Three straight losses have Kelly Backenstoe scratching her head.

After winning their first five games, Backenstoe's Northampton field hockey team dropped three Eastern Pennsylvania Conference games in a row and the coach is puzzled.

"We outshot and out-cornered Emmaus, Whitehall and Stroudsburg, but the ball just didn't go into the nets," said Backenstoe, now in her seventh season with the Konkrete Kids.

Northampton lost to unbeaten Emmaus 3-0 last Wednesday, then dropped a 4-1 decision at nemesis Whitehall on Friday before bowing 3-1 to unbeaten Stroudsburg on Tuesday.

"We have a lot of good shots, but nothing comes out of our hard work," she said. "We have a good effort and the girls are doing everything right, but we're not scoring."

Against Emmaus a penalty shot late in the first half got the Hornets going and they added two second-half goals.

At Whitehall, the Zephyrs scored three goals in the first 15 minutes before Northampton regrouped to get a second-half goal from sophomore Hallie Muffley.

Against Stroudsburg (7-0), the Mountaineers had a 3-0 lead before senior Megan Wiest, who assisted on Muffley's goal at Whitehall, knocked in her 10th goal of the season.

Northampton, 5-3 overall and 4-3 in the EPC, were scheduled to face another unbeaten team Wednesday - at Pocono Mountain East - and visits nonleague foe Lehighton Friday.

"We seem to start strong, but we must finish strong," said Backenstoe. "We have a very difficult schedule ahead of us. We have the right people that want to win, but have to get the ball in the net."

Meanwhile, Northampton's jayvee team, coached by Julie Maurek, is coasting along with a 7-0-1 record, with the tie being a 1-1 deadlock with Emmaus.