COLCHESTER, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College women's soccer team yielded one goal or less for the ninth time this season on Tuesday, allowing only a 77th-minute marker to regionally-ranked Merrimack College before dropping a 1-0 Northeast-10 Conference decision on Duffy Field. The Purple Knights, who completed a stretch of six consecutive games against regionally-ranked foes, slipped to 2-10-2 overall and 2-8-2 in the NE-10. The Warriors, who are eighth in this week's National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) East Region poll, improved to 9-6 and 7-5.

Sophomore Aubrey Ouellet (Bedford, N.H./Bedford) made three saves for the Purple and Gold, which has suffered seven of its 10 losses by just one goal this fall. Junior Jordan Schnopp (Dalton, Mass./Wahconah) netted the only goal of the game for the visitors, while classmate Nicole Curtis (Billerica, Mass./Billerica) recorded one stop.

Ouellet denied the first good opportunity for either team early in the opening half, diving to her right in the 13th minute to stop senior Jamie Alnwick's (Groton, Mass./Groton-Dunstable) header from the doorstep. Junior Katie Butler (Sayville, N.Y./Saint Anthony's) sent a scoring bid wide left for the Purple Knights in the 18th minute before sophomore Olivia Biron (Saint Albans, Vt./BFA-Saint Albans) had an attempt in the 31st minute roll just wide of the left post from 20 yards away. One minute later, Ouellet leaped to pick the ball out of traffic on a corner-kick cross.

Saint Michael's sophomore Carley Pestana (Bedford, N.H./Bedford) ripped a free kick from just outside the top of the box right of the frame in the 54th minute, and Merrimack took the ensuing four shots in the contest, including Schnopp tallying the winner at 76:27. After a Purple Knight had the ball stripped under heavy pressure just outside the top of the penalty area, Schnopp picked up the loose ball and lofted a shot from 25 yards away into the upper left corner of the frame.

The Purple Knights pushed for the equalizer, including when sophomore Meagan Brady (Warwick, N.Y./Warwick Valley/Vermont) sent a dangerous cross through the box in the 80th minute that Curtis slid out to gather while Butler was one step away. Senior back Natalie Zimmer (Ingleside, Ontario/Cornwall Collegiate & Vocational School) broke up a Warrior odd-woman rush in the 82nd minute, intercepting a centering pass delivered from the left wing, allowing the hosts a final chance to knot the game, with a shot off the foot of Butler being saved in the 87th minute.

Saint Michael's remains home for Senior Day on Saturday, hosting Le Moyne College at 1:30 p.m.