Eagles Soar in Season Opener

DUBUQUE, IA -- The Emmaus Bible College men's soccer team opened their 2024 campaign with a 5-3 victory over the CCCB Saints at Fish Field in front of an enthusiastic home crowd in Dubuque.

The Eagles got on the board early, when Jake Matte intercepted a pass off of the Saints backline and converted a strike in the 6th minute. Nine minutes later Matte would feed brother, Josh Matte through the CCCB defense, leading to Josh Matte's first goal of the year and a 2-0 lead. Jake would convert on a rebound in the 15th minute, and then connect for a hat-trick just before the half on the end of a slicing pass from Bennett Kreiner. 

The Emmaus defense was steady throughout the game, creating a relatively quiet day for goalkeeper, Tucker Kapas, who made 1 save and conceded a first-half penalty kick. The Eagles carried a 4-1 lead into halftime, and Bennett Kreiner tallied in the second half when he redirected a shot from Carlos Ventura-Magallon into the goal. The Saints pushed the game untili the final whistle and notched two goals inside the last five minutes. 

"This was a solid performance to open the season," shared head coach Chris McHugh. "We have a nice balance of returning, veteran players who are being supported and pushed by hard-working and talent new teammates. So we'lll rest and recover this weekend, and then aim to improve again next week in preparation for Spurgeon."

Up Next: The Eagles host the Spurgeon Knights next Saturday, August 31 at 1pm at Fish Field.