An 89th-minute goal by sophomore forward Liza Felix was the only tally of the day Saturday as Saint Mary's picked up a 1-0 home victory over Trine.
The Belles (4-7-1, 2-5-1 MIAA) were on the front foot from the start when senior midfielder Erin Mishu put an attempt on target inside the first two minutes. Senior defender Kerry Green followed soon after, heading a shot over the bar 13 minutes into the contest.
Around the half-hour mark, junior midfielder Maggie McLaughlin gave the Belles another chance when she got behind the Thunder (4-6-1, 2-5-1) defense, before having a shot turned aside by freshman goalkeeper Kristina Veljovic. Felix fired a shot off the post two minutes later, before Trine had its best chance of the half when freshman midfielder Carly Osinski forced Belles senior goalkeeper Chanler Rosenbaum to push her shot from distance over the bar. Rosenbaum finished the day with three saves.
The Belles controlled the pace of play once again in the second half from the opening whistle. Early in the half, junior Lindsay Rzepecki possessed the ball in the 18-yard box but was unable to get a shot off. A spell followed midway through the half when Veljovic turned away three Saint Mary's attempts in six and a half minutes of action, leaving the game scoreless entering the final minutes.
With around two minutes remaining in the match, the Belles took the lead. McLaughlin found the unmarked Felix with a flicked ball over the Trine defense and the latter finished from 12 yards out. It was the Belles' 17th shot of the contest and Felix's second goal of the year. The Thunder failed to register a shot in the final 1:56 of play, giving the Belles their first win in five tries.
Saint Mary's is back in action Friday when it visits Kalamazoo for another conference contest. The Hornets defeated the Belles 2-1 in the teams' first meeting this year Sept. 11.
