As far as wins and losses, Nansemond-Suffolk’s girls soccer squad is struggling this season. One thing’s certainly going for the Lady Saints however, they have their forward position figured out for the next five years.

Led by eighth grader Darcy King, the Lady Saints fought back from an early 2-0 deficit to tie Friday’s match against visiting Northampton.

King scored in the 26th minute and then converted a penalty kick with 17 minutes remaining. The Lady Saints were unlucky not to put away more than those two goals as NSA finished the match with a 23-6 advantage in shots. King herself could’ve had two or three more strikes.

Instead, the Lady Yellow Jackets scored on a quick counterattack down the field with under three minutes to go to gain a 3-2 victory.

King is far from alone in giving the Lady Saints a bright future. Eighth graders Morgan Davis and Kaylor Nash are key defenders and four sophomores, Sara Baldwin, Brittany Bass, Kelsey White and Kate Flintoff, played practically the full 80 minutes in midfield or defense.

Baldwin set up King for her first goal of the match. After a short clearance by Northampton, Baldwin chipped a pass behind Northampton’s defenders and King sprinted for the ball and cracked a 20-yard shot curling away from the goalie and just inside the right post.

A couple minutes later, a hard shot by King forced the Northampton keeper into a one-handed save and the rebound bounced barely around the right post.

In the last minute of the first half, Mary Pedigo sent an accurate cross from the right sideline in to King in the Northampton box. King volleyed the ball with a right-footed shot and nailed the crossbar, narrowly missing a tying goal.

NSA made its possession and shot advantage pay off just over midway through the second half. King crossed into the Northampton box, aiming for Baldwin at the top of the six-yard box, but a Northampton handball gave NSA a penalty kick. King scored it, sending a hard shot a couple feet inside the base of the left post.

NSA (1-9-1, 1-3-1) goes back to Tidewater Conference competition Tuesday, playing at Peninsula Catholic at 4:30 p.m.