File photos – Ferndale’s Claire Renner is enjoying an outstanding season and netted her first high school goal in Wednesday’s loss.

It’s been a difficult season for the Ferndale Wildcats in girls soccers but the players are not backing down from the challenge and are facing the adversity head on.

On Wednesday, the Wildcats traveled to Miranda for a Little 4 game against the South Fork Cubs and fell 2-1, dropping to 0-2-1 in conference play.

Once again, however, they had to start the game with just nine players as injuries have had a devastating effect on the team through the first half of the season.

But the nine players who played did not disappoint and the Cats came close to coming away with what would have been an inspirational victory.

And despite the plethora of injuries they’re facing right now, the team appears to be getting better.

“I thought we played collectively the best we have played all season,” Ferndale head coach Bailey Davy said. “We came out strong and held strong until the final whistle.”

The Ferndale players earned the respect of longtime South Fork coach Ann Constantino, both for not backing down from the challenge and for the way they performed as a unit.

“Ferndale, you’ve got to give them a lot of credit. They played with nine players beautifully,” Constantino said. “We were lucky to get away with this win.”

Freshman Claire Renner, who has a been a big bright spot for the Wildcats in her first high school season, was moved from defense to midfield as the visitors went to a three-player back line to compensate for the injuries.

And she had an immediate impact in the new position, netting a go-ahead goal just two minutes into the game with her first-ever high school goal.

“Claire handled the midfield with confidence and skill,” Davy said. “Claire is an exceptional asset on our team and I think she really shined tonight in a new role on the field.

“I think her efforts were contagious to her teammates. I saw talent and determination in my players that I hadn’t seen yet this season.”

It hasn’t helped matters that over half of the players from last season’s breakthrough North Coast Section championship winning team graduated earlier this year.

But some of the newcomers are quickly filling those shoes.

In addition to Renner, fellow freshman Randi Rice also had a big impact on Wednesday.

“Randi Rice had a stellar game in defense tonight,” her head coach said. “She had a big role to fill with a shorthanded defense and she without hesitation stepped up for her team big time tonight.”

Despite the challenges, the players are playing well as a team and embracing the challenge in a positive manner.

“I thought we possessed the ball really well,” said Davy, who added “I told our girls going into this game that this is going to test them mentally just as much as it would physically.

“I told them this is where their knowledge of the game will set them apart.”

The Ferndale players passed that test with flying colors, even though the result did not go their way.

The lack of players also means every player on the field has to play all 80 minutes without a break.

“We have yet to play a league game with a full team on the field,” said Davy, who added “And we have competed with every single team we have played so far.

“It’s not physically easy and it’s not mentally easy, and our girls are showing up and still competing, and as a coach I’m not sure there’s more you can ask of them.”

The Wildcats are hoping to have a 10th player back by the end of next week and could be back to 11 later in the season.

But for now, they’ll have to continue to battle while playing shorthanded.

“Overall I feel very hopeful and very optimistic with this team, and I know our time is coming,” Davy said. “We are headed in the right direction.”