LEAD

LINCOLN, Ill. -- The Sabercats came close against Lincoln College but ultimately fell short in the final 20 minutes to the well-polished Lynx.

On paper, the Sabercats were slated for a lopsided defeat to the polished NAIA squad, but the Sabercats now move below .500 for the season with this result.

OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 0-1 Lincoln 
• Venue: Lincoln College
• Location: Lincoln, Ill.
• Attendance: 50
• Records: MBU (4-5-1), LC (7-5-1)

STORY

Maranatha effectively erased the memory of last year's 4-0 defeat by staying tight with the Lynx, shutting Lincoln out in the opening 45 minutes. Lincoln dominated possession but were unable to breach the close-knit defense of Maranatha. Tim Kinzler made four saves in the first half to keep the Lynx off the scoreboard, as neither side was able to make the breakthrough in the first half.

But the hosts' pressure finally paid off just under 20 minutes from time. After a crisp combination of passes up the middle, the Lynx finally found space for a shot just inside the penalty area. Tajay Small made no mistake, as the substitute buried his chance and bureid the Sabercats at the same time. All in all, it was a positive result for the Sabercats and may impact their seeding for the upcoming NCCAA Regional Tournament in early November.

MBU Starters: 1- Kinzler, 2- Risma (C), 4- Roer, 7- Nelson, 8- Campbell, 9- Wright, 11- DeAngelo (C), 12- Steuerwald, 15- J. Hockema, 18- Shepard, 19- C. Hockema (C)

QUOTE

"This was a very good result for us," said Coach Jeff Pill after the game. "We battled hard for 90 minutes, and it paid off with a close result against a solid NAIA team and one of the toughest opponents on our schedule. Tyler Nelson was big time for us today, and we only broke down once defensively. Hats off to Lincoln - they are a quality side and we look forward to facing them again next year."

STATS

• Shot count: Maranatha 2-27 Lincoln
• Kinzler: 8 saves
• Last year: Lincoln took home a snowy 4-0 win from Watertown
• Series: Lincoln leads the series 2-0

OPPONENTS

• The Lynx are members of the NAIA, competing as independent members
• Lincoln remained perfect at home this season
• The Lynx just posted a 2-0 win over Oakland City (NCAA DII)
• LC has just three games remaining in the 2019 season

NEXT

The Sabercats will take on Lincoln Christian University tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. Find results at mbusabercats.com/schedule.