Belles hit the road again against Knights
By KATRINA KALASKY
Sports Writer
The Belles will hit the road again today, for the third away game in a row, against third-ranked Calvin College.
This game will be a challenge for the Belles. The Knights have the league's two best scorers, junior Tricia Dyke and senior Larissa Onderlinde. Dyke and Onderlinde also lead the league for total points this season and are number three and number four, respectively, for assists.
Calvin also defeated Saint Mary's earlier this season, 3-1.
Despite all this, the Belles feel ready for the game.
"In the beginning of the season we were trying to find ourselves. The last couple of weeks we've come together as a team. The whole package came together against Hope this weekend," said head coach Bobby Johnston, of the transition from the beginning of the season.
The Knights were third overall last year in the MIAA conference.
They also beat Saint Mary's twice last year. They have a lot of that same experience back on the team this year, as the Knights have 10 returning upperclassmen, including Dyke and Onderlinde, and there are only four freshmen on the team, compared to Saint Mary's having thirteen freshmen on its squad.
The sudden turnaround in the Belles' record suggests that they are overcoming their inexperience.
"We're playing more as a team. The freshmen have adjusted and now have valuable experience," said freshman Jen Concannon.
The Belles are hot right now. They have won five of its last six games, losing only to top-ranked Albion.
Saint Mary's started out with a record of 0-5. Since then, the Belles have undergone a sensational turnaround, commencing at the end of September.
The team is hopeful about the rest of the season. Junior captain Heather Muth said, "It's really exciting coming off a win. We're really pumped about the rest of the season."
The game is at 4 p.m. at Calvin College.
All Sports Stories for Tuesday, October 9, 2001
