The Thompson Falls-Plains-St. Regis Blue Hawk girls opened season soccer plays with a couple great efforts on the pitch, playing well but falling 4-0 to Loyola Friday, and battling Polson to a 1-1 draw on their own field Saturday. Both matches were played in Polson.

Jade Durham scored the Hawk goal against Polson off an assist from Elsie Myers.

Coach Nick Lawyer and 0-1-1 Hawks next play at Libby Sept. 8.

“It was a demanding two-game weekend in Polson,” Lawyer said. “For a young Hawks team, the weekend offered an immediate test. It also offered an early glimpse of what this team may become.”

Lawyer said Loyola, led by Emmy Laird, a hot college prospect in basketball, is a difficult team to defend. Laird scored the game’s first goal on a howitzer of a shot from near the top of the penalty area.

“She’s a sniper,” Lawyer said after reviewing the match. “She had a direct contribution to three of their four goals. She’s knocking in balls from distance, and she was incredibly difficult for us to deal with.”

Senior goalkeeper Ava Lawyer made several saves in the first half before aggravating an ankle injury. Freshman Geneva Schmidt stepped into goal and made an important save before halftime, allowing Thompson Falls to enter the break trailing only 1-0.

Loyola managed to break loose for three more hard-earned goals in the second half to put the game away but assistant coach Katrina Nygaard, for one, was taking nothing away from the Hawks’ effort. “I thought it was a really great first game for the season,” she said. “We have a really young team, and I thought our more experienced players showed really good leadership with the younger players, and that is something that we can build on throughout the season.”

“I’m actually pleased with how we played,” Lawyer offered. “We still need to work on our attacking play. Our defensive structures were pretty good.”

Lawyer said Myers, eighth grader Shelby Harmon and sophomore Emmi Tucker showed potential working together on offense against the Breakers.

Returning to play the same opponent at the scene of the program’s first varsity win ever last year in Polson Saturday, the Hawks forged a tie, almost as good a win in their coach’s eye, with the home team this time.

After Polson took a 1-0 lead, Durham, a sophomore, scored the first goal of her high school career on what Lawyer called “a classic striker’s finish,” off a shot from Myers that bounced down off the bar in front of the goal, and evaded the grasp of the keeper.

Lawyer said the Hawks played on gamely in spite of the fatigue created by playing the two matches in only about 24 hours. His daughter Ava Lawyer played a standout game in net, making 23 saves on 24 Polson shots on goal. Coach Lawyer said Ava had to adjust to accommodate her injury, but still performed well enough to be nominated for MHSA Athlete of the Week honors.

“She made saves all over the place,” coach Lawyer said. “Long shots, through balls, one-on-ones. She communicated well and gave us a chance to stay in the game.”

He added that senior central defender Lexi Volk suffered an unfortunate hamstring injury and could not finish the game.

Lawyer said dogged defense the rest of the way kept the host Pirates from scoring and the game ended in a draw. He added that the Hawks will be trying to develop more of an offensive attack as they gain experience playing with each other, noting that they are mostly very young.

Lawyer said his team is all about each other as they head deeper into the season.

“These girls are a family,” Lawyer said. “They want to have fun together, and that’s really what this is all about.”