After a 3-1 start to its season, King’s Fork’s girls soccer team got back into gear after spring break on Monday evening, not with a practice, but with a match at Churchland.

It was a rescheduled match to make up one a rained-out game and KF head coach Jennifer Mullan admitted rust was the main problem in a 3-0 loss against the Lady Truckers.

Since it was her team’s first action of any type, practice or game, in more than a week, the loss did nothing to discourage the coach from what has been an encouraging start to her team’s season.

“I have high hope for the rest of the season, I really do,” Mullan said. “We were just rusty tonight. We created good chances. We just have to get back to practice.”

While much of the first half was played with King’s Fork controlling the action and keeping most of the game in Churchland’s half of the field, it was the hosts who capitalized on the few chances they put together.

Twice with quick counterattacks down the field and accurate passing across the penalty area to create wide open shots, Churchland scored in the 25th and 32nd minutes to take control of the match, even as for most of the early going, King’s Fork looked closer to scoring. Churchland needed only three shots in the first half to have its 2-0 lead.

Churchland kept more possession after halftime, but the Lady Bulldogs still had plenty of chances to get back into the game.

KF earned five corner kicks in the second half and on three of them the Lady Bulldogs created loose balls in the middle of the Churchland box.

Forwards Whitney Nichols and Beth Wehner, along with wide midfielders Kiara Branch and Kristi Hashigami, worked hard and did tons of running, but KF couldn’t come up with a goal that way either. Sophomore goalie Jamika Townsend had four saves, all in the second half.

Churchland added its third goal with just under four minutes to play.

“We just weren’t executing like we have been. We had the opportunities, but just couldn’t finish them,” Mullan said.

The Lady Bulldogs play at Smithfield Thursday evening at 7 p.m. Southeastern District play starts Tuesday with KF playing at Deep Creek.