The Lawrence High girls soccer team finally has reached the end of a week it would love to forget.

The Lions capped a four-day span of futility and frustration Friday night with a 6-1 loss to Washburn Rural at the Youth Sports Inc. fields — after three of the Junior Blues’ goals were negated because of offsides penalties.

Lawrence started the week with a 10-0 mercy-rule loss to Olathe North at YSI. Thursday, it lost to Shawnee Mission Northwest, 5-1, at YSI.

Next for the club come two potential remedies for the slump: time to rest during the weekend and a trip Tuesday to Topeka.

“It’s just a tough loss,” LHS coach Jason Clark said. “We didn’t have the best of first halves, but three games in a week, especially the back-to-back games, makes it kind of tough.

“Things didn’t go our way, unfortunately, but from an attitude standpoint, the team is really starting to step up.”

The first half started out fine for the Lions — before the Junior Blues posted four goals in a span of 12 minutes to close the half.

Lawrence (2-5) actually struck first with a swift upfield attack in the 13th minute.

LHS sophomore Abby Vestal plowed through Washburn Rural’s defensive front before finding freshman Madison Bertrand on the wing. Bertrand battled with defenders before finally getting the ball to fall in the right corner of the goal for a 1-0 LHS lead.

Lawrence High's Madison Bertrand, right, fends off Washburn Rural's Paige Carrier in the Lions' 6-1 loss to the Junior Blues. Bertrand scored the Lions' lone goal Friday at the Youth Sports Inc. fields.

“I decided to keep going for it,” Bertrand said. “I really wanted a goal this season, so I just kept with it. I didn’t give up.”

For Clark, it was a reminder of the team’s play-making potential.

“I think the players are starting to understand how to take pieces that we work on in practice and start piecing it together,” Clark said. “I think that was a part of that.”

Melanie Hall scored Rural’s first goal in the 23th minute. Her first goal was a result of storming through the backfield and lifting the ball over the head of sliding LHS goalkeeper Carly Sakumura. Hall added a second goal in the second half.

Kaylee Manns also had two goals — one in each half — for the Junior Blues (5-2). Manns’ first goal was followed 16 seconds later by a goal by teammate Lauren Lawless.

The Lions have lost four straight.

“It’s a tough season. We play a tough schedule,” Clark said. “We have new coaches, philosophy and a style of play. It’s been difficult, but we’re trying to work it out. I think with time we’ll go forward, and the effort the girls put out in the second part of the game was a part of that.”