OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – For much of the Missouri Baptist University Women's Soccer season opener at Mid-American Christian University, it looked like the Spartans might be able to beat the heat and the Evangels and steal a victory on the road. However, three second half MACU goals in the span of 12 minutes turned a 2-0 lead for MBU into a 3-2 defeat to start the season.
 
Despite MACU dominating the score sheet in almost every statistical category throughout, it was the Spartans who held a 1-0 lead at half and extended it to a two-goal cushion early in the second half.
 
Newcomer Gabbie Wood, a freshman from Troy, Ill., got the visitors on the board first by securing the inaugural goal of her collegiate career in the eighth minute. MBU goalkeeper Gabby Mattli sent a ball from near the boundary of her defending eighteen into the attacking half. The ball was touched on smartly by forward Morgan Hollenbeck to Wood who was making a run down the left boundary. From just outside the MACU eighteen-yard box, she cut it back to her right foot toward the center of the field and unleashed a shot that found the upper-left corner behind keeper Rachel Torres.
 
The Spartans had a hard time building momentum off the goal. In fact, they struggled with momentum throughout much of the match. If not for a couple of acrobatic, point-blank saves by Mattli, MBU might have been down at the break. Despite being outshot 15 to four, and Mattli being called upon for eight saves in the first half, the Spartans lead 1-0 at the break.
 
Wood figured prominently in the sporadic MBU offensive attack in the second half. Her corner kick in the 58^th minute deflected off of a MACU defender and past the keeper to give the Spartans a two-goal cushion. Despite being outshot 16-4 at that point, MBU had some breathing room on a 100-degree evening in Oklahoma City.
 
It didn't last long.
 
The second goal from the Spartans seemed to wake something up in MACU as they got on the board just 34 seconds later when Mattli came off her line to clear a ball that went directly to MACU forward Jasmine Morales. She was able to loop a shot over a retreating Mattli to make it 2-1. Just over four minutes later it was Gladis Avalos's turn as she tied the game at 2-2. Then seven minutes later Morales scored a game-winning brace with just over 20 minutes left. On the second goal by Morales, Mattli was bumped by her own defender as there was confusion as to who was going to play a ball that was played on the ground into the box.
 
On the night, MACU outshot the Spartans 26 to five, including 11 to one in the decisive second half. Mattli ended the evening with 12 saves.
 
MBU will dust themselves off, likely cool their heels from the oppressive Oklahoma heat, and get ready for a Saturday morning matchup with Oklahoma City University. Weather-permitting that match should begin at 10:00 a.m.