EGELSTON TOWNSHIP – Talk about tough luck.

The Muskegon Risers women’s outdoor team had been having a rough go of it so far this season, posting an 0-4 record while building a team with young and developing players.

After losing two straight on the road, the Risers were happy to return home on Sunday for a game in front of their fans.

But as the schedule would have it, their opponents were the Corktown Hawks, a Detroit-area team that came in with a perfect 4-0 record.

To make matters worse, Corktown has a speedy player that nobody can keep up with – Olivia Thomas – a high school junior who is already committed to the University of North Carolina.

Thomas scored her third goal early in the second half, the Risers were unable to find the net, and they fell 6-0 in front of the home crowd at Oakridge High School.

“(Corktown) has been doing really well, we knew it was going to be a tough matchup, and we couldn’t do the little things right today to put us in a position to be successful,” said Risers Coach Deb Pekel. “They also have that dynamic forward who scored three goals for them, and that hurt.”

The Risers have been outscored 31-3 in five games this season, and with only three left on the schedule, one might wonder about team morale.

But Pekel said the players understand that it’s a lot of work to play for a team in only its second season of existence, and the immediate rewards will be limited.

“It’s always tough not seeing the results they work hard for, but they’re hanging in there,” Pekel said. “They understand it’s only our second year, and there are a lot of moving pieces when you’re playing in the summer. They understand that laying the foundation for the future is the hard work, and their mental toughness has grown a lot. I just hope that their hard work can results in some competitive games.”

The Risers got the first shot on goal of the game, then the Hawks took over. Thomas scored twice in the first half while Reese Slater and Isabella Catino added singles goals, and Corktown led 4-0 at halftime.

Thomas added another goal in the second half, then Slater wrapped up the scoring with her second tally.

While the Risers failed to score, Coach Pekel named several players who performed well, including newcomers Alexis Ponstein and Caitlin Rebera, who were playing their first games, along with midfielder America Lemus and goalie Braeleigh McCoy.

The Risers women’s squad will return to action on Friday night against Cap City Athletic, a team with a 2-3 record.