It’s been a struggle for the Marlboro Dukes since they opened their season with a win over the Rondout Valley Ganders.

The Dukes went on get shut out twice and suffered their third straight loss, when they fell, 8-1, to the Spackenkill Spartans on Sept. 17 at Dennis Burkett Field at Marlboro High School.

The Dukes, did, however, score their first goal since their 6-0 win over the Ganders on Sept. 6 to open the season.

Two Spackenkill players made it a long day for Dukes. Maia Viggiano scored three goals and Morgan Agosta added two, all in the first half.

Viggiano broke the ice in the 10th minute with a goal, and then she added her second about five minutes later, when she beat the Marlboro defense, and put herself in a one-on-one with Marlboro goalkeeper Midori Gosnell. Viggiano got around Gosnell for an easy goal in an empty net.

About three minutes after that, Agosta scored her first.

Viggiano added her third in the in the 24th minute and Agosta got her second in the 26th.

The Dukes got their goal late in the first half, catching the Spartans unawares.

After a penalty was called on the Spartans, the Dukes’ sophomore captain Olivia Morales had a direct kick. She didn’t waste any time kicking the ball forward as the Spartans set themselves up. They weren’t ready, and neither was goalkeeper Bella Gilmore. With her back to the play, not knowing it was live, the ball rolled into the goal for the Dukes’ only score of the game.

They trailed, 5-1 at halftime.

The Spartans got goals from Cadence Koehler, Gabby Krakower and Amaia Parsons. Gilmore finished the game with three saves.

The Dukes finished the week on Thursday with a 3-1 home loss to the Red Hook Raiders.

After Thursday’s game, they went on the road for three straight games against the New Paltz Huguenots, the Wallkill Panthers and their second meeting with the Ganders.