As much as Lathrop’s girls soccer team has improved in the past couple years, there are reminders that there is still a ways to go.

The Spartans had one of those moments Wednesday at Bennie Gatto Field, where they were beaten by reigning Western Athletic Conference champion Beyer, 7-1.

Lathrop (2-1-2 WAC, 5-5-2 overall), brimming with young talent at every level of the field, was competitive for the first 30 minutes, but Beyer seniors Isabella Rodriguez and Ashlee Leonetti were the difference with their ability to create space and strike from distance.

Rodriguez did her damage from the left wing, amassing five goals and an assist. Leonetti, the Patriots’ center midfield maestro, drilled an absolute banger from long range to give Beyer (5-0, 4-1-0) a 2-0 lead in the 21st minute. She later assisted Rodriguez’s third goal in the 37th.

Lathrop trailed 5-1 at halftime.

“We just got deflated,” Lathrop coach Diana Nevarez said. “They went up 5-1 and we got in our heads. It was a tough loss.

“To be fair, they played one hell of a game. Today, this marks 13 games we’ve played since the league started on the 30th (of November), so we have girls nursing injuries or are out sick. A couple of our starters are out sick, so we just have to get healthy and continue to get better.”

Macyn Murphy also scored for the Patriots, heading a cross from Rodriguez.

Lathrop’s lone goal answered Leonetti’s bomb in the next minute. Sophomore midfielder Elizabeth Enriquez hit the net with a shot from about 25 yards out, lofting it over the reach of Beyer goalie Aleena Tuers to cut the deficit in half, 2-1.

Lathrop’s momentum was soon halted, as Rodriguez drew a foul to earn a penalty kick. She converted in the 25th minute, and Beyer was in control from there.

The Spartans did have some moments of brilliance that led to great scoring chances. Enriquez had two near-misses in the first 10 minutes — one sailed just wide of the right post, the other hit the crossbar.

Wing forward Janessa Ward gave herself a look after skillfully dribbling past two defenders, but her shot went directly to the keeper. She also had an open attempt in the 41st minute, but Keira Bird — Beyer’s second-half goalie — denied it with a one-handed deflection. And striker Morgan Penko had a 1-on-1 breakaway set up by a through ball from Enriquez but her shot was stuffed by Bird.

Overall, the Patriots outshot Lathrop, 27-9. Spartans goalkeeper Ajah Smith was challenged for much of the match and came up with 10 saves.

“We have to finish better,” Nevarez said. “The girls put balls on frame and the opportunities were there, we just have to capitalize on them. It’s one of the things we need to work on, and a game like this definitely shows us what we need to work on.”

Lathrop’s next WAC contest isn’t until Jan. 4 at Johansen, but the Spartans will keep themselves busy in the meantime with three non-league road games starting with West of Tracy on Friday. Next week, they’ll play Valley Oak League powerhouses Sierra and East Union.

“We’ll go back to the drawing board come Monday,” Nevarez said. “Next week, we have Sierra and East Union, which is always great competition and it helps us build. We want to compete against the best, and Sierra, East Union, Manteca and the VOL is the competition we need to see to show us our weaknesses and what we do amazing. We have pieces, now it’s just putting the puzzle together.”