Saint Mary’s soccer kicked off their season with two wins this past weekend. The Belles beat Franklin College 2-0 and Governors State 3-1 two days later to move to 2-0.
On the road against Franklin, Saint Mary’s jumped out to the first lead of the season thanks to junior defender Brooke Baumann. Baumann scored on a penalty kick only 10:30 into the first half. In the second half, the Belles added another goal as sophomore defensive player Isabella Kreydich scored unassisted at the 54:42 mark. This would be the final goal of the game to help Saint Mary’s get the win and improve to 1-0.
Governors State proved to be more of a challenge for the Belles. In their home opener, Saint Mary’s again took an early lead as freshman duo forward Mia Johnson and midfielder Marley Cady worked together to score 25:52 into the first. Kreydich added another goal later in the first, giving the Belles a 2-0 lead heading into the second half. Governors State tried to make their comeback, knocking a goal to cut the lead 2-1, but senior midfielder Janelle Aiello responded with one more unassisted goal, to bring the final to 3-1.
Now 2-0 on the season, the Belles look to build on a strong opening week with home games against North Central (Minn.) and Bluffton.
North Central (Minn.)
This will be the first time these two teams meet. The North Central Rams come into this game 1-1 on the season following a 1-0 win to Faith Baptist Bible College.
Bluffton
This past season, the Belles faced off against the Bluffton Beavers but fell in a close 2-1 loss. Even while the Belles held Bluffton scoreless throughout the first half, Bluffton found their way past the defense to drop in two more goals and take the 2-1 win.
This season, Bluffton currently stands 1-1 on the season, with a game against Wooster next, before their game against Saint Mary’s on Sept. 6. Sophomore Brysan Brewer currently leads the Beavers on the field with a total of two goals scored alongside a total of six shots taken and four shots on goal.
The Belles will host both teams this week. The match against the Rams is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 4 at 7 p.m while their match against Bluffton is set for Saturday Sept. 6 at 2 p.m.