USAO men’s soccer (3-3-2, 0-0 SAC) is preparing for a match against their conference rival, the #14 NAIA ranked Mid-America Christian University (MACU) Evangels (4-1-2, 0-0 SAC) Tuesday, Oct. 1. Both teams have competed against each other for the past three years, with MACU coming on top with three wins and two ties. Two of USAO’s losses came in the SAC championship match in 2022 and 2023. Senior defender Stefan Savkovic has been a key part of the team and endured these painful losses during his time as a Drover.
Although the rivalry has been in MACU’s favor recently, USAO is historically more successful with an 11-8-4 record since 2008. Savkovic assured that the Drovers will overcome the three-year drought and beat their conference rival.
“We know their weak spots, and with our coaching, we’ll be able to beat them and to win the SAC championship,” Savkovic said.
Born in Gornji Milanovac, Serbia, Savkovic has played in 58 games in the last three seasons. He also achieved an Academic All-SAC selection in 2022 and an NAIA Scholar Athlete Honor in 2023.
Originally, Savkovic said he wasn’t interested in coming to America to continue his soccer career. He wanted to play in Europe, but his father’s wishes, and a scholarship offer from USAO led him to make the big leap to America. His transition to a new country wasn’t the easiest for him either.
“I had to leave my family and my friends; I came here to play soccer. I didn’t know the culture, what Coach Hampton wanted us to do, or how the system worked in the US,” Savkovic stated.
He also added that his home culture of Serbia helped he become a strong and well-trained individual for USAO soccer.
A key contributor to his success so far has been men’s soccer head coach Jimmy Hampton. The coach offered a scholarship to Savkovic in 2021, and their journey has been monumental to Savkovic throughout his career.
“Coach Hampton created me as a grown man, because he taught me how to be tough, how to be strong, how to behave under the pressure, how to be responsible, guide, how to be honest, how to read the game, and how to be good for me,” Savkovic said.
Savkovic also expressed nothing but gratitude for his teammates and other coaches for his experience at USAO thus far. Once his collegiate career is finished, he plans on using his bachelor’s degree in business administration to propel him to getting a master’s degree in the United States. He also said he wouldn’t be opposed to continuing his soccer career in a professional if the opportunity arises.
Before their clash with MACU, the Drovers will play at home against Nelson University (NU) Saturday, Sept. 28 at 6:30 p.m., following the women’s game at 4 p.m.
Jordan Prewitt is a fifth-year English major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.
