LEAD

WATERTOWN, Wis. -- All the Sabercats needed to beat Viterbo was a goal 85 seconds into the game, and it was enough to decide a 1-0 win on the MBU campus.

The win brings MBU back to .500 for the year, as they wrap up the month of September at 4-4-1.

OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 1-0 Viterbo
• Venue: Maranatha Baptist University
• Location: Watertown, Wis.
• Attendance: 161
• Records: MBU (4-4-1), VU (5-4-0)

STORY

Zeke Steuerwald had the honor in the second minute, as he broke into the Viterbo box on a breakaway. Steuerwald collected his own rebound off the post before slamming it into the Viterbo net to give Maranatha the one-goal lead. 

Fueled by that momentum, the Sabercats pressed and looked for more chances early in the game. Tyler Nelson struck a first-time shot soon after Steuerwald's goal, but the senior's effort flew above the crossbar.

Nelson's effort was the closest Maranatha would come in the first half, and at the other end of the field, Tim Kinzler continued his stellar play with three saves in the first half. Kinzler kept the clean sheet on the afternoon and has now allowed just two goals over the last five games. 

The second half was a matter of capitalizing on the advantage to seal the win, and it came despite constant pressure from the V-Hawks. Viterbo created multiple chances but never found the frame, as the Sabercats' defense rendered the V-Hawks' attack ineffective.

In the dying minutes of the game, the Sabercats withstood the Viterbo onslaught. Braeden Hansel and Nathan Campbell both had important blocks in the dying minutes, and when the whistle blew, the Sabercats had sealed out a hard-fought win on the MBU campus.

MBU Starters: 1- Kinzler, 2- Risma (C), 4- Roer, 7- Nelson, 8- Campbell, 11- DeAngelo (C), 12- Steuerwald, 14- Ice, 15- J. Hockema, 18- Shepard, 19- C. Hockema (C)

STATS

• Shot count: Maranatha 16-18 Viterbo
• Steuerwald: 5 shots on goal
• Kinzler: 10 saves in the game; 26 saves over the last two games
• Series: This was the first-ever matchup between the two teams

OPPONENTS

• The V-Hawks compete in the NAIA as an independent institution
• As members of the AII, the V-Hawks are eligible for the NAIA national tournament
• Four V-Hawk wins this season have come by one goal

NEXT

The Sabercats will host Moody Bible Institute on Tuesday for a 4:00 p.m. kickoff. Find results at mbusabercats.com/schedule.