It didn't take long for No. 3 MACU men's soccer to get on-the-board as Mason Gonzalez netted the game-winner 21 seconds in as the Evangels came away with a 2-0 victory in their regular season finale against Oklahoma Panhandle State inside Anchor D Stadium on Friday afternoon.
SCORING SUMMARY
- 1st Half – MACU – 0:21 – Goal: Mason Gonzalez (6) – MACU 1, OPSU 0
- 2nd Half – MACU – 70:00 – Goal: Dante Luz (1), Assists: Fabian Forisch, Diego Real – MACU 2, OPSU 0
- Mid-America Christian was aggressive defensively right out of the gate, leading to the go-ahead goal only 21 seconds into the match. After the Aggies kicked off and tried to possess down the right side, the Evangels were able to force a turnover down the left sideline as Francois Geris-Rey's kicked ball bounced off an OPSU player and back toward the Aggies' penalty box. Mason Gonzalez tracked the ball down, dribbled through multiple OPSU defenders before lofting a 16-yard shot into the right side of the next to make it a 1-0 game.
- The Evangels controlled the possession throughout the half, holding Panhandle to one off-target shot over the first 45, but the Evangels were also held to only five shots over the final 44 minutes to take a 1-nil lead into the break.
- MACU's first chance in the second half came off a shot that bounded off the right post in the 64th minute from Bruno Sperandio, but the Evangels would find some insurance just six minutes later.
- At the top of the 70th minute, the Evangels were able to break toward the left corner when Fabian Forisch and Diego Real played a give-and-go. Forisch's centering pass glanced off the hand of the keeper before Dante Luz hand an easy three-yard punch-in inside the right post, bringing the score to 2-0.
- Luan Cesar had MACU's last chance to add some insurance in the 82nd minute, but his attempt from 23 yards out was easily scooped up by OPSU goalkeeper Catalin Nastuta to eventually seal the 2-0 final.
- The Evangels defense was downright dominant, holding an Oklahoma Panhandle State squad coming off a 2-1 win over Southwestern Assemblies of God and a 4-3 victory over Oklahoma City to just one off-target shot. Meanwhile, the Evangels were held to just 12 shots with only five being put on-frame.
- The goal netted by Mason Gonzalez in the first minute was his sixth of the season and his third goal scored during the week after netting a pair of scores in the 3-2 home win over Southwestern Christian on Tuesday.
- Dante Luz's second-half score was his first goal of the 2022 campaign and the sixth of his three-year MACU career.
- With an assist apiece, Diego Real continued his offensive onslaught as his team assist lead swelled to nine on the season, moving alone into second in the Sooner Athletic Conference. Fabian Forisch's assist on Luz's goal marked his first on the year.
- Mid-America Christian improved to 4-0-1 in the all-time series against the Aggies since the two programs started facing each other in 2019. The two teams played to a 1-1 draw in last season's meeting at the Dill Soccer Field on Oct. 26, 2021.
- The victory also improved the Evangels to a 14-1-2 overall record and went undefeated in Sooner Athletic Conference play for the second straight year after finishing with a 7-0-2 league mark. Meanwhile, OPSU fell to 4-8-1 overall and 2-7 against SAC foes. With the loss, the Aggies will finish ninth in the Sooner Athletic Conference standings and will just miss out on qualifying for the SAC Tournament.
- Mid-America Christian will enter the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament as the No. 1 seed for the second year in a row and will face either Central Christian or Wayland Baptist in the quarterfinal round at the Dill Soccer Field on Saturday, Nov. 5. Kick-off time has yet to be determined.
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