After registering its sixth shutout of the season, blanking Franklin Pierce 2-0 Oct. 5 on the Cardinal turf, Sumner High’s soccer squad finally suffered its initial South Puget Sound League 2A setback of the 2010 campaign, losing Thursday in a shootout 2-1 to White River.

There was no widespread panic and Spartan coach Robi Turley proved her troops can be gracious losers if they have to be.

“I really wasn’t all that disappointed with our first league defeat and I think the girls handled it pretty well,” Turley said. “We typically struggle with the Hornets’ speed at the forward position and we were missing three starters from our regular lineup, so I couldn’t be that discouraged with a shootout loss. We let an opportunity slip through our fingers against a very good team and there is no embarrassment in that.”

With two floundering teams on this week’s docket – Eatonville and winless Clover Park – Turley conceded maybe her bunch will be able to heal and return to full strength.

Scoring the tandem of tallies in the road conquest against the Cardinals were sophomore forward transfer Kaylie Rozell and junior midfielder Meagan Bodus.