Overview

• Result: Maranatha 5-0 Finlandia 
• Venue: Maranatha Baptist University
• Attendance: 68
• Record: Sabercats are now 3-6
• Next Game for MBU: Friday, October 6 at 4:15 p.m. at Johnson University (match played in Grayson, Kentucky)

WATERTOWN, Wis. -- The Sabercats won big in their final home game of the season thanks to another dazzling display of goals from a certain freshman.

Alexis Sponable needed just a 20-minute span in the first half to record a hat-trick before she added her fourth and final goal in the second half. Leah Ng then added her first career goal for the Blue and Gold in the 65th minute as MBU won 5-0.

Sponable becomes just the fifth player in Maranatha Women's Soccer history to record 4 goals in a single game.

The 5-goal win marks the 150th win in program history and their sixth win against Finlandia.

Sponable's first strike came in the 13th minute. The rookie collected a loose ball at the top of the box and fired low and hard to the left corner to put MBU up 1-0. Her second came from just inside the 18. After she collected a Bethany Chesky pass, Sponable evaded a couple of Lion defenders before hitting a shot that scraped the underside of the crossbar on its way into the back of the net. Two goals to the good.

Sponable's third came just 3 minutes later, in the 34th minute. Once again, the shot came from the top of the penalty area. But this time, Sponable drilled a well-placed shot into the right corner to complete her second hat-trick of the season.

At halftime, the Sabercats led 3-0.

The quality of Sponable's fourth goal had everything to do with the setup. Heidi Pape notched her first career assist with a pinpoint cross from the right sideline to the top of the 6-yard box. Sponable was there waiting, and she nodded in a routine header to the near post to add her fourth goal of the game.

Leah Ng capped the scoring at 5 just a few minutes after that Sponable header. After Sarah Bagin rifled a shot that was saved by the Finlandia goalkeeper, Ng calmly finished the rebound to mark her first collegiate goal. In the 65th minute, the game was well beyond the Lions' reach.

Hannah Anderson recorded her second shutout of the season and the 13th shutout of her career.

"Really proud of our process this week," said Coach David Anderson after the game. "The girls were focused and hungry in training. I'm happy for them to get a win today to shake off the string of poor results."

The next game for MBU will be next Friday in Kentucky, where they will face a 2-game weekend. Catch all the details at mbusabercats.com/composite.