SAN MARCOS — In soccer, a team can be dominating and still not win. A crazy bounce of the ball, a slightly misjudged flight of a kick and probably a hundred other things can go wrong to prevent a team from getting on the right side of the final score.

The Lady Trojan varsity soccer girls gained valuable playing experience but did not pick up a win in the tournament in San Marcos over the weekend.

In round one, the Beeville girls played host San Marcos. The Lady Rattlers got four shots on goal, and they all found the back of the net. The Lady Trojans had 10 shots on goal, and all the shots found the crossbars, the keeper or another Rattler defender. The final score was a 4-0 win for the host team.

The Laredo United South Panthers were the Lady Trojans’ next foe. The girls from Laredo got only one shot on goal, but it went into the net for a score. The Lady Trojans had 12 shots, but were again shut out in goals. The Lady Panthers escaped with a 1-0 victory.

The same scenario played out in the Beeville girls’ third match. It was against the Laredo Alexander Lady Bulldogs. One shot on goal for the ’Dogs and one goal. Twelve shots on goal for the Beeville girls but nothing on the scoreboard.

“We hit the side netting, side posts, crossbar and goalkeeper. We basically hit everything but the back of the net,” said A.C. Jones High head coach Don Ledesma.

“We completely dominated in every aspect: possession, attacking and scoring opportunities. We just cant find the right combination in the attacking third.”

The Lady Trojans found some solace in the tournament. Newcomer Amber De Pau played well enough to earn all-tournament honors from the coaches. The Lady Trojans also have been playing these early tournament short-handed. Illness, injuries and basketball commitments have kept the Lady Trojans from playing at full strength the entire first half of the season.

“It’s very frustrating, and we must start scoring if we want to be successful. Bottom line is that if you cant score, you can’t win,” said Ledesma.

The tournament was a mix of some of the better 5A teams in the area and provided the 4A Lady Trojans some tough competition.

“We were absolutely the best team there; we just couldn’t find the back of the net. Overall, we probably could have won every tournament we have participated in this year,” Ledesma said.

“If we ever put all of our attributes together, we will be a very hard team to beat.”

The Lady Trojans traveled to Corpus Christi to meet 5A Carroll on Tuesday night and will take this weekend off before returning to Corpus Christi Feb. 5 to meet the King Lady Mustangs. District 57-4A play begins on Feb. 12 when the Lady Trojans travel to Floresville to meet the Jaguars.