NOTRE DAME, Ind. - The Saint Mary's soccer team fell by a 2-0 margin on Senior Day against regionally-ranked Adrian on Wednesday evening.

 

The Belles opened the game with a wide shot by Lexi Trombly in the first minute and an early push in the third minute. Jillian Bowen and Lexi Trombly teamed up to gain possession for Saint Mary's inside the 18-yard box along the right flank. An attempt at a clear by the Bulldogs was regained by Megan Saunders in the middle of the zone, but the home side was unable to string together the passes needed for a scoring chance.

 

Adrian got on the scoreboard in the 12th minute with a right-to-left play on a throw-in. A flick off of the throw put the ball in space for an attacking player, and the Bulldogs capitalized on the chance for the 1-0 lead. A pair of saves by Thallia Robles over the next nine minutes of play kept the Bulldogs from adding to the lead. With just under 13 minutes remaining on the clock, Becca Stella made a big defensive play as she cleared away a dangerous cross in the box. At the other end of the field, Trombly worked her way past a pair of defenders as Saint Mary's looked to turn defense into offense. The sophomore was unable to connect with a teammate on the play as the Bulldogs cleared the ball up the field.

 

In the 35th minute, Becca Stella found herself with a window of space outside of the box in the Adrian defensive end as she fired a shot which was ultimately saved by the Bulldogs' netminder. The visitors doubled their lead late in the opening period with a left-to-right flow of play before a shot from the top of the box carried over Robles and into the goal in the 42nd minute.

 

Robles made a pair of saves early in the second period as the Belles built some momentum against the Bulldogs. Rose Stackhouse saw an ambitious shot fall short of the goal, but Saint Mary's began winning more and more possession against Adrian as play continued. In the 53rd minute, Stackhouse started a chance from midfield with a great pass from the left side of the field over the defense and into space on the right side for Jillian Bowen. Bowen then took a few touches and bent a cross from along the end of the zone across the mouth of the goal. The freshman's pass carried just a little to high and far for Lexi Trombly's run into the box.

 

The Belles had a heavy percentage of the possession from the 56th minute through the 69th minute. During that span, Stackhouse had a shot blocked out of play for a corner kick, Kellen Hinchey fired a shot which carried over the crossbar, and Jillian Bowen put two shots on goal only to have the efforts saved. Emily Lieser added a shot of her own in the 67th minute, but the attempt from outside the 18-yard box bent wide of goal. Robles, meanwhile, stopped the only shot the Bulldogs put on goal over the final 30 minutes of play as the game ended by the same 2-0 margin from halftime.

 

The Belles (5-9-1, 0-5-1 MIA) travel to Hope on Saturday for a noon contest against the Flying Dutch.