NORTHAMPTON — After surrendering an early first quarter goal, the Northampton boys lacrosse team shook off some early nerves and responded accordingly.

The Blue Devils rattled off the game’s next 13 goals, and Chicopee Comp had no answer for the hosts’ flurry. Behind hat tricks from Keller Mahoney, Jackson Oravec and Jack Carpenter as well as five second-quarter goals, Northampton cruised to a 13-3 victory over the Colts on a sun-filled Tuesday afternoon.

Chicopee Comp’s first goal certainly lit a fire under the veteran Blue Devils roster, as they didn’t give up another goal until the final two minutes of the game.

Northampton defeated McCann Tech 17-4 in its first game of the season back on April 2, but head coach Charlie Edwards knew the Colts would provide a challenge. He was more than pleased with his team’s effort on Tuesday.

“This was our first league game of the season, and honestly, there were a little nerves coming in playing against a team like Chicopee Comp, who's been a strong, competitive team the last couple of years,” Edwards said. “We knew we were strong, but we hadn’t really been tested this year. We knew this would be a bigger test, and I’m proud of the product they put out there.”

Oravec dominated the opening frame, scoring two quick goals to capture Northampton’s first lead of the game, one it would not relinquish the rest of the way. He added one more in the second, while Carpenter and Mahoney each notched a pair. The Blue Devils scored three goals across the final two minutes of the second to capture all momentum of the game.

“Our guys were more aggressive,” Edwards said of the second frame. “In that first quarter, we were making the right plays, we just weren’t fully executing early on. Those shots started to fall, and we stayed on it and kept attacking like we were. We really started to play with some confidence in that second quarter and finished a lot of those plays.”

Liam Parr followed up his four-goal night against McCann Tech with three more points (one goal, two assists), Mahoney added an assist, Carpenter and Oravec tallied two assists apiece and both Mykal Norris and Bryce McGinn-Stevens scored goals as well for Northampton.

The Blue Devils have a plethora of players who can contribute offensively, which makes it so tough for their opponents to stop.

“A lot of these guys have played together for a number of years, so they’re comfortable with one another,” Edwards said. “They all trust each other to make the right play, nobody on this team is selfish. And once they got some confidence, it all rolls from there.”

On top of the offensive onslaught, Northampton also played lock-down defense – not allowing Chicopee Comp to get in any sort of rhythm throughout the entirety of Tuesday’s contest.

Early on, the Blue Devils turned the ball over several times, perhaps still settling into the flow of the game. This put their defense at a disadvantage with the Colts having the opportunity to break out. But Northampton’s transition game was superior, and it did a great job stopping any Chicopee Comp fastbreak chances.

“We were playing good, aggressive defense really the whole day,” Edwards said. “We were keeping Chicopee Comp on their toes. They got the first goal of the game and had us on our heels to start, but once we stepped up, things started to shift. We played great transition defense, we rode particularly well, and they didn’t have the opportunity to get settled very often.”

This season, Northampton and Easthampton merged to form one co-op boys lacrosse program. Several of the players on the team are familiar with one another because the two schools also co-op in hockey. Edwards said the transition has been seamless.

Not only is the team dynamic new this year, but the league the team is playing in is, too. Northampton shifted into the Pioneer League this year, and the Blue Devils believe they have what it takes to stand atop the standings when it’s all said and done.

“Frankly, the vibes are real positive,” Edwards said. “The guys have been encouraging one another, challenging one another, so it’s looking good… We want to make some noise in this new league.”

The aforementioned turnovers on offense are something Edwards hopes Northampton can clean up come its next contest against Pittsfield on Thursday. The Blue Devils (2-0) travel to play the Generals at 4:30 p.m. 

“We got to clean up our execution,” Edwards said. “We were doing the right things, but we dropped too many balls, we were making some errant passes. We just want to get more consistent because we know it’s only gonna get tougher from here.”