The King’s Fork High School girls’ soccer team played its final Southeastern District game of the season on Thursday, falling 3-2 to visiting Great Bridge High School.

But since they are in the same conference now, the Lady Bulldogs and Lady Wildcats will meet again.

“Obviously, we would have rather won, but the next game is really the most important because of the way they’re doing conference this year,” King’s Fork coach Mike Marston said.

If his team can win the regular season Conference 17 title, it will secure a regional berth automatically.

The Lady Bulldogs gained momentum late in Thursday’s game, but Great Bridge jumped out to a quick lead in the first 15 minutes of play, scoring on two free kicks.

Marston noted the referees were calling everything at that point of the game.

“All in all, it was a hard-fought game, really physical,” he said. “It took (the referees) the whole first half to get calibrated to the way the girls were playing.”

The Lady Wildcats went up 3-0 about midway through the second half.

King’s Fork junior Cydney Nichols scored off an assist by senior Logan Montel, helping give their team and energy boost.

More good opportunities came for the Lady Bulldogs, and one of them translated into a goal by Montel off an assist from Nichols with about 13 minutes left to play.

“When we scored the goal with 13 to go, I thought for sure we were going to tie it,” Marston said.

King’s Fork had plenty of opportunities, but Great Bridge regained some energy and was able to help hold off the Lady Bulldogs.

Earlier in the week, they demonstrated success against another district opponent, defeating visiting Deep Creek High School 4-1 on Tuesday.

“I thought the girls played really well,” Marston said, noting that three out of his team’s four goals came through opportunities built by multiple-pass combinations.

King’s Fork junior Skylar Wall scored with an assist from junior Paige Summers, sophomore Hannah Marston registered a goal with an assist from Wall and junior Rebecca Washburn scored with an assist from Montel.

Winning a one-on-one showdown with a skilled Lady Hornets defender, Montel scored her team’s final goal.

“She was pretty much a magician, and beat her off the dribble,” Marston said. “That one was a great individual effort.”

The Lady Bulldogs shut out host Oscar Smith High School on April 15, 4-0, but the game took an especially serious turn when Nichols suffered what appeared to be a severe knee injury.

“She was immediately taken to the hospital,” Marston said.

The injury did not turn out to be as bad as feared, as Nichols was back on the field on Thursday against Great Bridge, regaining confidence in her knee by the second half of that game.

Against the Lady Tigers, King’s Fork was also playing without Montel and Washburn, who were both absent due to college-related obligations.

Nevertheless, the Lady Bulldogs played well as Hannah Marston scored her team’s first and last goals of the game, junior Alyssa Vick scored its second goal and senior Emma Marston put in its third.

Wall registered two assists.

King’s Fork (4-5) hosts Kellam High School on Monday and visits Tabb High School on Tuesday.