WATERTOWN, Wis. -- Isabella Byers grabbed the headlines today, notching her first career hat-trick as the Sabercats overwhelmed the Blackburn College Beavers 5-0 on the Maranatha campus for their second straight win.

Amelia Schroeder and Alayna Smith added the other two goals; Smith, Schroeder, Jocelyn Metcalf, and Megan Prigge all contributed assists in the 5-0 win.

OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 5-0 Blackburn
• Venue: Maranatha Baptist University
• Location: Watertown, Wis.
• Attendance: 79
• Record: MBU (2-2-0), BC (0-5-0) 

STORY
The first goal came around the 20-minute mark, and Byers was on hand to finish off a well-worked move. Chelsea Graham sent the ball wide to Smith, who cut back on her right foot before picking out Byers inside the Blackburn penalty area. Byers sprinted onto Smith's enticing cross and clipped the ball home at the near post to give Maranatha the 1-0 lead.

Schroeder got her first goal of the season to cap the first-half scoring. Megan Prigge sent in a teasing corner kick towards the far post, and Schroeder met the ball in midair to bury it in the back of the net for the 2-0 lead. It was all going right for MBU.

Byers was far from finished, as she had her most eye-catching of the three goals with a shot from the top of the penalty area that caromed off the underside of the crossbar and over the line for the 3-0 cushion.  Smith was next, as the freshman collected a touch from Schroeder at the top of the penalty area and looped a shot that nestled into the left corner for an emphatic 4-0 lead.

The final goal of the day - Byers' hat-trick moment - came in the 66th minute, when Jocelyn Metcalf fizzed a pass from the left side of the box towards the back post. Byers met it with her knee, creatively lobbing her shot over the Blackburn goalkeeper and into the left corner for an exciting end to a high-scoring afternoon.
 

Clinical from Izzy, Alayna, and Amelia ??????????

Great assists from Megan and Jocelyn ????

Second win in a row!???? pic.twitter.com/GtDh7Iq1ad

— Maranatha Athletics (@MBUSabercats) September 21, 2024

Maranatha Starters: 0- Dodd, 3- Cansler, 4- Wilson, 5- Graham (C), 7- Smith, 8- Bishop, 9- Prigge (C), 10- Byers, 11- Schroeder, 15- Metcalf, 20- Herrera

STATS

• Shot Count: Maranatha 22-0 Blackburn
• Shots on goal: Maranatha 13-0 Blackburn
• Byers: first career goals and hat-trick
• Smith, Prigge: now had 2 assists apiece on the year
• Schroeder: 12th career goal
• Last time: Maranatha won 5-0 at home on September 21, 2019
• Series: Maranatha leads the all-time series 3-0

OPPONENTS

• Blackburn competes in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NCAA Dlll)
• Blackburn finished 4-8-4 last season

NEXT

The Sabercats travel to Mount Mary for a 4:30 p.m. kickoff on Tuesday. Follow along at mbusabercats.com/schedule.