NACOGDOCHES, Texas ? Three goals in the first 4:13 by Stephen F. Austin proved to be too much for the Lady Techsters to overcome as they fell to the Ladyjacks, 7-2, on Friday at the SFA Intramural Complex.

Tech is constantly fighting an uphill battle these days as its top five players are missing extended time due to injury, and the numbers are thin on the Lady Techster bench. But coach Kevin Sherry says that his team is still fighting hard and working like heck to get better.

?You learn a lot about people through adversity,? Sherry said. ?We kept fighting hard despite those quick goals, and that?s all I can really ask. We know we?ve got some problems, but we?re not going to quit. We?re still out there, and we?re going to keep fighting.?

Stephen F. Austin wasted no time getting on the board as the Ladyjacks took a rebound off a missed header and scored on another header by Kelli Wilson, giving SFA a 1-0 lead just 1:27 into the game.

A little less than two minutes later, Kesia Broome took a pass from Summer Bradfield and headed it past Tara Gavlak for a 2-0 Ladyjack lead.

Broome picked up another point just two minutes later as she sent a nice pass to Erika Palmacci right in front of the net, giving SFA a 3-0 lead with less than five minutes gone in the game.

Tech, however, refused to give up easily. The Lady Techsters would answer a few minutes later as Denise Wilson lofted a beautiful cross into the box where Kiva Gresham put a nice shot past Crystin Pactor, putting Tech on the board at the 12:28 mark.

SFA would answer late in the first half when Brenna Crockett put another nice pass from Broome past Nicole Didier, giving the Ladyjacks a 4-1 lead with just over seven minutes to play in the period.

Tech was almost able to pull closer just before halftime. Gresham broke free from the pack with just over a minute to play in the first half, but her attempt from just outside the six-yard box clanged off the far post, denying the Techsters? second goal by mere inches.

The Ladyjacks picked up right where they left off, scoring in the first minute of the second half when Megan Cash got loose from the pack and put her attempt in the far corner, giving SFA a 5-1 lead at 45:55.

SFA would add another with a little more than 20 minutes to play as Sarah Gregory?s shot just snuck inside the near post, putting the Ladyjacks ahead 6-1. Later, a free kick by Jessica Cotton in the 78th minute from 40 yards was just out of Didier?s reach to put SFA ahead 7-1.

Tech would put one more on the board in the 82nd minute as a pass from Jillian Pinder found Denise Wilson ahead of the pack. The SFA keeper came out to play it, and Wilson rolled it in from about 25 yards to make the score 7-2. It was the first goal of the season for Wilson and the first career assist for Pinder.

Junior keeper Nicole Didier had a career-high 10 saves as she relieved Gavlak in the 25th minute.

Tech begins a season-long five-game homestand Sunday as in-state rival Centenary comes to Ruston. Kick-off is set for 1 p.m. at Joe Aillet Stadium, and admission is free.