Saint Mary’s will look to build on its recent dramatic victory over Trine when it travels up to Kalamazoo, Michigan on Friday for a matchup against the Hornets.
The Belles (4-7-1) will begin the second half of their MIAA season this weekend, having played against each of their conference opponents once so far. In the first half of the conference season, the Belles have enjoyed some success but also have room for improvement, going 2-5-1 in conference play.
In their first matchup with the Hornets (8-3-1, 5-3-1 MIAA), the Belles lost 2-1, with their lone score coming from senior defender Mary Kate Hussey in the 33rd minute.
Since matchup between Saint Mary's and the Hornets that opened conference play on Sept. 11, Kalamazoo has enjoyed more success against conference opponents, with wins over Olivet, Adrian and Hope. The Hornets also are coming off a strong showing against Trine with a 2-0 victory Wednesday.
Saint Mary’s will hope for a different result this time around against the Hornets, as senior goalkeeper Chanler Rosenbaum is coming off her 17th career shutout in the Belles' game against Trine when an 89th minute goal off the foot of sophomore forward Liza Felix secured the Belles victory.
At the halfway point of the season, the Belles find themselves in the bottom half of MIAA standings but within striking distance of the four-team conference championship tournament to be held at the end of the season.
This matchup with Kalamazoo will give Saint Mary’s another opportunity to earn three points and climb the MIAA ladder while also serving as a measuring stick of how the team has improved through its first month of conference play.
The Belles and Hornets will kick off Friday at 7 p.m. at MacKenzie Field in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
