Belles Come Up Short Against Brits

Box Score

• Kendra Osinski led the Belles with four goals.
• Erin Doyle added three goals to reach the 100-point plateau for the season.
• Emily Kraker made 13 saves in goal.

ALBION, Mich. - The Saint Mary's lacrosse team fell by an 18-8 margin at Albion on Friday evening.

Kendra Osinski put the Belles on the scoreboard first as the sophomore converted a free position attempt on the opening possession of the game to make it 1-0 just 16 seconds into play. Emily Kraker made a save on Albion's first shot on goal of the game, but the Brits equalized a short while later with a transition goal with 26:08 on the clock. Albion capitalized on a caused turnover a minute and a half later. Erin Doyle won the ensuing draw control, and the freshman drew an eight-meter chance before scoring her first goal of the game to make it 2-2 with 23:51 remaining in the opening period.

Emily Kraker had a pair of saves over the next two-plus minutes of action, but the host Brits scored on a free position attempt of their own at the 20:34 mark in the first half. An extended possession after a save by Kraker led to a goal for Albion to make it a 4-2 game. Both goalies made multiple saves over the next five minutes of action as both teams continued to battle for momentum. Albion broke up the seven-plus minute scoreless stretch with a goal, but the Belles came right back less than a minute later as Molly Stout sent home a shot off of a pass from Kate Kelly to make it a 5-3 game. The Brits, however, put the next four goals on the scoreboard to build a 9-3 lead with less than two minutes remaining before halftime. An Albion turnover in the final minute led to a ground ball for Erin Doyle as the final seconds quickly elapsed from the clock. Doyle raced up the field and fired a shot past the goalie and into the cage with 11 seconds remaining to give the Belles some momentum heading into the halftime break.

Kendra Osinski opened up the second half with her second goal the game to cut the deficit to 9-5. The Brits responded with back-to-back goals, but Osinski answered the call again by scoring on a pass from Kate Kelly to make it 11-6 with 26:35 still remaining. Erin Doyle then made it back-to-back goals for the Belles with her third goal of the contest. Albion, however, but the game out of reach with seven goals over the next 16-plus minutes for an 18-7 lead. Kendra Osinski scored on a free position shot with just over three minutes remaining in the game, but the Belles were unable to pull any closer in the 18-8 final.

Kendra Osinski led the Belles with four goals. Erin Doyle added three goals, five ground balls, and four draw controls. The freshman midfielder became the first player in program history to amass 100 points in a single season with her three goals in the game. Molly Stout posted a goal, and Kate Kelly two assists, six draw controls, three caused turnovers, and ten ground balls. Emily Kraker made 13 saves in goal.

The Belles (11-5, 6-2 MIAA) will enter next week's MIAA Tournament as the No. 3 seed as Saint Mary's will travel back to No. 2 seed Albion for a 5:00 p.m. contest.