WATERTOWN, Wis. -- Lincoln Christian started the game with a goal today, but Maranatha answered with eight.

Alexis Sponable scored four goals for the second time in her career and Amy Montgomery notched her first multi-goal game as MBU won 8-1, moving their winning streak to three.

• Result: Maranatha 8-1 Lincoln Christian
• Venue: Maranatha Baptist University
• Location: Watertown, Wis.
• Attendance: 69
• Records: MBU (6-5-1), LCU (3-6-0)

The Red Lions got on the board early, as Abigail Crockett used her speed to get behind the Sabercats' back line and fire a shot into the far corner from the side of the six-yard box.

It took the Sabercats 23 minutes to find the equalizer, as they kept the Red Lion goalkeeper busy in the opening exchanges. It came from Sponable's own making, as she dribbled into the penalty area and slipped it past the oncoming goalkeeper to tie the game.

The second came just six minutes before halftime when Alyssa Wright sent a cross into the six-yard box. As the keeper came out, Alison Hernandez challenged it bravely, then collected her own rebound for a tidy finish.

At the halftime mark, the Sabercats had rattled off 25 shots but only had a couple of goals to show for it. 

MBU made up for their missed chances with a scoring spree to start the second act. The second half started off on the right foot, as Amy Montgomery scored three minutes into the half. At the top of the box, Montgomery finished calmly off a rebound from Jaclyn Dahl's shot, and just a minute later, Montgomery provided an assist when she set up Sponable again for an unmarked finish.

Montgomery quickly added her second of the game just a couple of minutes later, as she won the ball off of a Red Lion defender and finished low into the corner to extend the lead to 5-1.

Sponable then kept her scoring streak going by added two goals in two minutes. Both goals came from just inside the box, and the sophomore showed her eye for goal by slotting both finishes into the bottom corner. In a flurry of goalmouth activity, the Sabercats had scored five goals in an eight-minute stretch.

In the 66th minute, Sarah Moore scored her first collegiate goal with a well-placed shot from 15 yards out that curled into the top-left corner.

The win looks good on paper at the end of the day, as the Red Lions are dually-affiliated in the NAIA and the NCCAA DI.

"Credit to the girls for staying faithful through the drought in the first half and for finishing our opportunities in the second half," said Coach Dave Anderson. "I'm thankful for the challenge of facing a good player up top and how that helps us prepare for postseason play, especially in our region."

• Sponable: 5th career hat-trick; second career game with 4 goals
• Sponable: now 9th all-time for career points (61)
• Hernandez: now has 53 career points and is 11th all-time 
• Montgomery: 1st career game with multiple goals 
• Series: Maranatha now leads the series, 11-0-1

• The Red Lions are members of the NAIA and of the NCCAA DI
• LCU competes in the NAIA as an independent member
• LCU posted three consecutive wins before falling to Trinity International yesterday
• Lincoln Christian used to compete with Maranatha in the NCCAA DII Midwest Region 

The Sabercats hit the road Saturday to take on Faith Baptist Bible College for an 11:00 a.m. kick. Follow live at mbusabercats.com/composite.