WATERTOWN, Wis. -- Three first-half goals made all the difference today, as the Sabercats fell 3-0 to Ripon on a cool afternoon in Watertown.

Maranatha's defense kept Ripon off the scoresheet for the final 50 minutes of the game, but the first-half scoring spree was enough for Ripon to take home the win.

OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 0-3 Ripon
• Venue: Maranatha Baptist University
• Location: Watertown, Wis.
• Attendance: 51
• Record: MBU (3-7-0), RC (5-4-3) 

STORY

Ripon kept the pressure on early in the game, but they were held goalless through the first 10 minutes. Maranatha's defense pressured the Ripon shots to be off target, but the breakthrough came eventually when Kaley Kowal smashed a shot into the upper corner from the side of the box in the 13th minute.

Kowal went on to show why she's Ripon's top goal-scorer by adding a second goal just before the half-hour mark, tapping in from close range off a cross from Martina Palazzolo.

Palazzolo set up all three goals for Ripon, as the midfielder teed up Rebecca Roszel just five minutes before halftime for the third goal of the game.

From there, the Sabercats' defense kept the Red Hawks off the scoresheet for the rest of the game, and Mallory Willette even fired off a couple of shots on target for Maranatha. But the Sabercats couldn't find a breakthrough, as those three first-half goals from Ripon were enough to decide it.

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Maranatha Starters: 0- Dodd, 2- Habegger, 3- Willette, 5- Graham, 7- Garren, 8- Bishop (C), 9- Prigge (C), 11- Schroeder, 12- Clark, 13- Schmidt, 15- Metcalf

STATS

• Shot Count: Maranatha 4-22 Ripon
• Shots on Goal: Maranatha 2-6 Ripon
• Last time: Maranatha fell to Ripon 3-0 on October 4, 2022
• Series: Maranatha trails the all-time series against Ripon 1-12-2

OPPONENTS

• Ripon competes in the Midwest Conference (NCAA Dlll)
• Ripon finished the 2022 season with a 4-11-3 record. 

NEXT

The Sabercats stay in Watertown to face Andrews University next Thursday (Oct. 19) at 3:00 p.m. Follow along at mbusabercats.com/schedule.