WATERTOWN, Wis. -- Grant Kirchner picked the perfect time for his first collegiate goal, as he broke the tie, his goal drought, and Faith's hearts all in one fell swoop.

The freshman scored in the 105th minute of a thrilling NCCAA North Region classic to seal the Sabercats' second win over Faith and their third win in a row.

OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 1-0 Faith (2OT)
• Venue: Maranatha Baptist University
• Location: Watertown, Wis.
• Attendance: 110
• Record: MBU (3-4-0), FBBC (4-3-0)

STORY

It took until the 105th minute for Maranatha to register a shot on goal, as both teams' defenses stood strong through regulation. Ian Balyo made five saves in the contest, coming up big for the Sabercats on several occasions to keep the Eagles off the board.

At the other end of the field, Kyle Cummins, Kirchner, and Aaron Jones all created chances for Maranatha, but every time, the shots were off target. Isaac Schmidt served in some dangerous crosses in the second half to put pressure on Faith, but Jared Conable - the Faith goalkeeper - caught each one to thwart Maranatha's bid at scoring. After 90 minutes of goalless action, the dreaded sudden-death overtime was next.

After 15 minutes of a fatigued overtime battle, the Kirchner and the Sabercats finally made the breakthrough. Ethan Cooper collected the ball at the top of the Faith penalty area before sliding a pass out wide to Kirchner. The freshman only had one thing on his mind, as he beat a defender before sliding past the oncoming goalkeeper for a dramatic overtime winner.

Freshman: class. Win: Granted ⛄️

OT winner. pic.twitter.com/xFoI2DcFai

— Maranatha Athletics (@MBUSabercats) October 1, 2021

When the dust settled from the celebration, the Sabercats had a chance to enjoy their second straight win over Faith, their first home win, and their third win in a row for the 2021 season.

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Maranatha Starters: 00- Balyo, 2- T. Holloway, 3- Elms (C), 5- Jones, 9- Wright (C), 11- Cummins, 16- Kirchner, 18- P. Holloway, 20- Cooper (C), 21- Hansel (C), 23- Perkins

STATS

• Shot count: Maranatha 11-6 Faith
• Shots on goal: Maranatha 1-5 Faith
• Kirchner: First collegiate goal
• Ian Balyo: 5 saves
• Last time: Maranatha beat Faith 2-1 last Saturday
• Series: Maranatha now leads the all-time series against Faith 11-2-1

OPPONENTS

• Faith also competes in the Midwest Christian College Conference
• Faith competes with Maranatha in the NCCAA DII North Region

NEXT

The Sabercats will head to Chicago to take on North Region rival Moody on Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. Follow along at mbusabercats.com/schedule.