LEAD
WATERTOWN, Wis. -- It was a back-and-forth regional blitz today, and after 90 hard-fought minutes, Maranatha and the ninth-ranked Emmaus Eagles left with a 2-2 tie in the Sabercats' NCCAA Midwest Region opener for the 2024 season.
Josh Donovan scored his first career goal to tie the game in the first half, and neither team could find the breakthrough winner despite relentless pressure at both ends of the field.
OVERVIEW
- Result: Maranatha 2-2 No. 9 Emmaus
- Venue: Maranatha Baptist University
- Location: Watertown, Wis.
- Event: NCCAA Midwest Region
- Attendance: 109
- Record: MBU (0-0-2), EBC (2-2-1)
STORY
Emmaus scored early after a clever pass from Josh Matte set up Jacob Davis at the nine-minute mark. Most of the pressure was going against the Eagles, and the breakthrough finally came when Robert Lemon drew a foul inside the Eagles' penalty area. Up stepped Michael Doese, who buried the penalty kick with aplomb to level the score just three minutes later.
From there, it was anyone's game, as both teams pushed for the go-ahead goal. Emmaus finally found it in the 41st minute, when Jake Matte pounced on a sloppy pass from the Sabercats to place it in the back of the net from outside the box.
In an immediate response, Donovan leveled the scoring after Isaac Schmidt's ball into the box bounced in Donovan's path on the left side of the penalty area. Donovan collected it, then placed his shot deftly into the bottom-right corner for his first collegiate goal and a much-needed equalizer.
The second half left both teams frustrated. Both fired of seven shots apiece but no one could break the tie in the first meeting of the season between the two teams.
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Maranatha Starters: 0- Ian Balyo, 3- Doese (C), 5- Jones, 7- Lemon, 8- Davis (C), 11- Beachell, 16- Kirchner, 19- Miller, 20- Holloway (C), 23- G. Brock, 27- C. Balyo
NUMBERS
- Shots: Maranatha 18-12 No. 9 Emmaus
- Shots on goal: Maranatha 12-9 No. 9 Emmaus
- Donovan: first career goal
- Doese: 10th career goal for Maranatha
- Balyo: 7 saves
- Last time: Maranatha won 2-1 in last year's Midwest Region Semifinal
- Series: Maranatha leads the all-time series with Emmaus, 10-1-3
OPPONENTS
- Emmaus is ranked ninth in NCCAA Division II Men's Soccer
- Emmaus used to compete with the Sabercats in the NCCAA North Region
- Emmaus opened the season with NCCAA wins over Central Christian (Neb.) and Spurgeon
NEXT
The Sabercats stay at home to face Buena Vista at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Follow at mbusabercats.com/schedule.
