ESCANABA — Something happened Wednesday that had not happened before this girls tennis season: The Negaunee Miners did not win.

Instead, the Miners played to a 4-4 tie with the host Escanaba Eskymos.

“We came out sluggish today and in a handful of matches we never were able to overcome that,” said Miners coach Kyle Saari in an email. “A big emphasis for us is understanding that we’re going to be targeted, and our focus needs to be on point, needing to play to our strengths. These are great learning experiences and they put you in position to grow late in the year. Our challenge is maturing to that point in all parts of our lineup.”

Saari said some good things did happen in the match.

“Olivia (Lunseth) and Sage (Juntti) have played very well at their flight (No. 2 doubles) as of late. We expect a lot out of them as two seniors there, and they know they’re capable of playing at a high level. They’ve done so and they’re motivated there which is awesome to see.

“Paityn (Brunette) and Autumn (Ring, No. 3 doubles) have continued to practice real well, too, and they’ve been trending upward,” Saari said. “Lili Saunders (No. 2 singles) has been extremely steady for us, too. She can hit every shot right now and her length makes things real difficult for anyone she plays.”

The Miners are now 9-0-1 on the season.