HOLMDEL, N.J. — The Rochester Lady Lancers endured a tough welcome into United Women’s Soccer Saturday night.

Playing in the wind and rain, the Lady Lancers suffered a 6-0 defeat to New Jersey Copa FC at Saint John Vianney Field in their first game ever.

NJ Copa FC, which lost in the UWS championship game last year, demonstrated that it did not lose a beat.

Katarina Nilsson led the way with two second-half goals in the 61st and 67th minutes. Lauren Mazich (29th minute), Camille Bowen (37th minute), Jeanine Nunez (52nd minute) and Gianna Smith (85th minute) also scored for the home side.

The Lady Lancers, on the other hand, had 35 days to put a team and club organization together as started officially April 8.

Rochester won’t have much time to think about their debut as the first-year side is scheduled to play the New England Mutiny at 3 p.m. Sunday.

The Lady Lancers will host NJ Copa FC in their home opener at Aquinas Institute Sunday, May 21 at 1 p.m. Their game will be followed by the Lancers’ men’s home opener against the Dayton Dynamo at 4 p.m.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.