LEAD
DUBUQUE, Iowa — A second-half goal from Matheus Ribeiro was all it took for the Sabercats to take down Emmaus University 1-0 today, and the Sabercats are rolling with three straight wins.
It was the second consecutive shutout for goalkeeper Joe Shank, who had a quiet day between the goalposts for Maranatha, who will turn attention to Saturday and a 3:00 PM kickoff with Faith Baptist Bible College.
OVERVIEW
- Result: No. 10 Maranatha 1-0 Emmaus
- Venue: Emmaus University
- Location: Dubuque, Iowa
- Attendance: 81
- Record: MBU (5-2-1), EU (3-5-1)
STORY
The Sabercats dominated possession and the scoring chances, especially right out of the gate. Pedro Ribeiro, Robbie Lemon, and Davin Johnson all had opportunities from inside the Emmaus penalty area, but the shots kept flashing just wide of the hosts' goal. After a one-way first half, it was 0-0 going into halftime, as the Sabercats created chance after chance but had nothing to show for it.
The breakthrough finally came just 12 minutes after the break. Johnson clipped a long pass up the field to Joshua Donovan, who controlled it deftly before feeding it into the path of Ribeiro, who was crashing into the Emmaus penalty area. Ribeiro cut to his left before punching a finish low into the corner for an overdue go-ahead goal, charging new life into the Sabercats early in the second half.
A few more chances fell the Sabercats way, but none was as big as a penalty kick given in favor of Emmaus with just 10 minutes left. Only the width of the goalpost made the difference in the well-struck shot going in to tie the game and coming out, and thankfully for the Sabercats, the Eagles' shot crashed back off the goalpost to keep the game in favor of Maranatha. The rest of the game was a formality, as the Sabercats saw out their second shutout win in a row, their third win in a row, and what is now a winning record in NCCAA play for the 2025 season.
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Maranatha Starters: 1- Shank, 5- Jones (C), 6- Johnson, 7- Lemon, 8- M. Ribeiro, 10- P. Ribeiro, 11- Ca. Beachell (C), 12- Greene (C), 13- Donovan, 14- Cl. Beachell, 19- Miller
STATS
- Shot count: Maranatha 28-5 Emmaus
- Last time: Maranatha lost to Emmaus 0-1 on their field during the 2024 season
- Series: This was the Sabercats' first win at Emmaus since 2021
- Series: Maranatha leads the all-time series 12-2-3
OPPONENTS
- Emmaus competes with the Sabercats in the NCCAA Midwest Region (NCCAA DII)
- Emmaus finished last season with a 10-7-3 record
NEXT
The Sabercats will play Faith Baptist Bible College at home on Saturday for parents' day. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. Follow at mbusabercats.com/schedule.
