Though he acknowledged that one game is a little early to spark momentum, Pascack Valley’s boys lacrosse coach Craig Buckley is certainly happy to begin the season on the right foot after an 11-2 win against Indian Hills at home Wednesday.

“We put up 11 goals and got the win,” Buckley said. “I’m happy about that, but we need better communication on defense, and we still need to finish our chances.”

Less than a minute into the first quarter of play, senior attack Jimmy Spillane put the Indians on top 1-0, and from there, the offense found its rhythm.

But it wasn’t just Spillane’s first goal, or his second, or his third, that propelled the Indians to victory.

Instead, it was his proficiency in the faceoff circle, not losing a single one, that established possession for the Indians, who were thus able to capitalize early and often.

Spillane wasn’t the only contributor offensively. Conor Kimball, Mike Soravilla, and Nick Stevens each added two goals to the cause, while Jack Smolen and Joe Williams had one apiece.

Smolen’s goal put the Indians up one with 19.4 seconds left in the first period, and from there, the Indians scored six unanswered goals.

PV is no stranger to victory over Indian Hills, having beaten the Braves in four of the last five seasons, including three consecutive seasons.

Looking forward, the Indians will take on Fair Lawn, Buckley’s old stomping grounds, on Saturday in a big game for both schools.

“We’ve beaten them each of the last three seasons (though two wins were by just a goal), so they’re hungry to beat us,” Buckley acknowledged. “This is a game they circle and think they can win, and we do the same.”

Fair Lawn will certainly play the Indians right up to the final whistle, but a PV win is not improbable, it’s just contingent on a few things.

“To beat Fair Lawn, we have to be fundamentally sound and break bad habits like throwing passes too far or not communicating, both of which lead to turnovers,” Kimball said.