October break proved to be rocky for Saint Mary's.
The Belles came out of the break with a 1-1-1 record only to suffer a heartbreaking 3-2 double overtime loss to Kalamazoo Wednesday night. The loss to Kalamazoo puts Saint Mary's at 9-3-3 for the season and in a tie with Alma for third place in the MIAA standings.
The consistent Saint Mary's defense couln't preserve the tie.
"The defense can only hold for so long," Belles coach Peter Haring said. "The offense needs to finish the golden opportunities in games."
This was the second loss Saint Mary's had suffered in just two weeks. Saint Mary's endured a 1-0 loss to Hope College Oct. 18. But the team had to play without defender Shannon Culbertson and striker Wendy Irvin.
Fortunately, Saint Mary's was able to recover from the loss with its sixth shutout of the year with a 3-0 win over Tri-State University, the second team Saint Mary's played during the break on Oct. 21.
"Our team got refocused and we stuck it to them," Haring said. "We were able to control the pace of the game."
But the team ended the break with a 1-1 double overtime tie to Alma.
Over the break, the defense continued its solid strength behind Katie Taylor, Carrie Orr and Culbertson.
Freshman Carolyn Logan has also been a critical part to the team.
"She adds a little more spark in our attack," Haring said.
For the remainder of the season, Haring wants to continue with the team's ability to control the pace of the game and wants to finish the offensive attacks.
The next test for Saint Mary's will be against Albion Saturday at 12 p.m.
