With his team out to a 4-0 start and a first-place standing in the Lehigh Valley Scholastic Hockey League (LVSHL), Northampton head coach Brian Ruff wasn’t totally surprised.

It’s all been about a solid work ethic.

“I knew we could get off to a good start but I didn’t expect we would be 4-0,” said Ruff. “We have a good, hardworking group of kids. That’s what they do. They outwork every team.”

Ruff pointed to a recent 4-0 victory over the Saints in which the game was scoreless in the second period.

“We wore them down,” boasted Ruff. “Our guys just keep coming at teams. We picked up an empty-netter at the end, but we did enough to win.”

Ruff cited a total team effort for his team’s early success.

Through four games, Derek Raudabaugh was their leading scorer with four goals and nine assists, Jackson Repetz had six goals and two assists, Ian Braun had three goals and five assists, and converted goalie to forward Ashtyn Dremock had four goals and one assist. The Konkrete Kids have been getting their push from their underclassmen.

“We’re getting goals from our first, second, and third lines,” stressed Ruff. “Our defensemen have pumped in some goals. Our scoring has been balanced, and teams can key on one or two players.

“We’re not really a veteran team. Our sophomores and juniors have been stepping it up.”

Ruff also has been impressed with the steady play of starting goalie Austin Wolfe and backup Tye Tomasic. Wolfe has a 1.91 goals against average, and Tomasic has a 2.22 stance.

“Austin has just been fabulous,” beamed Ruff. “He (Wolfe) couldn’t make one game, and Tye stepped in and did a great job. Tye is our JV goalie, and the two of them are sophomores. We’re fortunate to have them both back for a couple of years.”

Along with their scoring, the Kids have been efficient in the defense.

“One of our assistant coaches charts the pluses and minuses of our players in reference to turnovers and their defense,” said Ruff. “Our kids work hard not to get any minuses, and they are well aware of it.

“They have really bought into our system.”

The varsity’s success has transferred down to the JV and middle school teams, which are both undefeated. The youth team is in the middle of a rebuild after winning a few championships. Their players are currently forming the middle school and JV teams’ success.

On a limited 12-game schedule, Ruff has emphasized the importance of every game, as the top four teams will make the postseason.

“Every game is really a playoff game,” noted Ruff. “If you lose a few games, you may miss the playoffs. It’s intense, but it’s good. You can easily go from first place to fifth place.

“We will keep working as hard as we can.”