BYRON — The Rochelle Lady Hub varsity soccer team competed at the Byron Varsity Tournament on Saturday, dropping two close contests against Rock Island and Indian Creek to move to 0-3 on the season. Rochelle will host Sterling on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

Rock Island

The Lady Hubs battled on the defensive end, limiting the Rocks to only one goal despite conceding 18 shots and nine shots on goal. Sophomore Danica Ward finished with eight saves for Rochelle, who managed four shots and two shots on goal in the 1-0 loss to Rock Island.

“I thought we worked a lot better on the back end,” head coach Brad Male said. “We kept our line together and our offside traps worked really well for us in both matches. We made sure our girls were working together and they kept the ball in front of them. We learned from our mistakes during the Harlem match and we fared much better in both of our matches.”

Rock Island managed five shots on goal over the first 12 minutes, but the Lady Hubs prevented the Rocks from breaking through on each scoring opportunity. After a 0-0 draw in the first half, Rochelle freshman Makayla Lara attacked the Rock Island defense, putting shots on goal during the 57th and 59th minutes. But the Rocks escaped with the one-goal victory, capitalizing on a corner kick and finding the back of the Lady Hub net in the 60th and final minute of regulation. 

Indian Creek

Rochelle found its offensive rhythm against the Timberwolves, totaling a season-best 15 shots and seven shots on goal. Sophomore Kara Martinez and freshman Makayla Lara each had shots on goal in the first half for the Lady Hubs, who fell behind after an Indian Creek goal in the 22nd minute. Lara led the Rochelle offense with eight shots and five shots on goal in the match.

“I thought both teams were pretty evenly matched,” Male said. “We did really well when we looked for the through-ball passes. We were connecting on more of our passes and we avoided kicking the ball into the open space. We were on the attack much more than we were over our first two matches of the season. Making those passes will be the key for us in the long run.”

Rochelle led Indian Creek 8-5 on corner kicks for the match, but the Lady Hubs were unable to break the shutout in the second half. The Timberwolves took the two-goal lead during the 48th minute and held on to secure the 2-0 win. Martinez and senior Lucy Monroy each had one shot on goal for the Lady Hubs, while senior Madison Ost took six corner kicks in the match.