Senior captains Colleen Courtney and Ashley Hinton both scored clutch second-half goals in a come from behind victory against Olivet Saturday.
The 3-2 win boosted the Belles to second place in the MIAA with a 3-1 conference record.
Saint Mary's has now won three of its last four games, bringing the team's overall record to 4-6.
The hot streak dates back to a 2-1 victory over Alma College Sept. 26. In that time the Belles have cemented themselves as a legitimate contender in the conference with wins over Kalamazoo, Alma and Olivet.
After falling behind early in the second half, Saint Mary's took control of the game and clawed their way back. Courtney scored her first goal of the season in the 64th minute on a pass from Hinton.
Hinton found the net herself 10 minutes later on a shot from over 30 yards out. The midfielder lobbed it over the head of Comets goalie Shane Brady to regain the lead for good.
Hinton also started the scoring for the Belles with 15 minutes remaining in the first half. Like the game-winner, she was unassisted on a long shot.
Her five points in the game put the senior in first place in the MIAA in that category. She also leads the conference with four assists and is tied for the lead in goals with three. Hinton also caught her sister Lauren Hinton with six goals on the season including non-conference play.
Olivet sophomore Megan Reardon answered less than three minutes after to tie the score at one going into the half. The goal was her first of the season.
Senior Kristin Dickinson started off the second half with another Comets goal when she received a pass from Katie Wolf and buried a shot in the top right corner of the net out of the reach of goalkeeper Laura Heline.
Heline finished with four saves as the Belles defense was able to hold Olivet to 12 shots - only six of which were on net. And the defense, which struggled early, seems to be coming together at the right time.
Saint Mary's offense also turned out a strong performance in Saturday's game. The team out shot the Comets 14-12 including nine shots from sophomore forward Lauren Hinton. Hinton put eight of her nine on net but wasn't able to get one past Brady for her seventh goal of the season.
The Belles play Hope College Saturday in another MIAA matchup. The Flying Dutch are 3-6-2 in 2006, and they are still searching for the first victory in the conference.
No members of the team were available for comment following the game.
