In the highly competitive landscape of Inter-Ac girls’ soccer, moments matter. On Friday afternoon in Bryn Mawr, it was the opening minutes of each half that ultimately defined the contest — and spelled trouble for Baldwin.

The Baldwin School Polar Bears fell 5-2 at home to Germantown Academy in a matchup that exposed the fine margins in league play. Baldwin, now 7-2 overall and 1-2 in the Inter-Ac, was forced into early damage control after conceding goals in the opening two minutes of both halves — an uphill battle made steeper by the absence of standout junior center back and co-captain Kyla Walker.

“We missed having Kyla’s defensive leadership, smart positioning, and tough tackling,” Baldwin head coach Adrian Cox said postgame. “She’s been a steady presence in the back and a key reason for our six shutouts in nine games. Our young team relies on her organizational skills and high work rate — and we needed that today.”

Without Walker anchoring the back line, the Polar Bears struggled with defensive shape and communication, particularly during GA’s fast-paced starts. The Patriots pounced early, converting a well-placed shot in the second minute to go up 1-0 and silencing a previously energetic Baldwin crowd.

Germantown added a second goal midway through the first half to seize control. But Baldwin, as they have all season, responded with resilience. Junior striker and co-captain Makena Lee cut the lead in half with a composed, low-driven finish after a pinpoint cross from sophomore midfielder Sierra Gilbert. It was Lee’s team-leading 12th goal of the season, a testament to her consistent attacking presence.

Down just 2-1 at the break, Baldwin had a lifeline. But the second half opened with déjà vu: another defensive lapse, another early goal for GA — this time within 90 seconds of the restart. The early strike swung momentum again, and Baldwin, forced to chase the game for a second time, never fully recovered.

There was a flash of hope when Lee was brought down on a breakaway, earning a penalty kick that could have made it 3-2. But her driven attempt missed just wide of the left post. Minutes later, GA capitalized again, extending the lead to 4-1 with 20 minutes left.

Still, Lee wasn’t done. She pulled one back with a thunderous 25-yard strike that sailed over the GA keeper’s outstretched hands and into the top corner, cutting the deficit to 4-2 and igniting a late Baldwin surge.

“We created some quality scoring chances and had some nice stretches of attack,” Cox noted. “It just wasn’t our day defensively.”

Baldwin pushed numbers forward in the closing minutes, sending wave after wave of attack. A few efforts were denied by the GA keeper, and one long-range strike rattled off the crossbar. But as the Polar Bears threw bodies forward, they were exposed on the back end. GA capitalized on a late counterattack, netting a fifth goal in the final minute to seal the result.

“We learned a lot of lessons from this game that will help us in future league games and in the postseason,” Cox said. “We need to be mentally and physically ready to play from the opening whistle. We can’t afford to start slow in this league. GA took advantage of their chances — credit to them for that.”

Despite the defeat, Baldwin remains a formidable side in the Inter-Ac, with plenty of season left to regroup and refocus. They return to league action on Tuesday, Sept. 30 with a crucial road trip to face Episcopal Academy — a match that will test the Polar Bears’ response and resolve.

For now, they’ll be left reflecting on the costly moments that bookended each half — and what could have been.