The Belles downed in-state rival Trine 4-0 on Wednesday as they earned their sixth shutout of the season and moved into a three-way tie for second place in the MIAA.
Off to their best 11-game start since 2004, the Belles (8-2-1, 5-2-0 MIAA) continued their early-season success with another conference victory. With the top four teams in the MIAA advancing to the postseason conference tournament, the Belles are hoping to keep riding the recent wave of wins, senior captain and midfielder MaddieMeckes said.
"This is the best year we've had since I've been here and I keep reminding [my teammates] of that so they know what a special season this is for us," Meckes said. "We're just trying to keep it up and work toward that conference bid this is for us," Meckes said. "We're just trying to keep it up and work toward that conference bid this season."
Saint Mary's coupled two goals in each half with 90 minutes of dominant defense to quell Trine's squad (1-8-2, 0-6-1).
Sophomore defender Kerry Green scored the first goal of the game and her first goal of the season when she headed home a corner kick from Meckes in the 25th minute.
Saint Mary's extended its lead to 2-0 just over six minutes later, as junior forward Kaitlin Teichman netted her third goal of the season.
In the second half, senior midfielder Ashley Morfin scored unassisted in the 75th minute, as she shot from inside the penalty area and drilled it up and over Trine freshman goalie Sloan Davis toward the far post and into the back of the net.
With just under three minutes remaining in regulation, Meckes put the finishing touch on the victory when she blasted a shot from outside the 18-yard box for her second goal of the season.
"We did really well," Meckes said. "It was a game we could definitely win. We did a good job taking care of business."
Saint Mary's sophomore goalie ChanlerRosenbaum picked up the shutout victory by making three saves in the match. The Belles' defense, led by Rosenbaum, Green and sophomore defender Mary Kate Hussey, held the Thunder to just one shot in the second half and four shots total.
With the win, Saint Mary's matched the 5-2 conference records of Hope and Calvin and positioned itself in a tie for second place in the MIAA, behind only Alma.
The Belles will take on the Hope (8-3-0, 5-2) on Saturday. The Flying Dutch defeated Calvin 2-0 on Wednesday in a critical conference matchup.
The Flying Dutch got out to a 1-0 lead in the 21st minute off a Calvin own goal, and followed it up in the 34th minute when junior forward RaisaYewah found the back of the net off a header.
Though Calvin outshot Hope 14-10 in the match, Flying Dutch senior goalie Megan Altieri wasn't needed to make a save, as the defense forced shots from the perimeter that failed to find the frame.
Hope has allowed 12 goals in 11 games, while the Belles enter Saturday's tilt averaging 2.53 goals per game. Meckes said the key to sustaining this strong stretch of soccer is staying focused on the task at hand, something the Belles did against Trine.
"[It comes down to] making sure we're staying focused for every game and knowing we're concentrating on one game at a time," Meckes said. "We were just focused on getting the [win against Trine] and working our way up in the conference."
The Belles and Flying Dutch square off Saturday at noon in South Bend in a pivotal MIAA matchup.
Contact Mike Monaco at
jmonaco@nd.edu
