After a brief stint at home that saw Saint Mary's claim its most convincing win of the season, the Belles are set to begin a three-game road trip beginning Wednesday with Illinois Wesleyan.
This weekend, after dropping their first match of the Saint Mary's Invitational against No. 7 Otterbein, the Belles (2-3) put together their biggest offensive performance of the season in route to an impressive 5-2 victory over Manchester College. The victory could not have come at a better time for the struggling squad, which had been outscored 9-0 in its previous three matches.
Seniors Micki Hedinger and Colleen Ferguson each scored goals within a 22 second period, which opened the flood gates for Saint Mary's. Hedinger's goal gave her two on the season, tying her for the team lead with fellow senior Katy Durkin, who had a goal of her own in the match.
Senior goalkeeper Patty Duffy had another strong game in net for the Belles, recording three saves in 75 minutes of action. Duffy already has 32 stops on the season.
In its last three meetings with Illinois Wesleyan, Saint Mary's has registered two losses and a tie while being outscored 7-2. With nearly the entire squad returning from last season's narrow 2-1 loss, the Belles are eyeing this opportunity as their best yet to get over the hump.
In its final two matches of the three-game set, Saint Mary's will take on Wilmington and Hiram College over the weekend. Hiram dealt the Belles a 3-1 loss last season at the Case Western Invitational.
The Belles will not return home until Sept. 25 when they will host the Saint Mary's Fall Classic.
