After winning their first game, the Whitehall field hockey team found some bumpy terrain once league play started.

The Zephs thundered out of the gate, unleashing a powerful offensive attack against Pocono Mountain West High School that netted 12 goals. But since that time, Whitehall has dropped three division games, and also lost to nonconference foe Stroudsburg High School as well.

While their 1-4 record indicates they'll have an uphill battle to get into the postseason, interim head coach Jennifer Callahan saw a silver lining in their recent stretch of games.

In the three division losses, the Zephs lost by just three goals. A fortuitous bounce here or there may have altered their fortunes, specifically in Tuesday's loss against Parkland.

They opened Lehigh Valley Conference action against Northampton Area High School, a perennial powerhouse who went 16-4 last year. Callahan said that the K-Kids are once again "really good." They feature talented Megan Wiest who scored two goals for the Kids.

Callahan said the game-winning goal came off a corner, with an isolated Wiest finding the back of the cage for the Kids.

Still, it was a game in which the Zephs demonstrated their ability to compete with a top tier team.

"I think we played extremely well," said Callahan.

Callahan said they they're still a young team, and that they should continue to progress, building on that strong performance against Northampton.

"We were excited about how we played that game," said Callahan. "We just didn't get the results we wanted."

The Zephs got a second half goal from Taylor George who scored off a corner, and goalkeeper Kayla Nailor made two saves.

Nazareth Area High School presented a different challenge for the Zephs last week. They found themselves on grass, a surface that takes some adjustment for a team that plays the majority of its games on turf. Callahan said they had a tough time "transitioning" to the grass field, succumbing to the Blue Eagles 3-1 in that game.

She also said they came into then game a little flat, surrendering three goals in the first half that effectively sealed their fate. They received a second half goal from George, but their comeback was halted by a strong Blue Eagle attack.

In that game, Nailor faced 13 shots, saving 10.

Tuesday's 1-0 loss to Parkland High School may have been the most difficult to swallow of then bunch. Callahan said the Trojans scored on a corner with two minutes remaining in the game. She said the goal actually hit a Parkland player's foot in front of the Zephyr goal, but play wasn't halted, allowing a scramble to ensue that resulted in Grace Royer scoring the game winner.

She said the team battled hard throughout the game.

"I think that we really played with heart," said Callahan.

The tough game also helped them forge an identity, said Callahan. It lays the groundwork of finding out who they are as a team. It will aid them as they move forward the rest of the season.