OKLAHOMA CITY – The No. 19 MACU Men's Soccer team looked as though it was going to come away with a win against Southwestern Christian after scoring a late goal, but a penalty kick goal with 45 seconds left by the Eagles allowed the heated rival to come away from the Dill Soccer Field with a 1-1 draw.
SCORE
- Mid-America Christian 1, Southwestern Christian 1
- Mid-America Christian (9-1-2, 2-0-1 SAC)
- Southwestern Christian (5-2-2, 0-2-1 SAC)
SCORING SUMMARY
- 2nd Half – MACU – 86:17 – Goal: SCU Own Goal (2) – MACU 1, SCU 0
- 2nd Half – SCU – 89:15 – Goal: Gabin Desplats (7) – MACU 1, SCU 1
GAME SUMMARY
- First Half
- It looked as though Mid-America Christian might take the early lead in the sixth minute when Filliph Kamfjord tracked down a deep send toward the right goal line before delivering a stellar cross to Elias Hirt in the middle of the box. However, SCU goalkeeper Axel Tricot made a sensational diving save to his right to keep the Evangels off the board.
- Almost 10 minutes later, MACU goalkeeper Julian Huertas had to make a strong save of his own when Julius Herzog headed down a deep send and got by the MACU defense. With the defense closing in, Herzog tried to go to the bottom right corner that Huertas pushed out the right side for a corner, keeping it even at 0-0.
- Neither side could muster another great scoring chance for the rest of the half as the two sides took a scoreless draw into the break.
- Second Half
- After being held to without a shot on-goal for a 53-minute stretch, the Evangels finally found some offensive footing in the second half when Jimmy Cabrera attempted a long range missile that dipped late that Tricot had to force over the crossbar to set up a MACU corner.
- With just over 21 minutes to go in the second half, Daniel Gallagher had a great chance when Elias Hirt slipped a return ball to him in the right side of the box and after dribbling by a defender, he ripped a shot toward the right post that once again Tricot forced over the crossbar to keep it scoreless.
- While the Evangels continued to pepper the SCU defense in the attack with shots over the next 15 minutes, MACU finally found the go-ahead in the 87th minute. On the goal-scoring play, Guilherme Barbosa delivered a deep ball from the middle to Gallagher on the run down the right side. On the cross delivery to Haruya Higuchi breaking toward the middle, an SCU defender deflected the pass into back of the net to make it 1-0.
- However, the win wouldn't go MACU's way when Gabin Desplats was taken down in the box on a shot attempt that hit the crossbar, resulting in an Eagles penalty kick with 45 seconds left. Taking his own pen, Desplats deeked Huertas into diving to his left before slipping the free kick into the left side to draw the match even at 1-1.
- Mid-America Christian was unable to get another shot off in the final minute as the game ended in a deadlock.
GAME NOTES
- In the defensive grinder, Mid-America Christian controlled the possession, outshooting Southwestern Christian 11-6 with a 5-2 edge in shots on-goal. The Evangels had a much stronger showing in the second half, holding a 10-3 shot advantage in the second stanza.
- Haruya Higuchi led the MACU offensive efforts with three shots while Elias Hirt added a pair of on-target shots.
- MACU goalkeeper Julian Huertas returned to the lineup to end the match with a save with the lone goal he conceded coming on a penalty kick.
- The result marked the second time in the last three years that Southwestern Christian came to the Dill Soccer Field and walked away with a draw.
UP NEXT
Mid-America Christian will now prepare to go back on the road to Chickasha on Tuesday as the Evangels will take on Science & Arts for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff at McLaughlin Field.
