ROCHELLE — A short-handed Rochelle Lady Hub varsity soccer team did its best to hang tough against the Sterling Golden Warriors during Thursday’s nonconference home matchup.

Playing without several key injured starters including senior Kara Martinez, the Lady Hubs fell short of notching their first win of the season on Thursday. Junior midfielder Makayla Lara scored Rochelle’s first and only goal in a 4-1 loss to the Golden Warriors. Rochelle (0-4, 0-0 Interstate 8) will return home for a match against Streator-Woodland on Tuesday evening.

“We’ve been more competitive over our last couple of games and I thought this was the best game we’ve played so far,” head coach Brad Male said. “The score doesn’t reflect it, but we’re starting to progress on the back line and we worked better as a team. We’re continuing to find more continuity in our back line and we’ll continue to progress once we have our full team back.”

The Lady Hubs nearly had the first goal of the match, as a battle for possession deep inside the Sterling penalty area resulted in a deflected shot and a save by the Golden Warriors during the 18th minute. After Rochelle was unable to capitalize on the scoring chance, Sterling bounced right back and converted a goal in the 19th minute, when the Golden Warriors lofted a shot from well outside the penalty area that soared over the head of Lady Hub goalkeeper Danica Ward.

Sterling took a 2-0 lead shortly after, taking advantage of a breakaway down the middle of the Rochelle defense and scoring in the 22nd minute. The Lady Hubs snapped their scoreless streak during the 29th minute, when Lara blasted a left-footed shot that fired through the upper half of the Golden Warrior net. Lara’s goal was only the second of the season for the Lady Hubs, who scored one goal in their season opener against the Harlem Huskies on March 14.

“We’re hoping that we can get some players around Makayla who she can pass the ball to and put some trust in,” Male said. “We think that will open her up a little more. She’s the main player we’re looking for right now, but we need to have more players around her who she can rely on.”

Rochelle threatened to even the score early in the second half, possessing the ball inside Golden Warrior territory for several minutes, but the Lady Hubs were unable to finish any runs near the Sterling goal. Rochelle eventually ran out of steam, as the Golden Warriors connected on back-to-back goals in the 52nd and 56th minutes, one on a deflected shot and another on a breakaway down the far sideline, to earn a three-goal advantage and seal their victory.