Early season games can often provide the opportunity to evaluate signs of progression.

The Palmerton and Northern Lehigh field hockey teams both showed those signs Monday afternoon.

The Bulldogs entered the contest looking for their first win of the season against rival Palmerton, which came in riding a three-game win streak.

With solid defense and consistent offensive pressure, the Blue Bombers took control and were rewarded with a 3-0 Colonial League victory.

In the first quarter, scoring chances leaned heavily in Palmerton’s favor. The Northern Lehigh defense could only hold on for so long before the Bombers broke through at 1:15, when Tessa Sander deposited a loose ball off a net-front scramble. Alisyn Green added another goal late in the quarter, cutting to the net off a corner play to make it 2-0.

“I kind of just went in and tried to clean it up,” Green said about her goal. “It was kind of a messy chop, but I’m just very happy it went in. It was a good end to the quarter.”

Despite Palmerton’s advantage in chances and possession, Bulldogs goalkeeper Madelynn Husack stood her ground to keep the score close. She finished with 11 saves.

The 2-0 score held into the fourth quarter as Northern Lehigh generated more scoring chances and put Palmerton’s lead in jeopardy.

But the Bombers regained their offensive rhythm, extending the margin with 8:06 remaining. Off another scramble in front of the Bulldogs’ goal, Madeline Thomas worked the ball free to teammate Gabryella Lucas, who knocked it home to make it 3-0.

With three different goal scorers — including two midfielders and Lucas, who is primarily a defender — Palmerton head coach Megan Leadbetter stressed the importance of balanced scoring and experimenting with players in different roles.

“One good thing about us this year is that there’s not one game where there’s one player that dominates everything; it’s a bunch of different players,” Leadbetter said. “The opportunity arose today that we were able to switch up our formation a bunch of times and try some things out that we normally don’t — girls in different positions.

“I think they got a little chaotic there when we were moving the formations around, but we never let down. A team like Northern Lehigh does a great job of being aggressive, and they’re going to give it all no matter what. So it forced us to keep that pressure.”

Palmerton extended its win streak to five as it continues to position itself as one of the top teams in the District 11 standings.

Northern Lehigh, meanwhile, fell just short of its first win of the season despite a strong effort.

Head coach Allison Chruscial praised the mentality and fight of her players, even as results and circumstances have worked against them.

“I think they’re fighters,” she said. “It’s hard to go out there knowing that you’re potentially unmatched, that you’re the underdog. For them to just go out and do what they do every game, it’s pretty impressive.

“And they have made major improvements, continue to be coachable, and continue to work through that. It’s just going to be a work in progress.”

In its first seven games, Northern Lehigh has faced the reigning District 11 champion in Northwestern, an undefeated Salisbury squad, a 7-1 Bangor team, a larger school in Northampton, and also played a stretch of four games in four days.

Chruscial hopes the demanding schedule builds the mental toughness and resilience that will translate into wins later in the season.

“That’s where their tenacity and their character and their perseverance just consistently kind of comes through,” Chruscial said. “They get along, they’re trying to make adjustments, they’re trying to find ways to communicate with each other that isn’t negative because that’s something that can easily start to happen when you’re faced with this amount of setbacks.

“I’m just really proud of them because they never, ever give up. Their tenacity is probably top notch, and I would put that up against any team in the league.”

UP NEXT … Both teams will be on the road Wednesday. Palmerton visits Palisades, while Nolehi heads to Catasauqua.

Palmerton 3, No. Lehigh 0

Palmerton 2 0 0 1 - 3

Northern Lehigh 0 0 0 0 - 0

Goals: Palmerton - Tessa Sander 1, Alisyn Green 1, Gabryella Lucas 1; No. Lehigh - None; Assists: Palmerton - Madeline Thomas 1; Saves: Palmerton - None; No. Lehigh - Madelynn Husack - 11; Corners: Palmerton 9; No. Lehigh 3.

Records: Palmerton (5-2; 5-1 CL); Northern Lehigh (0-7; 0-6 CL).