OKLAHOMA CITY – The No. 14 MACU Men's Soccer team will be heading to Bartlesville on Friday for one of its biggest road matches of the season as the Evangels will take on No. 6 Oklahoma Wesleyan in a battle of two NAIA powerhouses. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. at the OKWU Soccer Complex.

SEASON REPORT

• Record: 3-0-2
• Last Game: Won vs. Ottawa (Kan.) – 3-2 – Sept. 7, 2024 – Dill Soccer Field
• Top Performers:
  • Enzo Nogue – SR – M
    • 3 Goals, 2 Assists, 8 Points, 8 Shots, 6 SOG, 1 GWG
  • Pietro Musso – SR – F
    • 1 Goal, 2 Points, 10 Shots, 5 SOG, 1 GWG
  • Federico Palacios – SO – F
    • 2 Assists, 2 Points, 7 Shots, 6 SOG
  • Claudio Fuentealba – SR – GK
    • 3-0-1 W-L, 1.00 GAA, 10 Saves, .714 SV%, 1 SHO
• Team Notes:
  • In a home match against Ottawa on Saturday, Mid-America Christian was able to build a commanding 3-0 advantage going into the halftime break on goals from Lucas Catosso, Enzo Nogue and Uviwe Qasha. However, the Braves battled their way back with goals in the 57^th and 59^th minutes to close it to a one-score game.
  • OU had a prime opportunity to force a late tie in the 85^th minute when the Evangels were called for a foul in the box, setting up the Braves with a penalty kick. However, senior goalkeeper Claudio Fuentealba made a stellar diving save to his right to ultimately secure the 3-2 win.
  • A team that had struggled to find goals on the offensive side, only netting five goals through the first four games, the Evangels were extremely opportunistic on their offensive opportunities by scoring a season-high three goals on 13 shot attempts, eight of which came off goal. Two of MACU's three scores also came off of rebounded direct shots on-goal as Catosso and Qasha's goals came off quick putbacks.
  • The penalty kick save for Fuentealba marked the first PK save of his Evangels career.

SCOUTING REPORT
Oklahoma Wesleyan

• Record: 2-1
• Last Game: Won vs. Midland (Neb.) – 8-0 – Sept. 11, 2024 – Overland Park, Kan.
• Series vs MACU (2006-): MACU leads 4-3
• Last Match vs MACU: MACU won 2-0 – Nov. 19, 2022 – Dill Soccer Field (NAIA Tournament – 2^nd Round)
• Series Streak: MACU won 1
• Players to Watch:
  • Joao Neves – SR – M
    • 3 Goals, 2 Assists, 8 Points, 6 Shots, 4 SOG, 1 GWG
  • Matheus Ulrich – JR – M
    • 2 Goals, 4 Points, 3 Shots, 3 SOG
  • Marko Rodic – FR – GK
    • 1-0 W-L, 0.00 GAA, 3 Saves, 1.000 SV%, 1 SHO
• Team Notes:
  • Following an extended two-week break from its 3-1 defeat at home to No. 14 William Penn (Iowa) on Aug. 30, Oklahoma Wesleyan returned to the pitch on Sept. 11 for a non-conference game against Midland being played at MidAmerica Nazarene. In the 8-0 victory, the Eagles dominated from the get-go, scoring six goals in the first half to run away with the win.
  • Matheus Ulrich netted both of his goals this season in that win over the Warriors while the team's offensive leader Joao Neves netted a goal and an assist to boost his team-leading season point total to eight.
  • After sophomore goalkeeper Oliver Scott got the first two starts in-goal this season for the Eagles, freshman Marko Rodic made his collegiate debut in the Midland win, tallying three saves to complete the shutout.
  • Mid-America Christian and Oklahoma Wesleyan will be squaring off against each other for the first time since the Evangels battled the Eagles in the second round of the NAIA Tournament at the Dill Soccer Field on Nov. 19, 2022. In the win, MACU's all-time leading goal scorer Rodrigo Albuquerque netted his final collegiate goal, the 61^st of his career and the 23^rd game-winner of his immaculate four-year Evangels career in the 80^th minute while Francois Geris-Rey gave MACU some insurance in the 87^th minute to secure the 2-0 victory.