RIVER FOREST, Ill. - The Saint Mary's soccer team played to a 1-1 tie at Concordia University Chicago to open the 2022 season on Thursday evening.

 

The Belles applied a lot of pressure to the Cougars' defense throughout the first half of play as Saint Mary's maintained a majority of the possession. In the first five minutes of action, Holly Skrip played a free kick into the box only to have the effort cleared out of a dangerous spot for a throw in for the Belles. A short while later, Kaitlyn Day tracked down a pass along the right flank and centered the ball into the box. Day's pass was partially cleared, but Ellen Hartzog regained control of the ball and sent a shot wide right of the goal. The continued pressure by Saint Mary's yielded a corner kick in the 13th minute. Jillian Bowen and Sophia Fleming used a give-and-go effort to eventually give space for Bowen on the left side of the field. The senior got behind a shot from the edge of the 18-yard box only to have the attempt saved. 

 

Less than five minutes later, a series of connecting passes by the Belles pushed the team from offense to defense and yielded a shot by Sophia Fleming, but her effort tailed wide right of the goal. The Belles were able to break through in the 28th minute of action. The midfield pressure by Saint Mary's saw the ball slowly make its way to Kara Stacey in the box with no corresponding pressure by the Cougars. Stacey played a pass ahead to Holly Skrip, and Skrip sent a long ball up the left side of the field for Jillian Bowen to run onto in space. The Concordia Chicago goalkeeper came off her line to try to shut down the chance, but Bowen cooly chipped the ball over the netminder and in from the edge of the 18-yard box for the 1-0 advantage. Stacey, meanwhile, corralled a save on the only shot on goal of the half  to maintain the one-goal lead midway through the contest.

 

Saint Mary's continued to control much of the flow of play through the opening portion of the second half. Grace Barresi won the ball back for the Belles off of a Cougar defender at the top of the box and nearly doubled the lead with a strong shot from the right side, but a diving save at the near post kept the sophomore off the scoresheet. Barresi saw another scoring chance seven minutes later snuffed out at the goal line.

The score remained unchanged until the 74th minute of action. The host Cougars capitalized on a chance from distance with a long, 30-yard strike beyond the diving reach of Riley Lindsey to knot the game at 1-1. Solid one-versus-one defending by Sophia Flmeing less than two minutes later saw the senior breakup a potential scoring chance for the Cougars as the Belles looked to counter. Izzi Linus and Barresi each had a shot go off target with under ten minute to play. A furious series of events nearly yielded the go-ahead goal with under six minutes to play. Lauren Ryan earned a free kick for the Belles, and the ensuing free kick found its way to the feet of Holly Skrip in the box. In a one-versus-one with the keeper, the Cougars netminder got enough of her hand on Skrip's shot to push the ball out of play for the save. On the corner kick which followed, Linus had a rocket of a shot saved in the box. Another corner kick a minute later saw Sophia Fleming put a dangerous header on goal only to see the effort smothered at the goal line. 

 

The Belles continued to battle for the potential game-winner with under a minute to play. Lindsey Adent lobbed a pass from the right side of the field to the top of the 18-yard box. Izzi Linus used a tremendous header to redirect the ball over her defender and into space on the right side of the box. The sophomore ran onto the ball in space 10 yards out, but her shot went over the goal with under 20 seconds to play as the game ended in a 1-1 tie.

 

Jillian Bowen registered her seventh career goal to lead the Belles. Holly Skrip collected her first career point in a Belles uniform with an assist. Grace Barresi and Izzi Linus each posted three shots, and Sophia Fleming added two shots. Kara Stacey made a save while playing the opening 45 minutes of action. Riley Lindsey shouldered a goal against over the final 45 minutes of play. 

 

The Belles (0-0-1) are set for their home opener on Saturday, September 3 at 6:00 p.m. when Saint Mary's hosts Central (Iowa) at the Purcell Athletic Fields.