The Yakima Valley soccer team's playoff chances took a hit last week with a pair of losses to the top two teams in the NWAC East.

Coming off two consecutive wins, the Yaks traveled to first-place Columbia Basin on Wednesday and put up a good fight before conceding a 3-1 setback. The Hawks took a 1-0 halftime lead and added two more midway through the second half to make it 3-0. India Wiemers pulled one back for the Yaks in the 80^th minute on a pass from leading scorer Brynn Rees, but it wasn't enough to help YVC pull off the upset. YVC was outshot 12-4, with Wiemers putting three shots on frame and Alexia Lee delivering another. Goalkeeper Meadow Stone collected four saves in a losing effort.

YVC returned to action Saturday at home against second-place Spokane and hung with the Sasquatch until the bitter end, ultimately losing 2-1. Rees gave the Yaks a lead in the 22^nd minute on a pass from Kira Hampshire, but Spokane quickly struck back to even the score at halftime. After a back-and-forth second half, the Sasquatch managed to find the game-winner in the 89^th minute and send the Yaks to a second straight defeat. Rees put three shots on goal, Gracie Pederson had two shots and Stone gathered six saves.

YVC now sits at 2-5-1 in conference play (4-5-1 overall) with just four games remaining. Next up, the Yaks will visit third-place Walla Walla on Wednesday and Blue Mountain on Saturday — a team they tied 2-2 on Sept. 20.