RAPID CITY - Even after being held scoreless in the first half, the Douglas boys soccer team was still optimistic about getting its first win of the season against Mitchell Christian.

But Mitchell Christian came up with the game's lone score, securing its first win of the season, 1-0, and extending the Patriots' troubles.

In its second game of the day, Douglas got a goal in the 55th minute by forward Shelby Rhoades, who stole the ball on defense, to post a 1-0 win over Groton.

The win over Groton snapped a nine-game losing streak to start the season for the Patriots (1-9 overall) to start the season.

Mitchell Christian's Jared Feiner broke the scoreless second-half tie at the 60-minute mark half by battling for the ball after a corner kick, finding the upper-left corner of the Patriots goal just beyond the reach of Douglas goalie Zak Fogle.

"The ball came flying in and I tried to head it, but I missed," Feiner said. "It then hit a Douglas player in the leg and the ball popped back into the air and when the ball came back down I just drilled it."

The rest of the match was a see-saw affair as both teams had many shots on goal but no one managed to find the back of the net. With just a few minutes remaining in the contest the Patriot fans got excited as Brooke Kobus took the receiving end of a corner kick and headed it, missing the game-tying goal by less than a foot as it flew just left of the Eagles goal.

"We practiced well all week but it just takes time" said Douglas head coach Jim Silbernagel. "We are a team made up of young players, many of whom just play soccer in high school and no other time throughout the year. We just need more experience."

Field position was the story early in the match as Mitchell Christian (1-8) kept the ball in Douglas territory for most of the first half. Early in the contest the Patriots' Nathan Madden cut in front of an Eagle forward to save a one-on-one shot on goal.

Following a scoreless first half, Douglas came out of the break determined to take control of the field position game in the second half. The Patriots responded by getting three shots on goal within the first five minutes. Shelby Rhodes, one of three girls that are on Douglas' roster, had two of the three early shots on goal.

In the second game, Anderson said he was pleased with his defense in the nightcap.

"We stepped up our pressure defensively, especially with our forwards," he said.

Douglas hosts Hot Springs on Tuesday at Sioux Park.