The ConVal girls’ soccer team has strong senior leadership, lots of experience and plenty of potential, and though they’ve yet to enter the win column after two games this fall, coach Hagen Wegmueller said they just need to work on the little things to become a playoff contender.

“The goals will come,” Wegmueller said after Tuesday’s 2-0 loss to visiting Merrimack Valley, which dropped ConVal to 0-1-1 on the season. “Right now, it’s kind of a tough start to the season, so they need to gain their confidence.”

The Cougars played to a 1-1 draw against Oyster River last week to open the season, and they were just as close to victory against MV Tuesday, but for a couple of breaks or bounces.

Keeper Wrayana Covey made a handful of impressive saves and was barely beaten on a fluky free kick for the game’s deciding goal. After a handball call set the Pride up with a long direct kick in first-half stoppage time, Covey made the save high, punching the ball straight up into the crossbar, but it bounced right back down, hit her in the face and ricocheted into a scrum, where MV’s Isabelle Navoy was able to punch it home.

“Those are just the breaks, I guess,” Wegmueller said.

ConVal had its share of chances, but appeared to rush things when they got down to the goal area. Senior Zoey Lazzaro, still working back from last year’s season-ending injury, had a few good looks and nearly tied the game in the second half before being robbed by the goal-mouth defense of Merrimack Valley defender Jada Lucas.

“She’s really eager to score,” Wegmueller said, “and you can see it. She’s rushing things just a little bit. She’ll settle in.”

Senior captain Eliza Bull, too, was able to get close, but was frustrated at the net a few times by keeper Jordan Monaghan.

“Just having them in positions where they get those chances is, to me, the main thing,” Wegmueller said.

The Cougars are strong at all levels, with Bull and Lazzaro up front, senior captain Allison Burgess speeding through the midfield and senior captains Abby Rodenhiser and Hannah Daniels forming a wall in front of Covey. ConVal was missing several starters on Tuesday but still put on a good defensive show; they didn’t allow another goal until just before the game’s conclusion, when they sent their defenders up to increase their scoring chances but got burned on a reversal of field and a cross to Corinne Palhof.

The Cougars have an abundance of experience on the team this year, with the group of 13 seniors led by Burgess, Bull, Rodenhiser and Daniels, as good a quartet of captains as you’re likely to find.

“The other girls, especially the younger girls, are looking up to them,” Wegmueller said, “and they are great role models in the way they play and the way they conduct themselves. They don’t give up. They’re calm on the field, they play hard and they settle the game down. Having a crew of captains like that is just invaluable.”

ConVal (0-1-1) will look for its first win of the season at Plymouth (1-0-1) Friday.