Belles Blanked by Bulldogs
Saint Mary's Stories
- Thallia Robles made nine saves in goal for the Belles.
- Kellen Hinchey and Kate Vasile each had a shot on goal.
NOTRE DAME, Ind. - The Saint Mary's soccer team found themselves on the short side of a 2-0 final against Adrian on Wednesday evening.
The Belles had a pair of chances in each half as Saint Mary's put together the first strong scoring opportunity of the game. Saint Mary's earned a free kick from 30 yards out in the third minute of play. Kellen Hinchey struck the ball well from the free kick only to have her effort smothered a step off the line by the Bulldogs' goalkeeper. Adrian struck four minutes later for an early 1-0 advantage as the two sides battled for possession and opportunities throughout the first 45 minutes of play.
Saint Mary's eyed a chance at the equalizer in the 13th minute of play. Liza Felix quickly gained possession near the top of the center circle and took one touch before playing a dangerous pass up the middle of the Adrian defense toward Mary Wandor. The pass had a little too much pace, however, and it rolled beyond Wandor's range as the Bulldogs were able to play it away from harm. Thallia Robles registered four saves over the final seven minutes of the opening half to keep the Belles in contention at the break.
Adrian opened the second period with a goal in the 52nd minute of action to claim a 2-0 lead, but the Belles continued to eye chances to push forward. Saint Mary's earned a corner kick less than two minutes later as the Belles put on the pressure after the whistle restarted play following the goal. Hinchey put the ball in a dangerous spot, but the Adrian goalkeeper was able to intercept her cross before it was able to fall at the feet of a teammate well inside the six-yard box. In the 71st minute, Kay Thursby launched a free kick from midfield to the top of the 18-yard box. Bella Wiseman got a head on the ball and flicked it on to Kate Vasile. Vasile put a one-time effort on the ball while falling off balance to try to catch the goalkeeper off guard. The mid-range shot, however was collected by the Adrian goalkeeper.
The Belles continued to try to get on the scoreboard to the closing seconds of play. With the clock moving below one minute, Thursby sent a long ball up through the middle of the Adrian defense toward Felix. The pass was two yards too far for Felix, however, as it rolled in to the top of the 18-yard box where it was picked up by the Bulldogs' goalkeeper for the 2-0 final.
"The ladies battled tonight, " said head coach Jesse Urquhart. "We've reached a point in our season where the biggest battle we face is frustration, and it's easy for us to hang our heads. Instead, we continue to work, forge ahead, and battle - not because it's easy, but because these Belles are tougher, passionate, and refuse to settle. We aren't happy with the results, but as we continue to mentally and physically push on, the results will change."
Thallia Robles made nine saves in goal for the Belles. Kellen Hinchey and Kate Vasile each had a shot on goal.
The Belles (1-8-0, 0-7-0 MIAA) host Alma at the Purcell Athletic Fields on Saturday, October 1. The game begins at 1:00 p.m.