MACU Sports
Tim Shay, Sports Information Director
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mid-America Christian University women’s soccer team won their first two matches of 2017 last week, and on Labor Day afternoon, the Lady Evangels were the first off the field rewards for their efforts.
Brittney Stephens and Madison Donihoo swept the Sooner Athletic Conference women’s soccer Player of the Week awards, with Stephens earning the nod as the Offensive Player of the Week, and Donihoo taking the Defensive Player of the Week honor. The award is the first such honor of the season for both athletes, and for Donihoo, it is the fourth SAC Player of the Week award of her career.
Stephens, a 5-8 junior from Moore, Oklahoma, tallied eight points on the week, and she was a crucial part of the Lady Evangels’ 2-0 start to the season. She scored twice and set up a third goal on Tuesday afternoon in the Lady Evangels’ 14-0 white-washing of Manhattan Christian, and on Saturday, she factored in both goals that MACU tallied. She played a perfect ball to Alissa Tapp into space for the first goal of the match, and later, she made a brilliant move to spin a defender around before firing a left-footed missile into the low right corner of the goal for what proved to be the game winner as MACU took a 2-1 win at Southwestern (Kan.). The eight points she notched in the two matches is nearly half of what she accumulated in 2016.
Donihoo, a 5-8 sophomore netminder from Mustang, Oklahoma, played only half of the Lady Evangels’ match against Manhattan Christian, but she was a key part of MACU’s win at Southwestern. She made eight saves in the match, including six in the first half that helped preserve a scoreless draw into the second half. After halftime, she only made two saves, but both were critical. She stopped a shot with MACU leading 1-0 on a breakaway from the Moundbuilders’ Karrie McNutt with 17 minutes to play, and Donihoo immediately launched the counter attack which led to Stephens’ goal that proved to be the match winner. Her second save in the final period came with 20 second left in the match as another breakaway seemed to be developing, and MACU held on to win 2-0.
The Lady Evangels will be back in action on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. when they head to Dallas, Texas to take on Paul Quinn College (0-1-1) at 11 a.m.