Staff photo by Ari Selvey New Ulm’s Julia Dewitt surveys the field looking for a pass during a nonconference girls soccer game Thursday at New Ulm High School.

NEW ULM — New Ulm struggled to get pressure on offense during a nonconference girls soccer game against Mankato West on Thursday, falling 1-0 to the Scarlets.

West had eight shots on goal to New Ulm’s four, with three of the Eagles’ shots coming in the first half.

Lack of offensive success was perhaps not surprising for the game, as West has allowed just three goals in 10 games played this season. New Ulm did a good job of holding the Scarlets to just one goal, as they had scored 15 goals in their previous three games.

“I think Mankato stepped their game up a little [in the second half],” New Ulm head coach Jonathan Johnson said. “Because I do believe we surprised them going into the game. To improve on getting more shots, we need to move the ball around a little bit more. We seem to have moved it around a lot more in the first half, and we were kind of doing one side or the other side in the second half.

“But every time we would expand and use the whole field, we’d have success. Their defense was really decent, they were stepping up and getting in our way, so kudos to their defense.”

Both defensed were on point in the first half, with Eagles goalie Ellie Dake getting a little work early with two saves in the first minute and the sixth minute, then getting a break until the 30th minute, when she made a diving save to keep the game scoreless. The Scarlets threatened offensively twice late in the half, but the ball was cleared safely both times.

The lone goal of the game was scored in the 57th minute of play by West’s Aubrey Makela, assisted by Sydney Shain.

New Ulm had two good chances to score in the second half, with Chloe Sherrod’s long shot being stopped by the keeper in the 60th minute, and Kaelyn Eikanger’s attempt just missing over the crossbar in the 74th minute.

New Ulm (4-5-2) hosts St. Peter on Tuesday.