The Northampton boys soccer team (1-3 overall; 1-1 in LVC) has gotten off to a rough start to the season.

But despite last Friday's 3-0 defeat to Parkland (3-0 overall; 2-0 in LVC) in their first conference game of the season, head coach Craig Carvin isn't worried too much about his squad's play just two weeks into the season.

"I'm not worried about the first three games," said Carvin. "Two years ago - the first year that we went to Districts in who knows how long - we started off losing our first two games. Last year we were 1-3 after four games [and] actually losing worse than that to these guys, and last year we finished the season with 11 wins and barley missed the conference championship."

"I'm not worried because we are getting better," said Carvin. "We just need to get better fast."

It was the Konkrete Kids' defense that held the Trojans in check early on, not allowing a shot on goal until the 22:54 mark in the first half.

Both teams remained scoreless until a little more than five minutes later when the Trojans took advantage of a Northampton miscue.

With a free kick slated for the Trojans from roughly 25 yards out, it would be the Northampton defense looking to hold off another opportunity on goal. While setting up for the kick, however, it was the Trojans taking advantage of goalkeeper Kory DeCesaris, who looked like he wasn't ready for the shot. The result was a goal for the Trojans and a 1-0 lead past the midway point of the half.

"We just didn't do what we were trying to do," said Carvin. "That's on us. If you don't execute your game plan, you're not going to have a good time with it. And we didn't."

The goalkeeping of DeCesaris kept the deficit at one goal for the rest of the first half and heading into the second.

But the Trojans' offense came alive once again just after halftime. Collin McConnell's shot from Nick Hutchinson found the right side of the net at the 32:24 mark, forcing the Konkrete Kids' offense to try and make up that goal from then on out.

"We were able to handle, for the most part, what they were trying to do," said Carvin. "But we couldn't do what we were trying to do against them. I don't know that it was any problem other than we just need to execute better."

"And then we just had a couple of mental lapses," said Carvin. "Here at the end [with] the third goal, we were pushing hard to try to get that goal back. And we got countered and that happens."

A Trojan goal with 9:39 to play in the game essentially ended any hopes of a come back for the Konkrete Kids, who remained scoreless in a game for the second time this season and recorded just two shots on goal.

"This was our best effort so far," said Carvin. "Obviously it's still not good enough. We still got little mental lapses, and we're still not executing what we're trying to do."

Despite being attacked with a number of shots from the Trojans' offense, DeCesaris - who didn't play on the team last season - recorded nine saves in the defeat.

"He's been phenomenal for us," said Carvin. "Kory has a very strong leg, takes up a lot of the net, and definitely in charge back there. You don't often come across a player like that out of nowhere, and we got lucky with that.

The Konkrete Kids turned things around on Tuesday with a 3-1 victory over divisional-foe Nazareth (2-4 overall; 0-3 in LVC). Tyler Davis added two goals and Marcus Morris added one, while Josh Schoenberger and John Yeaw each recorded assists.

Up next for the Konkrete Kids is Dieruff for a matchup on Thursday. Game time is set for 5:30 p.m at Louis E. Dieruff High School.

Girls

The girls continue to look for their first win of the season after falling to Whitehall, Parkland and Nazareth in recent games.

The Zephs won a 9-0 game with Parkland defeated the Kids 6-1. Franchesa Sanches scored the lone goal in that contest.

Against the Eagles, the game was tied 2-2 after the first half before the Eagles pulled away to win 4-2.

Leandra Sterner scored both goals for NHS with assists going to Sarah Fribance and Crista Schroettner.