What started as a hard-fought battle quickly dwindled into the No. 23 Baker University women’s soccer team’s third loss of the season.

The Wildcats traveled to Lebanon, Ill., on Sunday to take on NCAA Division II McKendree University, where they fell 3-1.

“We came out in the first half with a lot more intensity than they did,” junior Alexa Fryer said. “I don’t think they expected us to play like that, but then in the second half we let one slip and from there it just kind of went down.”

Fryer says the team’s motivation quickly diminished when McKendree went up 1-0 just four minutes into the second half. The Eagles would find the back of the net twice more before Baker had the chance to answer with a goal of its own.

“I think what we need to take from (the loss) is learning that when we let one go, not to stop,” Fryer said. “We need to learn as a team to always be on, always be playing.”

The loss to McKendree came just two days after the Wildcats tied with Concordia University Irvine 1-1. Fryer also looks to the tie as a “learning experience” for the Wildcats.

The junior forward believes the team was physically ready for the 110 minutes of play it endured but needed to focus on the mental aspect of the game.

“We definitely came together toward the end, and we stayed in the game well,” Fryer said. “Overall, they were a good team and I think it was really important that we held them like we did, and it was a really good game to learn and grow from.”

Baker is now 2-3-1 on the season. Fryer says the record “maybe reflects how we’ve played, but doesn’t reflect our potential.”

The team will look to improve its record at 5 p.m. on Wednesday at Park University.