The Falcons got exactly that, winning 15-7 thanks to a balanced offensive performance that improved their record to 2-2 (1-2).

Cary (1-5, 0-4) answered a pair of early Green Hope goals to pull within 3-2 midway through the first quarter. But the Falcons refused to let the Imps hang around, reeling off four unanswered goals for a 7-2 lead that swelled to 10-3 by halftime.

“They kind of stunned us a little bit, but we got on the guys and told them, ‘Hey, head up, keep working hard,’” Green Hope coach Jack Bogwicz said. “It’s good that they didn’t crumble. They ‘cowboyed up.’ And they played great, they ran away with it.”

What worked: Green Hope’s attack stole the show, as a pair of lefthanders in senior captain Patrick O’Mara and freshman Harrison Wynne each recorded hat tricks. When the duo wasn’t finishing plays in front of the net, it created opportunities for the rest of the Falcons, as O’Mara notched three assists and Wynne recorded two.

“We had really good passing, got a lot of assists,” Wynne said. “No one man did most of the work. Everybody was working the ball as a team.”

Unsung hero: Leading the way for the Imps was senior Clayton Blackwelder, who recorded a hat trick and added an assist. Blackwelder put his team on the board for the first time on an unassisted wraparound shot in the first period. The senior captain also cut the lead to 7-3 to stop the bleeding after four consecutive Falcon goals in the second period.

“Clayton’s a senior, he’s a captain,” Cary coach Scott Gordon said. “He’s everything we want. I need nine more just like him. He’s a leader, he does everything we ask of him and tries to put that on the rest of his team too.”

Putting up numbers: In addition to big nights by O’Mara and Wynne, Green Hope got offense from throughout its roster, as eight different players found the back of the net. Freshman Nolan Paussa notched two goals and two assists, senior midfielder Brian Wilson scored two goals and had an assist, junior midfielder Wilson Booth chipped in two goals and senior captain Quinn Stanley finished with an assist and a goal.

Complementing Blackwelder for the Imps was Michael Porter with two goals and midfielder Hunter MacConnell, who had a goal and an assist.

Best quote: “It’s almost a whole different team,” Bogwicz said of the early improvement he has seen from his team, which won just three games in 2012. “We’ve got some young guys, good attitudes, good kids, good work ethics. They’ve been working really hard and we’re starting to see the returns on it. It means a lot, especially to a coach.”