It was a well-played game all around — and sometimes that’s the best takeaway to have.

Northern Lehigh hosted Jim Thorpe in a tightly contested boys soccer matchup Wednesday. After the Bulldogs struck early, the Olympians responded and used a strong start to the second half to come away with a 3-1 Colonial League victory.

Coming off a 3-1 loss to Catasauqua on Tuesday, Northern Lehigh was looking for a quick start against the defending district champions. The Bulldogs got just that when Dregan Millroy broke free and scored just 1:22 into the contest.

“We seem to always struggle to get started in these games,” Jim Thorpe head coach Mike Dudak said. “They caught us on the heels early and put one in, which we talked about before the game even started, because this team is much better than they’ve been in the past, and they’ve really grown a lot.”

The Olympians settled in from there and controlled play through the midfield. Their work paid off when Matteo Cacco battled through multiple defenders and chipped home the tying goal at the 27:01 mark of the first half.

The score stayed even until halftime as both teams traded chances and possession in a back-and-forth opening 40 minutes.

The second half began with a reversal of the first, as Jim Thorpe found the go-ahead goal just 2:36 in. On a scramble in front, Blaze Flyzik pounced on a loose ball and fired a shot that Northern Lehigh keeper Gustavo Rosario got a piece of, but not enough to stop, for a 2-1 Olympian lead.

The Bulldogs began to show fatigue after the goal as Jim Thorpe tightened its defense and limited quality scoring chances. But Northern Lehigh didn’t back down, something head coach Tristan Moore credited his team for.

“Overall, I think we responded well,” Moore said. “I think they switched some things up in the midfield that we had a hard time adjusting to. At a certain point, we were able to figure out what they were doing.”

The Bulldogs created chances from all areas of the field, but one player stood in the way — Jim Thorpe goalkeeper Liam Off.

Recently back from a dislocated shoulder suffered earlier in the season, the senior stood tall, making eight saves in the second half and 14 overall to preserve the lead.

“That’s the best game I’ve played all season,” Off said. “I was just feeling it today. That’s a pressure situation, but you have to thrive off it and rise above it. It’s great my team can lean on me and trust me, because I know I can trust myself. You have to be able to do that in that position.”

After surviving Northern Lehigh’s push, the Olympians put the game away late. Zac Grosse threaded a pass to Hayden Meckes, who finished to make it 3-1 with 8:55 remaining.

The win snapped a two-game skid for Jim Thorpe, which has been adjusting after graduating standouts Noah Geiser and Ehren Hassler.

“We’ve been experimenting like crazy, pushing players all over,” Dudak said. “We haven’t found total magic yet, but we’re really starting to spread the offense out, which has really helped us a lot. There are guys stepping forward and playing harder, and that’s helped us quite a bit.”

Despite the defeat, Moore praised his squad’s effort.

“I thought we played excellently today,” he said. “We were winning midfield balls for 90% of that game. Unfortunately, when you have five seconds of a defensive lapse, that’s all that makes the difference. And not only that, we had one sub today. But overall, I’m very proud of Northern Lehigh and the way they came out today. Excellent job by all the boys.”

THE ROAD AHEAD ... Jim Thorpe (7-3, 4-3 CL) hosts Pen Argyl on Saturday. Northern Lehigh (4-6, 2-6 CL) visits Notre Dame-Green Pond on Tuesday.

Jim Thorpe 3, No. Lehigh 1

Jim Thorpe 1 2 - 3

Northern Lehigh 1 0 - 1

Goals: Jim Thorpe - Matteo Cacco 1, Blaze Flyzik 1, Hayden Meckes 1; Northern Lehigh - Dregan Millroy 1; Assists: Jim Thorpe - Zac Grosse 1; Northern Lehigh - N/A; Shots: Jim Thorpe - 23; Northern Lehigh - 22; Saves: Jim Thorpe - Liam Off 14; Northern Lehigh - Gustavo Rosario 12; Corners: Jim Thorpe - 7; Northern Lehigh - 6.

Records: Jim Thorpe (7-3; 4-3 CL); Northern Lehigh (4-6; 2-6 CL).