Saint Mary’s dropped its second-to-last home contest of the season, 2-0, to Olivet on Tuesday afternoon.
Caitlyn Jordan | The Observer
Caitlyn Jordan | The Observer
In the first 15 minutes of play, the Belles had two scoring opportunities from close range, highlighted by a cross from sophomore forward Liza Felix to open senior midfielder Erin Mishu, which was cut off by Olivet junior goalkeeper Deanna Zolnoski before the Belles could convert.
A shot from junior midfielder Maggie McLaughlin in the 32nd minute also missed just wide of the net, preventing the Belles from taking the lead.
It was the Comets (6-10-2, 3-10-1) who first broke into the scoring column, as Olivet senior defender Nicole Borek beat senior Belles senior goalkeeper Chanler Rosenbaum with a corner kick just before the end of the first half.
The story was much the same in the second half, as the Belles had scoring chances but were unable to convert any of their opportunities into a goal. The Comets doubled their lead in the 70th minute when Olivet freshman forward Isabelle Leon buried a shot into the back of the net from 15 yards out.
The Belles continued to fight until the closing moments of the match, as Liza Felix bounced a shot off the post in the 88th minute.
Over the course of the game, Rosenbaum stopped seven shots on goal but was still tagged with the loss. Her Olivet counterpart Zolnoski totaled five saves and the shutout.
The loss dropped the Belles to seventh place in the MIAA. Saint Mary’s will look to finish off the season strong, however, as they can still spoil Adrian's playoff hopes. The Bulldogs (8-8-3, 6-7-2) are currently fifth in the conference.
The Belles host their final home game of the season this Saturday at noon when the Bulldogs come to Saint Mary's soccer field. The team will honor the nine seniors in their final game in front of a home crowd.
