WYOMING, Mich. -- The fifth-ranked Grace Christian Tigers kept the pressure on in a rainy NCCAA Midwest Region bash today, handing the Sabercats a 4-0 loss after three first-half goals.

The Sabercats will have a quick turnaround before facing the seventh-ranked Great Lakes Christian College Crusaders tomorrow at 11 a.m. Eastern in Lansing, Michigan.

OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 0-4 No. 5 Grace Christian
• Venue: Velting Field - Grace Christian University
• Location: Wyoming, Mich. 
• Event: NCCAA Midwest Region
• Attendance: 59
• Record: MBU (1-9-0), GCU (3-6-3) 

STORY

The game was end-to-end in the opening possessions, but Grace kept the pressure on the Sabercats, earning 14 corner kicks and taking 15 shots in the opening 45 minutes. Two of the Tigers' goals came from corner kick plays, and the other goal was a shifty individual run from Kaiden Link, who scored with a thumping shot from outside the penalty area.

Going into halftime, the Sabercats' outlook on the game was about as positive as the weather.

Grace came out flying in the second half and their relentless pressure was quite the handful for the Sabercats defense. But for the most part, Maranatha frustrated their top-10 opponent with a couple of sliding saves from Ian Balyo and a stingy back line led by Cameron Beachell. But Grace's persistence landed them on the scoresheet for the final time with about 20 minutes left. Gabriel Lenius was on hand to score his second of the game, and it was similar to his first, as he tapped in from close range to tidy things up for the hard-working Tigers.

Even in the pouring rain, we still take time for what's most important.

Post-game prayer with @GraceTigers

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— Maranatha Athletics (@MBUSabercats) October 6, 2023

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Maranatha Starters: 00- Balyo, 2- T. Holloway, 3- Doese, 8- Davis (C), 9- Wright, (C), 11- Beachell, 12- Greene, 18- Mixell, 19- Miller, 20- P. Holloway (C), 23- Perkins

STATS

• Shot count: Maranatha 2-31 Grace Christian
• Last time: Maranatha fell to Grace Christain 6-0 on October 3, 2020
• Series: Maranatha leads the all-time series against Grace Christian 17-8

OPPONENTS

• Grace Christian competes with Maranatha in the NCCAA Midwest Region
• Grace Christian finished the 2022 season with a record of 16-4-2
• Grace Christian fell 0-1 to Bob Jones in the 2022 NCCAA National Championship

NEXT

The Sabercats travel over to Lansing, Michigan, where they will face Great Lakes Christian in another NCCAA Midwest Region matchup on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. EST. Follow along at mbusabercats.com/schedule.