POULSBO — The North Kitsap girls lacrosse team, which includes players from both North Kitsap and Kingston high schools, is still trying to find its groove in a sport that is new to many players. Heading into a long spring break, the team now sits at 1-2-1 after tying Lakeside Monday and losing to Issaquah the following evening.

North was at home Monday against Lakeside, and took a 4-2 lead going into halftime. But Lakeside was quick to counter in the second half, scoring in rapid succession to take the lead midway through the period. North fought back late in the game, and gathered just enough steam to knot things up at eight points apiece, where they would remain until the final whistle.

In Tuesday’s game at Strawberry Field, Issaquah jumped out to an early 6-1 lead. North had difficulty answering against the more experienced Issaquah offense, and by halftime faced a 13-4 deficit.

“They played a tough game yesterday,” said NK coach Val Torrens. “And having to play another tough game is just hard.”

Throughout the second half, Issaquah was tight and crisp with their passes and eventually took a 17-4 advantage. Midway through the half, North went on a tear, scoring five unanswered goals to make it 17-9. But the offensive assault was too little too late, and Issaquah held on for an 18-10 victory.

“They fought to the end, which I thought was great,” Torrens said of her team.

North Kitsap’s Mallory Glebe netted four goals in Monday’s game and five on Tuesday, putting her at the top of the Washington Schoolgirls Lacrosse Association Division II standings with 20 goals on the season. Issaquah’s top scorers Tuesday were Katelyn Mincin and Sophie Scheifelbein, who also had five goals each.

After Tuesday’s game, one parent remarked that the team is starting to get the hang of throwing the ball, but the more difficult part of a pass — the catch — still appears to be tricky for many players.

“It’s always the basics: throwing, catching, cradling,” Torrens said. “What they’ve got to do is up their percentages in terms of catching more than they drop.”

The girls return to Poulsbo April 14 to face Klahowya at Strawberry Field.