WATERTOWN, Wis. — In the Sabercats' regular-season finale, they gave the seniors a well-deserved home sendoff, they gave their followers a high note to finish the regular season on, and they gave Oak Hills a 10-0 defeat on a windy day in Watertown.
Michael Doese scored a hat-trick while Isaac Schmidt, Mike Davis, Grant Kirchner, and Joseph Greene all recorded multiple-point performances in their final game on the home field for the 2024 season.
HIGHLIGHTS
OVERVIEW
- Result: Maranatha 10-0 Oak Hills
- Venue: Maranatha Baptist University
- Location: Watertown, Wis.
- Attendance: 62
- Record: MBU (5-8-5), OHCC (1-9-0)
STORY
Doese got right down to business in the opening minutes, scoring with his first shot of the game after Joshua Donovan worked down the right side to set up the play. Doese added his second a few minutes later from the top of the box.
Schmidt got on the scoresheet with a nice combination with Mike Davis. Schmidt's determined run up the middle was rewarded with a perfectly weighted through pass from Davis, and Schmidt buried his chance from close range. Minute later, Doese set up the fourth goal with a pinpoint cross that was finished first-time by Robbie Lemon, who scored his second of the day nine minutes later by finishing a one-time pass from Landon Broere. 5-0.
Matheus Ribeiro scored the sixth, weaving his way up the right side before smashing a shot that beat the goalkeeper to the near post. It was Ribeiro's first collegiate goal, and entering halftime, the Sabercats had a routine 6-0 lead.
It took Maranatha 30 minutes to score in the second half, as Kade Hanson kept the hosts off the board with 16 second-half saves to match his first-half number. Finally, Schmidt broke the second-half deadlock by flicking in a teasing cross from Clayton Miller - it was Miller's first career point. 7-0.
Doese scored his hat-trick three minutes later, smashing a pass from Greene into the top-right corner for the eighth goal of the day - it was Doese's second career hat-trick against the Wolfpack.
The final two goals of the day came from Grant Kirchner, who finished with authority at the back post off of two tantalizing crosses from Miller and Greene.
It was the final home game for seven seniors, as Ian Balyo, Brad Brock, Mike Davis, Isaac Schmidt, Joseph Greene, Grant Kirchner, and Philip Holloway all played their final game on the home field.
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Maranatha Starters: 00- I. Balyo, 3- Doese (C), 5- Jones, 8- Davis (C), 11- Beachell, 13- Donovan, 16- Kirchner, 19- Miller, 20- P. Holloway (C), 23- Brock, 27- C. Balyo
STATS
- Doese: leads the team with 12 goals on the season
- Kirchner: 6 goals this season
- Schmidt: first career multi-goal game
- Ribeiro: first collegiate goal
- Miller: first career points
- Greene: first points this season
- Last time: Maranatha won 4-1 last year
- Series: Maranatha leads the all-time series with Oak Hills, 2-0
OPPONENTS
- Oak Hills competes in the NCCAA North Region
- Oak Hills is in their second year as a program
NEXT
The Sabercats conclude the regular season at 5-8-5 and will travel to #4 Great Lakes for the NCCAA Midwest Region Play-In next Tuesday for a 2:00 p.m. kickoff. Follow along at mbusabercats.com/schedule.
