The Belles will travel to Holland, Mich. to participate in the Hope College Triangular on Saturday. At the triangular, Saint Mary's is set to face two league opponents - Hope College and Olivet College. This trip should give the team a good chance to regroup amidst its current three-game losing streak.
Hope comes into the Triangular with a record of 1-3 in the conference and 6-5 overall. The Flying Dutch are currently two matches ahead of the Belles in the MIAA. Olivet is eighth in the standings, having yet to win a match in the league and are only 4-9 on the season.
Last year, Saint Mary's split the event with a win over Olivet and a loss to Hope. In fact, the Belles faced the Flying Dutch three times last year, including the first round of the tournament and failed to win one match.
Defense has continued to be a problem for the Belles so far this season. In Wednesday's game, Saint Mary's failed to score on offense, but also gave the Maroons a lot of chances to put points on the board. Earlier in the week, junior Michelle Turley commented that this was one area that the team needed to improve upon.
"I can say that our defense has been a problem," Turley said. "Our defense needs to play better and more consistently for us to have a chance at winning."
For the Belles, the Hope Triangular is a prime opportunity to move up in the standings and get back on track. Not only will their league record improve but also their overall record if they can claim a couple of victories. The higher they can end up at the conclusion of the regular season, the better their chances will be in the final tournament.
Saint Mary's first game is set to begin at 11 a.m., while its second is set for 1:30 p.m. Following the games, the Belles will not play for a week until they face Albion College for the second time this season Oct. 2 at 11 a.m.
With the Hope Triangular a good way to earn a few wins, the Belles hope to move up in the MIAA standings.
