Belles Shut Out by Bulldogs

Box Score

• Cedella Breitenstein put a shot on goal for the Belles.
• Megan Saunders and Callie Doyle each added a shot.
• Thallia Robles made nine saves.

ADRIAN, Mich. - The Saint Mary's soccer team fell by a 9-0 final at Adrian on Saturday afternoon.

The two sides were locked into a tightly-played battle through the first 20 minutes of action. The backline stood tall to stop any good scoring chances on a pair of Adrian corner kicks through the opening seven minutes of play. In the eighth minute, Mary Murphy sent a long pass up the middle of the field toward McKenna O'Shea, but the pass carried too long on the quick-playing turf.

In the eleventh minute, O'Shea won a 50-50 ball in the middle of the field and played a pass wide right to Brianna Smith. Smith then crossed the ball back to the middle to O'Shea, who tried to switch the field to the left. But the freshman's pass was cut off before it could find the feet of a teammate. Two minutes later, Emily Beedie had a long ball on the left side of the field carry well into Adrian's defensive end before rolling out of bounds as the Belles looked to lock the Bulldogs in deep. Megan Saunders won the ensuing throw in and carried the ball a few yards before sending a long shot from 30 yards out that tailed left of the goal.

The Bulldogs scored the first goal of the game in the 22nd minute, but the Belles nearly countered immediately on the next possession. A long ball was played ahead for Cedella Breitenstein from the center of the field. Breitenstein took a touch before firing a shot on goal from just outside of the box, but the effort was picked up low by the goalkeeper.

Adrian responded with a goal a minute later and took control of the momentum with four additional first half goals for a 6-0 lead at the break.

The Belles had their best scoring chance of the game in the second half of play. After a couple of potential opportunities were one pass or touch from fully developing, the building confidence and possession by Saint Mary's nearly came to fruition. O'Shea held possession of the ball in the center of the Belles' scoring end of the field before playing a pass to Molly Murphy on her right. Murphy then sent a pass over the defense to the left side of the box, where Megan Saunders ran onto the ball. Facing with a defender on her shoulder and the Adrian goalkeeper racing off of the line, Saunders tried to take a touch to beat the pair but was dispossessed of the ball on a slide tackle in the 57th minute.

The Bulldogs netted three goals in the second period of play for the 9-0 final score.

Cedella Breitenstein put a shot on goal for the Belles, and Megan Saunders and Callie Doyle each added a shot. Thallia Robles made nine saves.

The Belles (1-9, 0-8 MIAA) begin the second round of MIAA play on Wednesday when they travel to Olivet for a 4:00 p.m. contest.