Growing process continues for young Bartlett

There will be a few growing pains this season for the Bartlett girls soccer team.

The Hawks' roster has just one upperclassman — junior starting goalkeeper Amanda Lozada — after several players from last season's team decided not to come out this season.

The inexperienced Hawks dropped their second consecutive game of the season's opening week Thursday evening, a 3-0 loss to Oswego at Millennium Field.

“We're young. We've got some things to learn,” Bartlett coach Heather Thomas said.

Bartlett (0-2) has five returning players from last season. The Hawks lost four players to graduation and, Thomas said, seven players chose not to play.

But Thomas is excited about the 19 players wearing the Bartlett colors this season. The roster consists of one junior, 11 sophomores and 7 freshmen. More than half (six) of the Hawks' starting lineup Thursday were freshmen.

“Their heart is in it. Their head is in it,” Thomas said. “They are honestly the most coachable group I've ever been a part of. They want to learn. They want to get better.”

The Panthers (1-0) grabbed the lead just 7:58 into the match as Nikki Anderson finished a cross from Kelsey Kraft.

The Hawks, who also were shutout in Monday's season-opener against Schaumburg, struggled to create many scoring chances, but were able to contain Oswego until the late stages after the early goal. The Panthers didn't have any good scoring opportunities until Anderson again scored off a Kraft cross with 7:40 remaining in the second half. Kaylan Mills added the final goal with 2:11 to play.

“You can't be much more pleased than that (for a season opener),” said Oswego coach Jaime Bartkowiak, who told Thomas to hang in there and that Bartlett looks like a good group after the match.

Lozada made 7 saves for the Hawks. Amy Annala did not have to make a save for the Panthers.