Fuquay, now ranked No. 8 in the state, improved their record to 5-0-0 with its 5-0 shutout win over the Catamounts. Senior David Lane scored three of his team's goals, giving him a team-high eight on the year.

The Bengals have now outscored their opponents 23-0.

"It's early, but we've done everything that we've expected to do so early in the season, playing five matches and not giving up a goal. That's really encouraging," Fuquay coach James Mountford said. "All over the field, we're strong defensively as a unit and that's been the key to our success."

Fuquay managed to beat the back line of the Catamounts repeatedly, forcing one-on-one situations with goalkeeper Daniel Chadwick. And most of those situations turned into goals for the Bengals.

In the sixth minute, Fuquay's Andrew Sotak, a junior, got behind the back line after a bad touch by a Panther Creek defender turned possession over. Sotak's one-on-one with Chadwick started 30 yards away from the goal, but ended with a yellow card as Chadwick tripped up Sotak without getting a piece of the ball.

Jonathan Furr took the free kick for the Bengals, and he sent in a beautiful, bending strike that swerved into the left corner of the goal.

It was the first drop of the flood of goals by the Bengals team.

With just under two minutes in the half, Lane played a ball deep into the box, drawing Chadwick over to his right. A touch by Jared Bender sent the ball behind Chadwick and to the center of the box, where senior Jonathon Rembecki was there to play it in with 1:42 on the clock.

Lane and Bender each got credit for the assist.

Lane didn't start, even though it was his second hat trick of the year. Mountford rotates Davis Meyer, Sotak and Lane through the two forward positions.

"I understand that we're all just as good players and we have to stay fresh and keep rotating like that so it helps out the team," Lane said.

The score stayed at 2-0 until halftime. Fuquay didn't wait long to find the goal again.

A shot by Rembecki went straight to Chadwick, who couldn't tuck away the save. Lane was there for the rebound and Fuquay went up 3-0 just 90 seconds into the second half.

Just 5:10 later, Lane found the goal again as he found himself alone at the back post on a cross from Sotak.

"David Lane is a very smart player. He has a really good soccer IQ. He knows where to be on the field," Mountford said. "He finds a crease, he finds that space, and he gets there and that's how a lot of his goals were in the second half. And he's an excellent finisher on top of that."

Lane had to work hard for his third goal of the night, dodging in and around Panther Creek defenders at the top of the six-yard box before finding an opening with 11:46 left to give the Bengals their 23rd unanswered goal of the season.

The Bengals don't know for how much longer they'll be unbeaten, untied or unscored on. But Mountford, a Fuquay alum in his sixth year as head coach, hopes his team can keep up the pace.

"The best finish we've had in the conference [since going 4-A] is third," Mountford said. "We know it's still early in the season and we still have to play Apex, Green Hope and Athens twice. ... But it's encouraging to know we've played five matches and we've got five shutouts and we're scoring a lot of goals."