STURGIS — The start of the football season didn't go as Sturgis expected.
Despite this, Sturgis has seen improvement on the field. Still, on Wednesday, the Lady Trojans dropped 6-0 at home against Parma Western.
“We're seeing growth and the girls want to continue to grow,” Sturgis coach Jesus Hernandez said. “We are a really young team, but we continue to develop chemistry and are able to connect as a team. We look forward to continuing to improve.”
Sturgis led 1-0 at halftime. Parma Western's first goal came from Navae Hartshorn in the 34th minute. Sturgis struggled for the rest of the first half, including some net saves from goalie Laura Birkby.
In the second half, Parma took control. The Panthers scored five goals in the second, with Grace Hull scoring twice and Rhys Gillespie and Emric Bouvier each scoring one goal.
Despite the loss, Birkby stopped 15 shots on goal for the Panthers.
“She's in her first year of soccer and she's learning,” Hernandez said of Birkby. “She's very coachable, so that's going to help the team in the long run.”
The loss dropped Sturgis to 0-4-1 on the season. Harper Creek and Roy Norrix each defeated the Trojans 8-0, and Battle Creek-Penfield won 3-1. The only tie came in a 2-2 game against Berrien Springs.
“We need to be able to get more shots on goal, but we continue to play stronger and get better overall,” Hernandez said. “We only have five returners so we’re young, but what I like about this team is they want to play and get better.”
Sturgis returns to the field Friday for a home game against Mattawan.
Contact sports editor Brandon Watson at watson@gannett.com. Follow him on his X, @BwatsonSJ, formerly known as Twitter.
