NORTHAMPTON — The speed of the Belchertown boys soccer team was too much for Northampton in an 8-1 victory Tuesday evening.
The Blue Devils chased the Orioles up and down the field, and struggled to find the offensive spark that has eluded them all season.
Belchertown, which was runner-up in the 2016 Western Massachusetts Division 3 Tournament, improved to 5-0 overall, 4-0 in the Churchill League. Northampton, which entered the game without a goal on the season, fell to 0-3 overall and in the league.
Sean O’Neill started the scoring when he got one past Blue Devils goalkeeper Evan Renauld in the first two minutes of the game. O’Neill also added an assist later in the game.
Belchertown coach Tony Almeida praised his team’s speed and its ability to pass the ball effectively to get open shots.
“Something we’ve been working quite hard at this year is to transition (speed) into our offense and create opportunities to finish them off,” Almeida said. “I think we did a really good job today.”
Seniors Benjamin LaClair and Daniel Becker led the charge for the Orioles, each scoring two goals. Weaving around the Blue Devils’ defense LaClair created multiple scoring chances and finished with two assists for Belchertown.
Orioles goalkeeper Christopher Tilton made his first career start. Tilton faced four shots in his debut, saving three.
“He was a little nervous at first, but he did well playing in front of that defense,” Almeida said.
Jackson Heath ended the Blue Devils’ scoring drought when he scored off a pass from Junior Yunga in the final minutes of the first half.
Despite the loss, Northampton coach Brian Brown was proud of the way his team battled throughout the second half.
“I think we had a great last 50 minutes, the 10 of the first half and a great second half,” Brown said. “These guys don’t quit. If anything, when stuff got tough they played harder. They’ve come a long way since the beginning of the season.”
Renauld and Jarett Borer both had six saves in net for the Blue Devils. They were tested often as several of Belchertown’s shots flew over the net or hit the crossbar.
“We’re trying to get good finishes, we are basically creating the chances but as we saw we missed a lot of easy goals today,” Almeida said. “When we play against opponents with stronger defenses, at a Division 1 level, it’s going to be a lot tougher.”
Belchertown has eight returning seniors who Almeida believes have helped solidify the defense and have given the younger players on the team confidence.
“We’re led by mostly seniors, so the guys did a good job back there,” Almeida said.
Belchertown hosts Longmeadow on Sept. 26. Meanwhile, Northampton will travel to Agawam Friday.