Fortuna head coach Arnulfo Aguirre believes the race for this year’s Big 4 championship in girls soccer will be a close one, with all four teams in contention.

And Wednesday’s result in the Huskies’ matchup with Arcata would seem to back that belief.

One week after falling in their conference opener against Eureka, the Arcata girls defeated Fortuna 2-0, leaving both teams deadlocked for second place in the early-season standings.

“I feel like it’s kind of wide open,” said Aguirre, whose team suffered just its first loss of the season and dropped to 1-1 in the Big 4.

The Huskies, who reached the North Coast Section championship game a year ago, grew into the game and began to showcase their ability and championship credentials after the break.

However, they trailed by two goals at the interval and were unable to battle back.

“It was a pretty close game,” the Fortuna coach added. “We had some mistakes at our end that led to their goals, but I feel like in the second half we came out and played strong. We just couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net.”

“I feel like in the second half we stepped up and figured out our roles and our passing was better.”

Humboldt Sports has reached out to the Arcata coaches for details of their team, but they have not responded.

Once again, if coaches want some coverage for their players, they need to reach out to Humboldt Sports with details.

The Huskies, meanwhile, look like serious conference contenders despite Wednesday’s loss and they will have two remaining games against the Tigers in the coming weeks.

On Wednesday, they were without the services of injured team leader Raigan Brooks, who is expected back soon, but Aguirre refused to use that as an excuse and says injuries are just a part of the game and affect every team.

Other players stepped up in her absence, particularly in the second half, including midfielder Jocelyn Marquez Olea.

“She had a fantastic second half,” her coach said. “She worked real hard trying to keep us in the game.”

The back line of Myra Hayes, Jorlynn Villavazo, Olivia Hayes and Addy Lucas also grew into the game and helped goalkeeper Lilly Calderon keep a clean sheet in the second half.

Another player who impressed for the Fortuna girls was sophomore Eryn Hunter, who is in her first season with the team but is having an immediate impact.

“She grew into the game and had a fantastic second half,” Aguirre said of the standout defensive midfielder.

So too did outside midfielder Jamilet Ortega-Miranda, who got stronger as the afternoon went on.

“It took her a little bit to get into the game, but once she did she played great,” her coach said. “She made smart decisions and had some good passing … they all worked real hard.”

Up front for the Huskies, Junior Isabel Sanchez and freshman Jozlyn Dahl look like a dangerous pairing even if they were unable to find the back of the net on Wednesday.

“They did their job and they worked real hard trying to keep the Arcata defense on their toes,” Aguirre said. “They gave it everything they had. We didn’t win the game, but everyone worked their butts off and played their hearts out.”

Next up, the Huskies will host South Fork in a non-conference showdown on Saturday.