Four quick goals were more than enough offense for Illinois Wesleyan to take down Saint Mary's Sunday. The Belles - who have now lost three straight - were shut out in the 4-0 beating, their second home game this season.
Illinois Wesleyan buried all four of its goals within a 10-minute span of the first half. Elizabeth Sinclair found Eileen Ouska with a crisp pass to start the scoring at the 20-minute mark and the pair quickly followed with another goal three minutes later. Sunday marked Ouska's second two-goal performance of the year. The first came in a 5-0 rout of Lake Forest Sept. 13.
Less than two minutes later senior Lyndsay O'Brien came through with her fourth goal of the season when she won a ball from 10 yards out and placed it in the top corner.
The flurry came to a close in the 29th minute when a Titan shot ricocheted off the post and sophomore Carly Calkins beat Belles goalkeeper Laura Heline, who was still recovering from the previous shot.
"[Sunday was] the first time we used a new offensive formation," senior forward Colleen Courtney said. "I think we had a breakdown in communication on who was marking who."
Heline (11 saves) and the defense were able to keep the Titan offense at bay for the remainder of the game but the tear was all Illinois Wesleyan needed.
The young Saint Mary's defense continued to feel the pressure throughout the game as it was dominated in the box score.
The team was out shot 26-3 and Illinois Wesleyan won 11 corner kicks to the Belles' two.
Senior goalie and team captain Emily Castner only had to make two saves in the game to earn her fourth shutout in eight games for the Titans. Castner has allowed six goals this season for a .750 goals against average.
Castner was aided by a struggling Saint Mary's offense. The Belles have been held to two goals in their last three games. They had a tough time finding an offensive flow Sunday - unable to get past the stingy Titan defense. Senior Ashley Hinton and freshman Katie Wehrli were the only players to put shots on net for the Belles.
"We need to move the ball around a little better and get it up to our forwards so they can get off more shots," Courtney said.
Sophomore Lauren Hinton talked earlier last week about a team still trying to form its chemistry. After Sunday's loss, those issues appear as urgent as ever.
"With so many freshmen on the field we still need some time to know how each of us plays," she said. "I feel the second half of the season you will see a much more improved team."
Saint Mary's begins conference play at home against Alma Tuesday at 4 p.m.
