After a successful stretch of games against non-league teams, the Lebanon men's soccer team has struggled in conference play.

The Warriors lost their fourth straight Mid-Willamette Conference game Monday, falling 2-1 to visiting West Albany.

The Bulldogs got on the scoreboard early with a goal in the 11th minute.

"We don't want to let people score early," coach Dave Albion said. "We want to be the ones scoring early."

Jeff Fantus scored Lebanon's lone goal in the 52nd minute, taking a pass from Jeremy Gaetjens and slipping it past the keeper.

"It was one of the few times we actually passed the ball well," Albion said.

The winning goal came in the 67th minute, when a West Albany player took advantage of a Warriors miscue.

"We had a defensive breakdown on the right side and they made a cross in front and tapped it in," Albion said.

The loss came on the eve of three straight defeats to open the conference schedule.

The Warriors fell 10-1 at Corvallis on Oct. 13.

"Corvallis just handed us a good ol' fashioned butt-whipping," Albion said. "They came out and scored early and often."

Albion was happy with the effort of Guillermo Castillo, Alex Albion and Yovanni Alvarez.

"There were a number of guys that I thought played well, but they're just a good, quality team," Albion said.

The Warriors played better on Oct. 16, but fell 3-0 at Crescent Valley.

The Raiders scored two first-half goals and added another in the 60th minute.

"I told the kids that I could not be more proud of them," Albion said. "They went out and worked their fannies off."

Crescent Valley is widely considered one of the top teams in the MWC and one of the better 5A teams in the state.

"I can take losing with an effort like that," Albion said.

It's safe to say the start is not how the Warriors would have predicted after making the playoffs for the first time in school history last year.

Playoff hopes are not completely lost, but it's going to take nothing short of a miracle.

Lebanon hosts perennial front-runner Woodburn on Friday at 4 p.m.