The way it started didn’t bode well for the Lehighton girls soccer team.

Opening day looked dismal at best.

Tamaqua used a quick goal to forge an early lead.

But it’s not how one starts, but how they finish that counts.

And in this case, the Indians had all the right answers - thanks in large part to sensational junior forward Charli McHugh.

McHugh lit things up with her first-career hat trick to lead the Indians to an impressive 4-2 Schuylkill League victory in the season opener for both teams.

“I’ve got a great team behind me, it just wasn’t me alone,” McHugh said modestly after her big game.

Among the other Indians who came up big was goalkeeper Ciara Berhel. Berhel, who’s only previous soccer experience was playing on a booster club team, was coaxed by Lehighton coach Carl Wolter to give the high school team a try.

In her high school debut, Berhel gave up the early goal off a penalty kick to Kimberly Rudy, but she shrugged off the score and went on to make seven saves in the game.

“I wasn’t all that upset because it came off a penalty kick,” the first-year goalie said about Tamaqua’s early goal. “I was a bit nervous, but I settled down after a few minutes.”

The way McHugh was forging ahead with quick feet and adroit moves, one could sense the Indians were playing with a confidence that would erase the early deficit.

“It was our first game of the season, and I think we did amazing,” McHugh would say later. As for the three goals she scored: “It was mainly because of my teammates. They set me up.”

There was 25:50 left in the opening half when McHugh booted the equalizer through the pipes. However, Tamaqua answered to take a 2-1 lead on a Kolbe Robb’s goal with 13:56 on the scoreboard. Rudy assisted on the play.

“We wanted that fast start and got it,” was the way long-time Tamaqua coach Clem McCarroll explained things. “We were hoping that once we got that score we could shut them down defensively. But No. 6 (McHugh) is pretty tough to contain. We let up on a few goals, which we shouldn’t have given away.”

After falling behind again, Lehighton was flying all over the field, spreading out the Tamaqua defense.

It paid off with McHugh taking center stage. She tied the game on a breakaway at the 12:23 mark of the first half.

“We worked on a lot of those things in practice,” McHugh said about her move when she broke in on goal. “We knew Tamaqua was an aggressive team, and we were all in the right place.”

Sadie Monk gave Lehighton the lead when she made a dazzling move with her foot work, freed herself from the defender, and banged home the go-ahead goal with 5:09 to play in the opening half.

Thereafter, Lehighton stayed the course and never allowed another Tamaqua threat.

“It was a total team effort,” said coach Wolter. “McHugh is a next level player. Ciara (Berhel) never played on the high school level, I talked with her and she worked all summer long. And what can I say about Sadie Monk; she had an impressive night.”

With a 3-2 lead tucked away, the Indians capped off the scoring with McHugh converting her third goal at the 34:07 mark of the second half to clinch the victory.

AT THE HALF

… Tamaqua had 10 shots on goal at the midway point, the Indians seven. However, Lehighton did the most damage with its three goals.

IN NET

… Between the pipes, winning goalkeeper Berhel and Tamaqua’s Cecilia Ulicny both had seven saves.