Belles Sting Hornets

Box Score

• Erin Doyle led all players with seven goals on the night while also adding five ground balls and three caused turnovers.
• Kate Kelly posted four goals, three assists, eight draw controls, three ground balls, and three caused turnovers.
• Molly Stout chipped in two goals and two assists.

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - The Saint Mary's lacrosse team outscored visiting Kalamazoo 10-2 over a span of 16:42 in the first half to take command in an eventual 16-7 win over the Hornets on Wednesday evening.

Kalamazoo struck first with a goal 50 seconds into play. The Hornets won the next draw control, but Kendra Osinski made a save to keep Kalamazoo from doubling their lead a minute later. The Belles kept possession and successfully cleared the ball into their offensive end. Erin Doyle then fired home her first goal of the game with 27:47 on the clock to knot the score at 1-1.

Kalamazoo won their third draw in as many chances, but Kate Kelly caused a turnover and picked up the ground ball before scoring an unassisted goal the other way to put the Belles up 2-1 a little more than four minutes into the game. Kelly won the next draw, and Saint Mary's kept an extended possession after winning the chase on a shot by Clare Theisen. Doyle then netted her second goal of the contest for a 3-1 lead. Two minutes later, Caleigh Gainey had a successful clear for the Belles before feeding a pass ahead to Molly Stout along the left side of the critical scoring area. Stout made the most of the pass and buried her shot to make it a 4-1 lead.

The Hornets got a goal back two minutes later, but Kate Kelly gained the next possession for the Belles. After working the ball around the zone with several passes, Clare Theisen found herself with the ball on the right wing of the critical scoring area. The senior found a cutting Doyle up the middle of the zone, and Doyle rocketed a quick-stick goal inside the post to give the Belles a 5-2 lead. Kalamazoo responded with another goal, but the Belles went on a tear over the next six-plus minutes of play to take control of the game. Doyle found the back of the cage three times while Hanna Makowski had a point-blank goal outside of the goal circle and Kate Kelly tallied her second goal of the game to put Saint Mary's ahead 10-3 with 11:05 remaining in the first half. The Hornets got a goal back with 3:15 on the clock, but Molly Stout converted a pass from Kelly with under a minute remaining in the half to give the Belles an 11-4 lead at the break.

Liv Heppeler opened the second half with a strong fake on a free position before sending home her first shot of the game. Kalamazoo came back with a goal on a good passing play from behind the cage, but the Belles put the next three on the scoreboard to implement the running clock at 15-5 with under 18 minutes to go in the period. The Hornets stopped the running clock with a pair of goals in the final 12 minutes of play. Kate Kelly capped off the night for the Belles with a goal with 1:14 on the clock to lift the Belles to the 16-7 final.

Defensively, Saint Mary's held Kalamazoo to a 14-of-28 conversion performance on clear attempts. The Belles were 19-of-23 on their clear attempts in the contest. Additionally, the Belles had 32 ground balls to the Hornets' 24.

Erin Doyle led all players with seven goals on the night while also adding five ground balls and three caused turnovers. Kate Kelly posted four goals, three assists, eight draw controls, three ground balls, and three caused turnovers. Molly Stout chipped in two goals and two assists, and Hanna Makowski netted a pair of goals. Liv Heppeler scored a goal, and Caleigh Gainey and Clare Theisen each registered an assist. Theisen and Rachael Leonard each picked up five ground balls to share team-high honors with Doyle.

Kendra Osinski made four saves in goal, and Emily Kraker made eight saves for the Belles.

The Belles (9-3, 4-0 MIAA) travel to Hope on Saturday, April 14 for a 1:00 p.m. contest.