The Saint Mary’s lacrosse team couldn’t keep its losing streak from reaching nine games over the weekend. The Belles losttheir Senior Day game by a 20-12 score to Kalamazoo, moving to 1-11 overall and 0-5 in MIAA play.
Though the final score won’t indicate it, the game could have gone either way in the first 50 minutes. During that time, Saint Mary’s remained within four goals of the Hornets, pulling within two goals early in the fourth quarter. But Kalamazoo scored seven consecutive goals inside that final quarter, putting the game away with an eight-goal win.
Right away, Saint Mary’s fought an uphill battle based on Kalamazoo’s early ability in the draw circle. The Hornets controlled 16 draws to the Belles’ three in the game’s first half, but Saint Mary’s wouldn’t let Kalamazoo pull away on the scoreboard.
After Hannah Heeren’s first of 10 goals helped the Hornets jump ahead 2-0, junior midfielder Valentina Rubio and senior attackman Reese Bauer quickly responded to tie the game at two less than four minutes in. Heeren then scored twice more to complete a hat trick before the first quarter’s midway point. Though Kalamazoo opened up a 5-2 lead at one point, goals from Rubio and sophomore attackman Alyssa Grant knotted the score back up at the end of one quarter.
Grant, who would go on to score a team-high five goals in the game, put Saint Mary’s ahead 6-5 just 17 seconds into the second quarter. That would end up as the Belles’ only lead, though, as Kalamazoo counterpunched quickly and carried a 10-8 advantage into halftime.
With a high-scoring half behind it, the Belles offense went quiet after the midway point. Kalamazoo’s did briefly as well, potting two goals against just one from Saint Mary’s in the third quarter.
To open the fourth, Saint Mary’s found one last glimmer of hope before Kalamazoo’s onslaught. Junior attackman Christiana Singler scored from the free position, narrowing the gap to 12-10. The Hornets then scored the seven ensuing goals, including three from Hereen and two from Tessa Fuller, who led the visitors with 11 points on four goals and seven assists.
The Belles will wrap up their regular season over the next week, hosting Calvin at 6 p.m. on Wednesday and traveling to Hope for the finale at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
