Overtime win over Bulldogs pulls Belles out of slump
By SARAH RYKOWSKI
Sports Writer
The soccer Belles are on a roll after pulling themselves out of a season slump Saturday with a victory against Adrian College.
As they enter the game against the Calvin Knights today, they hope to continue putting their troubles to rest.
ÒThis last [game] on Saturday sent us in the right direction,Ó said BellesÕ co-captain Katy Robinson. ÒWeÕll be ready to play.Ó
The Belles defeated the Bulldogs 1-0 in overtime for the second year in a row. They would rather not repeat last yearÕs game with Calvin, a 5-0 loss to the team that later finished second in the MIAA behind Kalamazoo.
ÒThey have always given us a lot of competition,Ó Robinson said. ÒBut everyone seems to be in good spirits and I hope it will continue through TuesdayÕs game.Ó
While the offense has been spending time improving its shooting accuracy, the defense has not been idle.
ÒJared [Hochstetler, the defensive coach] is giving us a few new things that the defense can do,Ó said fellow co-captain Jessica Klink. ÒDefensively we are learning some new skills and this is the game to use it in.Ó
Calvin finished with a 6-2 MIAA record and was 11-7-2 overall for the 1999 season. April Phelps and Tricia Dyk, All-MIAA First Team selections, return to the KnightsÕ lineup, while Saint MaryÕs All-MIAA
First Team selection, Katy Barger, graduated last year. KnightsÕ goalie Christian Recker finished last season with a 2.05 GAA. Belles netminder Tia Kapphahn saw some action at forward in the overtime portion of the win against Adrian while freshman goalie Laura Metzger replaced her in goal. Belles head coach Jason Milligan was happy with her play.
ÒLaura Metzger did a really good job,Ó Milligan said. ÒWeÕre going to try and utilize her more and more but [the position in goal] is pretty much game to game.Ó
Overall, Milligan was pleased to see his team adapt to different positions and plays as the Belles settle into their season.
ÒWeÕve had a chance this year to get a lot of people experience in different areas,Ó Milligan said. ÒIt is working out really well. A lot of people are stepping in and filling the holes.Ó
Despite their record in the past, the Knights sit behind Saint MaryÕs in MIAA rankings, with a 2-2-0 mark in MIAA and a 3-5 mark overall, compared to Saint MaryÕs 2-1-1 conference tally and 2-4-1 season record.
ÒWe had a good result this weekend,Ó Milligan said. ÒItÕs been real similar to a lot of games weÕve played, but this one we finished.Ó
Milligan is confident in his teamÕs ability to withstand the KnightsÕ challenge and come out of the match with a home victory for the first time since the home opener against Alma.
ÒI know that we will hit the field really well and weÕll get many opportunities [to score],Ó Milligan said.
All Sports Stories for Tuesday, September 26, 2000
