After getting off to a fast start against their out-of-conference opponents, the Saint Mary’s soccer team hit a wall once Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) competition began. Saint Mary’s (5-11-1, 0-7-1) won its first couple of games of the year against Bluffton and Earlham but took its first loss to Anderson in early September. They bounced back with big wins against IUSB and Defiance but were only able to find their groove once more in the season when they left Manchester with an overtime victory.
In the month of October, they recorded seven losses and one tie, and they were unable to find a single win against MIAA opponents in what were often lopsided games. The Belles were held scoreless in four out of their seven conference matches, with their worst loss coming at the hands of Calvin, 7-0.
Of their 30 goals on the season, sophomore forward Rose Stackhouse contributed 10 while racking up 27 points on the season, three of those goals being game-winners. Stackhouse led the team by a wide margin in these categories as well as in assists, with seven on the year.
Fellow sophomore forward Lexi Trombly was the closest to Stackhouse in both goals and points, with four and nine, respectively. More than half of Stackhouse’s 38 shots were on goal with 20 dialed in on the season, half of those which found the back of the net. For her efforts Stackhouse was awarded Second Team All-MIAA honors for the second-consecutive season, the first Saint Mary’s player to repeat as an All-MIAA selection since 2013 and 2014. She was a dependable player, averaging just over 89 minutes of playtime in conference games. She led the team in goals last year as a freshman with 12 goals and 28 points, but she has certainly found her touch this year as 69 shots came off of her foot as a freshman.
The Belles may have gotten blown out of the water when they met MIAA competition but they showed early promise when the season began. Stackhouse certainly shows promise as she will remain on the roster for two more years. She will likely need some assistance from elsewhere, though, and the 2020 recruiting class will be wary of this as Belles head coach Jesse Urquhart brings his needs to the table whenever sports begin next year.
