OLIVET, Mich. - The Saint Mary's soccer team claimed a 2-1 road conference win at Olivet on Wednesday afternoon.

Saint Mary's put the pressure on early. Izzi Linus earned a free kick after a foul, and the Belles turned that opportunity into a corner kick in the third minute. That set piece did not yield a chance, but the Belles earned possession and a through ball by Grace Brown gave Margaret Slove a one-on-one chance against the Olivet goalkeeper. Slove tried to slot a shot past the keeper but had the attempt saved inside the box. Two minutes later, Slove took a crack at a shot from outside the 18-yard box as the Comets' goalkeeper again collected a save.

Grace Barresi lined up behind a free kick ten minutes into the contest. The junior's cross was well-placed and lofted dangerously into the box, but Margaret Slove's could not get on the other end with a redirect attempt as the ball rolled out for a goal kick. Slove sent another mid-range shot on goal in the 15th minute that was collected with a one-hop save. Kaitlyn Day had a cross carry high and over the bar in the 17th minute as the Belles continued to press. Barresi had her number called again on free kick in the 18th minute as she had a shot on goal saved with a head-high catch. Barresi fought for possession in the middle of the field, and that chance earned Saint Mary's back-to-back corners. The second corner kick was served into the box by Kaitlyn Day, and Mary Kaczynski found herself with a loose ball at her feet as the junior buried the goal for the 1-0 lead in the 23rd minute.

Another corner kick three minutes later gave Izzi Linus a look in the box, but her jumping header shot sailed just over the crossbar. Izzi Linus was fouled steps away from the center line as she worked to break away from a defender. Holly Skrip launched the ball to the top of the box, and Linus nearly got behind a chance on the right side of the field as the effort was not cleanly struck. Barresi earned yet another free kick in the 31st minute, but Grace Brown's shot on the play carried high and out of play. A well-struck cross by Claire Keely in the 33rd minute was cut off by the goalkeeper as Saint Mary's continued to apply offensive pressure. Grace Brown's shot in the 39th minute was saved with a diving effort.

Olivet drew even in the 39th minute after a loose ball in the box found its way under the crossbar and in to make it 1-1. The Belles had back-to-back shots in the 42nd minute, and Grace Reyda looked to roll a shot in at the left post as her effort was saved a minute later as the score stood at 1-1 at the half.

A ball in the box early in the second period tailed away from becoming a chance for Saint Mary's. The Comets pushed the ball up in transition before getting a free kick. The shot on the free kick was saved by Caroline Miklavcic in the 50th minute of action. Saint Mary's then stretched the field the other way and worked their way to a corner kick in the 51st minute. Kaitlyn Day sent the corner in toward the near post, and the ball went off of a pair of Olivet defenders and in for the own goal to put the Belles up 2-1. Grace Brown had a cut-back move lead to a shot from the top of the box in the 57th minute, and a chipped in ball by Mary Kaczynski was unable to find Margaret Slove in the box as the Belles looked to add to their lead. Slove had a chance saved near the left post less than a minute later.

Grace Barresi had a pair of shots go off the mark over the next five minutes of play. A string of passes from the defensive end built to a pair of corner kicks for the Belles in the 70th minute. Neither corner yielded a chance, but Kaitlyn Day found herself behind the ball in space a minute later and had a well-struck shot saved with a jumping effort in the 71st minute. Margaret Slove nearly got a touch to go wide of the keeper in the 73rd minute but had a rushed shot go wide left of the goal. A promising ball toward Izzi Linus with under 15 minutes to play was cleared away from the top of the box.

Miklavcic caught a face-high offering on a free kick in the 77th minute for a save, and an Olivet shot in the 80th minute carried high and wide right. Margaret Slove played a ball wide right for Kaitlyn Day in the 81st minute that was saved, and a loose ball for Izzi Linus in the box moments later after a free kick was stopped before the Belles could add to the lead. A foul against the Comets halted a potential scoring play for Olivet with seven minutes remaining, and Miklavcic collected a save with a smothering effort in the 84th minute. The Comets continued to press, and a shot by Olivet tailed wide right with just over two minutes to play. The Belles were able to carry the ball to the corner flag late and ran out the time to preserve the 2-1 conference win.

Saint Mary's outshot Olivet 24-6 in the match with a 15-4 advantage in shots on goal. Mary Kaczynski picked up her third goal of the season, and an Olivet own goal was the difference in the end. Margaret Slove had five shots, Grace Barresi added four, and Kaczynski, Grace Brown, and Izzi Linus each tallied three shots. Kaitlyn Day chipped in a pair of shots in the win. Caroline Miklavcic posted three saves and earned the win in goal.