Serena boys soccer coach Jeremy Foreman said much of his pre-match message to his team on Wednesday was about getting off to a quick start in its Little Ten Conference opener against visiting Earlville.

He got that from his players and much more.

In a steady drizzle, the Huskers scored three times in a 1-minute, 41-second span very early in the first half and eventually wrapped up a 6-2 victory over the Red Raiders.

Serena entered the match having scored just one goal in its last three outings but had also only given up five goals so far in the campaign.

“We’ve struggled a little bit so far scoring goals, but our defense has really stepped up for us,” Foreman said, his team now 4-1-1 on the year. “We talked before the match that we needed a quick start, and the guys were able to do that.

“I thought we did a great job of working the ball from the outside in, probably the best we’ve done it so far. The middle was packed, so through balls aren’t going to work. When that happens, you have to adjust and use crossing passes, which we did and got a few goals off them.”

Serena’s Damien Gonzalez scored on a penalty kick in the eighth minute to get things going. In the ninth minute, Justin Delgado took a pass from Cash Raikes and fired a 20-yard shot that skipped on the wet grass past Earlville keeper Landen Tirevold. Then in the 10th minute, Ethan Stark’s one-timer off a crossing pass from Delgado found the back of the net.

Earlville’s Colton Fruit worked around a defender and scored in the 28th minute, but Delgado netted his second of the match, this one off an assist by Easton Bucz with four minutes remaining before halftime.

“We started slow and unfortunately that has been something that we’ve struggled with almost every match this season,” Earlville coach Mike Gast said, his squad falling to 1-7. “Serena was ready to go right from the start, made solid passes and we were a step slow to everything. We did a better job in the second half but just couldn’t get all the way back into it.

“I’m proud that my guys kept fighting back, kept hustling, but you just can’t spot a team three goals early in the match and expect good results.”

The Red Raiders made it 4-2 three minutes into the second half on a goal off a rebound by Isaac Vazquez.

But from there Serena used goals from Payton Twait, off an assist from Finn Rosengren, in the 58th minute, and Stark’s second tally of the contest off a helper from Bucz to pull away.

“Last year I started at the end of the season due to injuries, but some of those guys are back so I’m coming in off the bench. We rotate in and out a lot so it’s not really that big of deal that I’m not starting. I just want to do a good job when I’m in there,” Stark said. “I was just ready to go today and I love playing in the rain. I also got new cleats so maybe that had something to do with it.”

Serena held the advantage in overall shots (25-8), on target chances (13-7) and corner kicks (10-1).

“We came out a little flat to start the second half and gave one up, but we were able to respond back,” Foreman said. “This was a solid start to the conference season for us.”

Serena keeper Troy Seiberlich recorded five saves, while Tirevold was credited with seven stops.

Earlville is back in action on Friday hosting Mendota. Serena is off until traveling to take on Yorkville Christian on Monday.