Eagles Soar in Last Home Game
Dubuque, IA - October 17, 2023
In a captivating matchup, Emmaus Bible College secured an impressive 2-1 victory against the Faith Baptist Bible College Eagles. The game, played in front of a big crowd at Fish Field, marked a significant achievement for Emmaus as they moved above .500 on the season t0 5-4-1 overall and improved to 4-2 in MCCC play. The win also handed Faith their first conference loss of the year.
From the opening whistle, Emmaus demonstrated energy and determination, imposing themselves with early high pressure. The first goal came in the 14th minute when Cristian Anderson's relentless effort forced a turnover from the Faith left back. Jacob Davis played Anderson into the corner, and when Anderson found Bennett Kreiner for a shot at the top of the penalty area, the ball deflected favorably to John Chuyma, who tucked in a one-time volley for a 1-0 lead.
Two minutes later, Emmaus extended their lead following a corner kick. Edwin Ventura-Magallon found Anderson at the back post, and he powered a header past the Faith goalkeeper for a 2-0 advantage. The game took a turn minutes later when Anderson was forced out due to an ankle injury, leaving Emmaus to play the final 65 minutes without their key player.
Emmaus took a 2-0 lead into halftime, and despite absorbing waves of pressure from Faith in the second half, the Emmaus backline and goalkeeper Tucker Kapas stood tall. Faith managed to draw within one at 2-1 in the 56th minute, but Emmaus defended resolutely. Zach Ort, Josiah Tuttle, and Caleb Hunter delivered timely tackles and blocked shots to help seal the victory for Emmaus.
Head Coach Chris McHugh praised the team's effort, stating, "Wow...what a big effort from our guys. Although it was unfortunate to lose Cristian so early, this is the type of performance we have been building towards. We executed early when Cristian was on the field, and we showed a lot of determination and togetherness to maintain the lead and earn the win. So I'm really proud of the guys today!"