WATERTOWN, Wis. -- It wasn't the prettiest game, but a Kyle Cummins brace and goals from Aaron Jones and Grant Kirchner gave Maranatha a 4-0 win over Emmaus in North Region play this afternoon.

The win was the Sabercats' fourth North Region win in a six-game stretch, as they opened their four-game homestand with their second shutout win of the season.

OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 4-0 Emmaus
• Venue: Maranatha Baptist University
• Location: Watertown, Wis.
• Attendance: 109
• Record: MBU (4-6-0), Emmaus (2-8-0) 

STORY

After a sloppy start to the game, Maranatha got on the board in the 16th minute when Aaron Jones weaved his way around a few Emmaus defenders and shot it off the crossbar and in for his third goal of the season. 

Maranatha continued to hassle the Emmaus goal and eventually found a second through Grant Kirchner, who bagged his second of the year with a hard-hit shot off the Emmaus goalkeeper and in. The two goals were similar, and Maranatha had a two-goal lead.

The third came just a minute before halftime. Matthew Harris chipped a cross to Kyle Cummins, who headed home his fourth of the season. It was Harris's first career assist and point, and the Sabercats had a comfortable lead going into halftime.

The Sabercats played a better second half than the first, but they were only rewarded with one goal. Cummins laced a shot from the top of the Emmaus penalty area that was just too hot for the goalkeeper to handle. With the effort, Cummins upped his season goal count to a team-best five. 

Off the scoresheet, a few Sabercats made their collegiate debut: Carson Abbey, Reagan Abbey, and Andrew Wright all checked into their first-ever game for Maranatha. Ben Price and Mike Davis both recorded their first career starts in the win as well.

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Maranatha Starters: 00- Balyo, 3- Elms (C), 4- Price, 5- Jones, 7- Cripps, 8-Davis, 9- Wright (C), 11- Cummins, 16- Kirchner, 21- Hansel (C), 23- Perkins

STATS

• Shot count: Maranatha 27-4 Emmaus
• Shots on goal: Maranatha 16-0 Emmaus
• Cummins: First brace since September 11, 2020
• Harris: First collegiate assist
• Ian Balyo: 3 saves
• Last time: Maranatha defeated Emmaus 4-2 on September 24
• Series: Maranatha now leads the all-time series against Emmaus 8-0-0

OPPONENTS

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

NEXT

The Sabercats continue the homestand on Thursday as they host Viterbo at 3:00 p.m. Follow along at mbusabercats.com/schedule.