LOWER LAKE — When the Lower Lake Trojans enter their North Central League I opener on Tuesday against Clear Lake in Lakeport, they’ll certainly be battled tested.
Coming off the best season in school history, one that included a playoff appearance and first-round win in 2018, the Trojans have played three of their four non-league games this year against solid programs in Middletown, St. Bernard’s of Eureka and most recently Fortuna, the team they lost to 7-0 on Thursday evening in Lower Lake.
Middletown is the 11-time defending North Central League I champion, St. Bernard’s was the runner-up in last year’s North Coast Section Division 3 playoffs, and Fortuna reached the Division 1 semifinals a year ago as did Middletown.
“Fortuna’s forwards and strikers were a little faster than our defense and made it through,” Lower Lake coach Andrea Mahling said. “My girls played hard. We had seven good shots on Fortuna’s goal.”
Kimberly Bautista and Jaqueline Galvan came the closest to putting the ball into the net, but Fortuna’s goalkeeper was up to the task.
“Their goalkeeper played great,” said Mahling, who also had high praise for her own keeper, Michaela Stone, who was under constant pressure from the Fortuna attack.
“She did an amazing job,” Mahling said.
Lower Lake (1-3) trailed 4-0 at halftime.
“It was a good game,” Mahling said.
The Trojans play each of their first two league games on the road. After traveling to Clear Lake (4-1) on Tuesday for a 4 p.m. game, they play at St. Helena on Thursday at 5:45 p.m. Their first home game is Sept. 17 against Willits at 4 p.m.
