmen
  • Stephanie Arrivillaga – FR – F – Previous Team: Licero Chapero
    • Competed for the U-17 Guatemala National Team
  • Asley Baker – SR – D – Previous Team: Oklahoma Baptist
    • Saw action and started 20 games while logging 1715 minutes in 2023
  • Brae Baker – SO – D – Previous Team: Oklahoma Baptist
    • Competed in 20 games and made 19 starts, logging 1647 minutes in 2023
• Team Notes:
  • Mid-America Christian returns a wellspring of talent from last year's team, including three All-Sooner Athletic Conference performers in First Team junior defender Cammy Hargrove, First Team senior goalkeeper Rachel Torres and Second Team graduate student midfielder Francesca Martella.
  • The Evangels also bring back a large sum of its top scoring from a year ago as graduate student forward Annika Gerdau led the team with 19 points off six goals a team-high seven assists while top striker Gladis Avalos returns after netting seven goals to go with three dimes for 17 points.
  • On the defensive side, MACU added also a pair of strong defender sisters from NCAA Division II Oklahoma Baptist as Asley Baker and Brae Baker are expected make a strong impact in MACU's back line. Last season, the two siblings were instrumental pieces to a Bison defense that allowed just 1.50 goals per game as the two finished second and third on the squad in minutes played at 1715 and 1647, respectively.
  • Overall, MACU is coming off one of its best seasons in program history as the 15 wins notched by the Evangels is tied for the second-most in a single season while going 6-1-2 in Sooner Athletic Conference play.
  • The Evangels also made the noteworthy accomplishment of being the only team in the SAC last season that wasn't defeated by the undefeated conference champion John Brown, being the only team in the league to play the No. 10 Golden Eagles to a 0-0 draw in Siloam Springs, Arkansas on Oct. 21, 2023.
  • MACU overall put together a solid showing at the NCCAA National Championships last year. The Evangels wrapped up the year with a stellar 5-1 win over Redeemer in pool play while MACU's only defeat came in a 1-0 fashion to the eventual national champion Grace.

SCOUTING REPORT
LSU Shreveport

• Record: 0-1
• Last Game: Lost vs. Science & Arts (Okla.) – 4-2 – Aug. 22, 2024 – Shreveport, La.
• Series vs MACU (2009-): Series Tied 1-1
• Last Match vs MACU: MACU won 2-1 – Sept. 6, 2010 – Dill Soccer Field
• Series Streak: MACU won 1
• Players to Watch:
  • Dawniella Torres – SR – M
    • 1 Goal, 2 Points, 3 Shots, 2 SOG
  • Juliana Anchondo – GR – F
    • 1 Goal, 2 Points, 1 Shot, 1 SOG
  • Melanie Garcia – JR – GK
    • 0-1 W-L, 4.00 GAA, 6 Saves, .600 SV%
• Team Notes:
  • Three of LSU Shreveport's first five opponents of the season will be against Sooner Athletic Conference schools as the Pilots opened the year at home against Science & Arts on Aug. 22. The Drovers came away with the 4-2 victory on LSUS's home pitch.
  • The Pilots entered the season as one of the top regarded teams in the Red River Athletic Conference as LSUS was picked third in its' leagues preseason poll with 154 points, only behind RRAC favorite Xavier (La.) (170) and LSU Alexandria (155). LSU Shreveport garnered the spot after coming off a 13-4-3 campaign in 2023.
  • After losing their top goal scorer from last season in Chelsea Brown, senior midfielder Dawniella Torres is expected to carry a large portion of the offensive load after wrapping up last season with 29 points on nine goals and a team-high 11 assists.
  • Replacing an All-RRAC First Team goalkeeper in Carlota Alcade, Skyline College transfer Melanie Garcia got the start in LSUS's first game of the season, conceding four goals, but tallying six saves for a .600 save percentage.
  • Mid-America Christian and LSU Shreveport will be facing each other for the first time in 14 years after the two teams played a home-and-home during the 2009 and 2010 campaigns. After suffering a 1-0 loss to the Pilots in Shreveport on Aug. 29, 2009, the Evangels were able to extract some revenge the following season as MACU earned the 2-1 win on Sept. 6 on its own pitch. MACU Team of the Decade member Julia Nimal as well as Amber Sumpter each netted a goal for the Evangels while another MACU Team of the Decade member Melissa Dobie got the win in goal after allowing just one score and tallying four saves.

Southwestern (Kan.)

• Record: 0-1
• Last Game: Lost vs. No. 22 MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) – 2-0 – Aug. 28, 2024 – Winfield, Kan.
• Series vs MACU (2006-): MACU leads 11-1
• Last Game vs MACU: MACU won 2-1 – Sept. 2, 2017 – Winfield, Kan.
• Series Streak: MACU won 11
• Players to Watch:
  • Abby Webb – SO – F
    • 1 Goal, 2 Assists, 4 Points in 14 games during 2023 season
  • Millie Hazzard – SO – M
    • 1 Goal, 1 Assist, 3 Points in 15 games during 2023 season
  • Hayden Clark – JR – GK
    • 0-1 W-L, 2.00 GAA, 4 Saves, .667 SV%
• Team Notes:
  • Southwestern officially kicked off its 2024 season on Wednesday night in a home match against No. 22 MidAmerica Nazarene. The Moundbuilders struggled on the offensive end in their opener as SWC mustered just one off-target shot against the Pioneers while MNU managed to attempt 12 while placing six on-target.
  • The Moundbuilders were tabbed to finish sixth in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) preseason poll, but SWC does enter into a bit of a transitional year after the team lost its six top goal scorers from a season ago, headlined by Bryanna Kuhn, who netted 13 goals and dished out four assists for 30 points. SWC did also graduate its All-KCAC First Team goalkeeper Mallorie Lund following the 2023 campaign.
  • In making her first start in-goal, junior goalkeeper Hayden Clark tallied four saves for a .667 save percentage and only allowed two goals to an NAIA Top 25 squad. However, the Moundbuilders were unable to mount much offensive support in their opener in the defeat.
  • Mid-America Christian and Southwestern will be renewing what used to be an annual rivalry between the two programs from 2006-2017. After the Moundbuilders won the first meeting back on Sept. 23, 2006, the Evangels went on to dominate the all-time series by taking the next 11 matches, outscoring SWC 44-6 in those 11 meeting with the last being a 2-1 victory in Winfield on Sept. 2, 2017. In that win, Alissa Tapp and Team of the Decade member Brittney Stephens each netted a goal for the Evangels while Madison Donihoo came up clutch by tallying eight saves while allowing just one goal for an .889 save percentage in the match.