OKLAHOMA CITY – The non-conference schedule behind them, Oklahoma City men's soccer turns its attention to Sooner Athletic Conference foes, starting Saturday.
 
Mid-America Christian visits for a 7:30 p.m. contest at Brian Harvey Field in a battle of two teams receiving votes in the NAIA Men's Soccer Coaches' Poll.
 
OCU Notebook
Last Game: Sixth-ranked Bellevue spoiled Oklahoma City's six-game winning streak by becoming the first team to get two goals on the Stars this season.
 
SAC Opener: This match with Mid-America Christian is the Sooner Athletic Conference opener for both teams. The Stars have won their last two and four of their last five SAC openers. The hiccup was in 2021 when MACU got a 4-1 win on Brian Harvey Field.
 
Shutouts: Of the four goals allowed by OCU this season, half have been on penalty kicks. The Stars' defense has allowed just 6.2 shots per game and only three shots on goal per match. The result has been four shutouts and a shared shutout for goalkeeper Alexis Bertrand. Bertrand has logged a 0.47 goals allowed average this season. Bertrand leads the Sooner Athletic Conference with that GAA, as well as his .867 save percentage.
 
Half and Half: The Stars have outscored opponents by a 19-4 margin this season, allowing two first- and two second-half goals. OCU has 11 first-half goals and eight second-half goals.
 
Three-Game Trend: The 2-0 loss included, the Stars are outscoring their opponents 7-2 over the last three games. Ruben Fahiya leads the team with three goals and seven points. His three goals came on five shots.
 
The Goals: Bernard Duarte leads the Stars and is third in the Sooner Athletic Conference with six goals this season – all coming in a three-game span during a six-game win streak. OCU has 19 goals on the season. Francisco Miquel and Ruben Fahiya have three each.
 
On the Assist: Twelve Stars have combined for 15 assists this season. Ruben Fahiya leads the team with three and Thomas Brulay has two.
 
Shoot Your Shot: After a sluggish start, OCU is averaging almost 12 shots per game. Two Stars, Bernardo Duarte (20) and Harrison Knight (16), have combined for 37 of the 107 shots. Over 47 percent of those 107 shots have been on goal and 18 percent have found the net. Bernardo Duarte leads the team with 10 shots on goal and Francisco Miquel and Thomas Brulay have six each.
 
Short History: OCU played at Mid-America Christian twice last season, losing in the regular season and then taking down the Evangels in the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament. Ruben Fahiya scored with an assist from Thomas Brulay in the 1-0 postseason win.
 
Scouting MACU: The Evangels are 2-5-2 on the season after a 4-0 loss to Oklahoma Christian last Saturday. Four of the losses were to teams receiving votes in the national poll. Ryan Jeanfreau leads MACU with four goals this season.
 
Coach Billy Martin: Coach Martin is 55-30-10 since taking the helm at OCU in 2021. His 14-win season in 2024 was his best so far.
 
Keeper of the Week: Oklahoma City goalkeeper Alexis Bertrand's two clean sheets on the road earned him Sooner Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 2. Bertrand had three saves in those two wins.
 
Hat Trick for Fahiya: Star Ruben Fahiya had a hat trick against Jarvis Christian. Those were the first goals of the season for Fahiya. Kenz Toms and Ethan Zeinalpor also had their first goals of the season in the 5-0 win with Toms getting the game-winner.
 
Carded: While OCU has racked up 19 yellow cards this season, their opponents have also been physical. OCU opponents have 31 cards through nine games.