Nine games into the season, the Hazen soccer team is miles ahead of where it was a year ago. So, despite taking its first loss of the season in a 1-0 non-league contest against Newport Oct. 2, Highlander coach Ken Matthews remains upbeat.

“It’d be easy to feel bad about losing our first game,” Matthews said in a press release. “But you have to put things in perspective.”

The Highlanders are now 6-1-2 overall and tied for first in the Seamount. They’ve allowed a total of four goals. Last season through nine games, Hazen was 5-4 and tied for fourth. Plus, the defense had allowed 25 goals.

Hazen faces a key stretch of league games in the remaining regular-season action. The team plays both Kennedy Catholic and Highline twice.

The Highlanders remain unbeaten in league play at 5-0-1 with a tie to Kennedy the only blemish.

Tonight:at Renton, 4:00

Lindbergh

The Eagles bounced back from a 5-0 loss to Kennedy Catholic in a big way, beating Evergreen 8-0 Sept. 30.

Lindbergh (4-3-1 overall, 4-2-1 Seamount) got goals from Jami Kouba (2), Lindsey Pfluger, Sayana Lombard-Chappell, Audrey Cunningham, Lana Amandus, Alicia Wasisco and Kimi Girmus in the contest.

Whitney Hilde, Kouba and Jordyn McLuen are tied for the team lead with four goals each. Megan O’Hanlon leads the team with four assists.

Lindbergh sits in third place in the Seamount, tops among 2A teams.

Tonight: at home against Foster, 5:30

Liberty

Defense continues to be the key for Liberty, as the Patriots have allowed just six goals through eight games so far.

Liberty is 6-2 overall and 6-0 in the KingCo 3A/2A. The Patriots hod a two-game lead over second-place Juanita (plus the tiebreaker with a head-to-head win) and are in good shape to lock in a postseason berth.

Cassidy Nangle leads the team with eight goals.

Tonight: at home against Interlake, 7:30

Renton

Renton has a tough assignment in three upcoming games against Hazen (twice) and Lindbergh.

The Indians (0-4-1) are showing some positive signs with a 2-2 tie against Evergreen Sept. 28. Renton scored its first two goals of the season in the game, then scored another against Foster Sept. 30.

Tonight: at home against Hazen, 4:00