Sydney Edwards scored twice in the first half of Monday’s 4-1 win over Edenton. Ellie Rinehart got one back for the Lady Aces late in the first half to make it a one-goal game at halftime.

Washington coach Ed Rodriguez knew his team wasn’t playing to its potential. He told the Lady Pack as much at the intermission. The girls responded well with another pair of goals in the second half and lock-down defense that kept Edenton at bay.

“I’m very proud of these girls. I know it was tough, this game, but they came out, battled and got the win. That’s all that matters,” Rodriguez said. “

Edenton assistant coach John Colon added, “It’s hard to fight an uphill battle on the road. We came out flat and got punished for it, but we were able to score one. It put us within striking distance going into halftime.”

Mackenzie Seiler got a handful of open looks in the first 10 minutes of the second half. Sydney Walker followed suit with a point-blank shot in the 57th minute, but Edenton goalkeeper Anna Bass made sure to keep the game within reach for her squad.

“It’s the first time she’s played soccer,” Rodriguez said of Seiler. “She’s got a lot of desire and a lot of speed — things that I cannot teach. She’s learning her skill, and she’s learning to finish. She’s only a junior. She’ll be here next year. She’s already athletically there.”

Washington finally broke through again in the 60th minute. Edwards’ potential hat-trick goal rung off the crossbar, and Blake Swanner was there to bury the rebound.

It gave the Lady Pack some breathing room with just 20 minutes to play, but the girls weren’t done.

“It’s always good to see that you can do it. I always know they can do it,” Rodriguez said of watching a few goals go in after a tough weekend that saw the Lady Pack score just once in two games. “Knowing it and actually seeing it sometimes makes a difference in their confidence.”

Two minutes later, Edwards fed Jordan Prescott, who was able to find twine for the first time since scoring five against Northeastern in the season opener. Walker had a pair of scoring chances before the end of the game, but couldn’t beat Bass.

“We had so many one-on-ones that we should have put away,” Rodriguez said. “It’s something that is going to take a few games to iron out.”

The game marked the end of a stretch that saw Washington play three games in four days. Rodriguez said that the Lady Pack will review the footage of the game and take some time to rest. It will be back in action on Saturday in a tournament game against a 3-A club in Terry Sanford.