Belles Blank Comets in MIAA Opener

Box Score

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - In a game where the Belles maintained possession of the ball for the majority of the contest, the Saint Mary's soccer team took a 3-0 win over visiting Olivet in both teams' conference openers on a rainy Wednesday afternoon.

The Belles applied pressure at all positions to open up the game, Saint Mary's broke through late in the half. With just under eleven minutes to go before halftime, sophomore midfielder Mollie Valencia served a pass up the middle of the Olivet defense to an open Jordan Diffenderfer. Diffenderfer then settled the ball quickly before sending her shot past the Comets' goalkeeper for the first goal of the game.

Just as the clock ticked inside a minute to go before the half, Maddie Meckes scored the first of her two goals on the afternoon. The junior midfielder struck the ball from well outside the 18 yard box and into the back of the net with 57 seconds remaining on the clock. Meckes was then picked up her third goal of the season with under 12 minutes to play in the second half after her shot inside the 18 yard box deflected off an Olivet defender and into the net.

The Saint Mary's defense was quick to shut down any of Olivet's offensive threats in the game. The Belles back line forced Olivet into long-range shots and never gave the Comets a clear look at the goal. Saint Mary's held Olivet to just three shots on goal and seven shots overall while putting seven shots of their own on frame while taking 18 overall cracks at the goal.

Chanler Rosenbaum picked up her first collegiate shutout in goal for the Belles. The freshman goalkeeper turned away all three of the Comets' on-goal shots.

The Belles (5-0, 1-0 MIAA) will travel to Adrian for a big match-up against the Bulldogs on Saturday, September 17. The game is slated to begin at noon.