BALDWIN CITY, Kan. – The MACU Women's Soccer team faced a tough test from Baker in its final match of a two-game road swing to open the season, but junior forward Brae Baker led the comeback charge by recording her second-straight two-goal effort to lead the Evangels to a 3-2 victory at Hartley Field on Saturday afternoon.
 
SCORE

• Mid-America Christian 3, Baker 2
  • Mid-America Christian (2-0-0)
  • Baker (0-2-0)

SCORING SUMMARY

• 1^st Half – BU – 4:18 – Goal: Sidney Claeys (2), Assist: Darcy Cato – BU 1, MACU 0
• 1^st Half – MACU – 41:08 – Goal: Liv Houlston (2) – MACU 1, BU 1
• 2^nd Half – MACU – 47:16 – Goal: Brae Baker (3) – MACU 2, BU 1
• 2^nd Half – BU – 62:34 – Goal: Rhianna Blanchard (1), Assist: Stella Jameson – MACU 2, BU 2
• 2^nd Half – MACU – 73:56 – Goal: Brae Baker (4), Assist: Madison Chavez – MACU 3, BU 2

MATCH SUMMARY

• First Half
  • Mid-America Christian forced a pair of strong chances in the first few minutes. Just a minute and a half into the match, Caitlin Hirst got by her defender on the right side and fired a strong 15-yard strike on-goal, but BU goalkeeper Sophia Holloway made a strong save before leaping on the rebound before the Evangels could get a follow-up shot.
  • Jasie Eischen had another great look just 45 seconds later as she launched a 24-yard shot toward the top right corner, but once again, Holloway made a sensational leaping save to force the ball over the crossbar for a MACU corner.
  • Baker managed to take a lead off a fortuitous bounce in the fifth minute when Darcy Cato's right side cross found the foot of Sidney Claes in the middle of the box, but despite a MACU defender getting a piece of the shot to pop it up in the air, it just barely sailed over the outstretched fingertips of Alba Vigo in-goal in the top right corner to make it a 1-0 game.
  • Brae Baker peppered an on-target chance in the 25^th minute that Holloway made another strong leaping save toward the top left.
  • The most dangerous scoring chance came in the 28^th minute when a short corner from the left side eventually found Zoe Angot on the right side. However, the great chance at the equalizer was blocked by Claeys for the defender save with the keeper out of position, keep the Wildcats lead intact at 1-0.
  • Baker had a strong chance off a corner kick in the 32^nd minute when their own short-played right-side corner ended back to the foot of Claeys, but her 28-yard right-side floater bounced up and over the crossbar.
  • In the 41^st minute, MACU had another chance at an equalizer after a deflected shot by Alyssa Gutierrez went off the keeper and was bouncing toward the right corner of the net, but Caitlin Youles slid in to clear the ball away before it could cross the line.
  • 30 seconds later, the Evangels finally found the equalizer. With Brae Baker breaking down the right side and into the box, her cross toward the middle deflected off the shin of the Wildcats defender and right to Liv Houlston on the left side, who fired in the wide-open 15-yarder into the empty net to make it a 1-1 game at the half.
  • Despite being even keeled on the scoreboard, the Evangels dominated most of the possession in the first half, outshooting the Wildcats 12-6 with a 7-2 edge in shots on-goal.
• Second Half
  • Mid-America Christian found the go-ahead goal just two-and-a-half minutes in off some incredible technical skill by Brae Baker. After receiving a throw-in from the right side just outside the 18-yard box, Baker somehow split between two defenders into the box and dribbled by another defender before perfectly pinpointing a shot into the top left to make it a 2-1 game.
  • Baker found its own equalizer in the 63^rd minute when the Wildcats slipped a floater into the left side of the box around the horn to Rhianna Blanchard on the right side, who rifled a shot inside the right post off Stella Jameson's dish to set the score to 2-2.
  • MACU went ahead for good in the 74^th minute when Alba Vigo's clearance found Madison Chavez wide open in the midfield, who relayed it to Brae Baker breaking wide open down the middle as she dribbled by the keeper and slipper her shot inside the left post to bring it to 3-2.
  • It appeared as though Baker was going to come up with another equalizer in the 84^th minute when a takedown in the box set up the Wildcats with a penalty kick. However, Youles' free attempt sailed high and wide left of goal to keep the MACU lead intact, eventually holding on for the 3-2 victory.

MATCH NOTES

• Mid-America Christian downright dominated the possession, outshooting Baker 22-10 with a 17-4 margin in shots on-goal.
• Brae Baker led MACU's offensive efforts as her two goals were scored off of six shots, five of which were on-goal.
• The goal for Liv Houlston late in the first half marked her second of the season.
• Alba Vigo notched her second-straight win in-goal for the Evangels as well, allowing two goals and tallying two saves.
• The victory in Baldwin City marked MACU's third-straight win over the Wildcats. Last season, MACU seized a 3-0 win at the Dill Soccer Field on Sept. 6, 2024 after pulling out a 2-0 win at Baker on Aug. 26, 2023.

UP NEXT

• Mid-America Christian will be at home for the first time this season on Saturday, August 30 as the Evangels host Hastings (Neb.) for a 1 p.m. kickoff at the Dill Soccer Field.