A strong second half effort proved too little too late for Saint Mary's who dropped its fourth conference match of the season against No. 8 Calvin 4-0 Saturday.
Calvin took an early lead in the seventh minute of the contest when Elaine Schnabel scored off a rebound inside the penalty box.
The Knights put a stranglehold on the match when Emily Ottenhoff added a goal in the 25th minute and another in the 34th minute to send Calvin into halftime with a 3-0 lead.
Saint Mary's refused to bow out without putting up a fight and came out in the second half determined to get back in the match. The Belles created chance after chance but were unable to capitalize on any opportunities. Saint Mary's best chance to get a goal came on a header attempted by Belles freshman Alex Mullen that went just inches past the net.
The Belles strong surge was promptly halted in the 80th minute when Knights substitute Michelle Koele provided the clinching goal.
Junior Patty Duffy played all 90 minutes in goal for the Belles recording six saves in the match.
Saint Mary's drops to 1-9-1 on the season and 0-4 in MIAA conference play. The Belles have four conference matches remaining before the MIAA tournament in November.
Next, the Belles will take on a Trine University squad that is also winless this season in four conference matches. Kickoff is scheduled for Wednesday at 4 p.m.
