Northern Lehigh wasted no time taking control Wednesday.

The Bulldogs struck three times in the opening 1:05 and never looked back, rolling to a 6-2 Colonial League boys’ soccer victory over Lehighton.

The first goal came just nine seconds in when senior Kellen Bauer collected the ball off the opening kickoff, raced past the Lehighton defense and fired it home.

His younger brother, Michael, struck just 42 seconds later, winning possession of a loose ball and finding the back of the net. Kellen needed just 14 more seconds to make it 3-0, stealing the ball from the Indians’ defense and scoring again.

The stunning start surprised just about everyone, including Northern Lehigh head coach Jay Ohlund, who wanted his team to continue playing as if the game was still scoreless.

“The three goals in the first (1:05) was kind of not what we expected, but I can’t complain with that of course,” he said. “I think it threw us off a little bit to be honest with you. We kind of shut down a little bit and were a little sloppy, but coming off a really hard-fought, intense game last night (a 1-1 tie against Southern Lehigh) is kind of just natural to expect a little bit.”

The action settled down from there. Northern Lehigh became more conservative with its early advantage, while Lehighton was forced to press for offense.

The Bulldogs still generated the better chances throughout the first half.

After 25 scoreless minutes, Michael Bauer tallied his second goal off a redirected pass from Cameron Herring. Less than four minutes later, the junior scored again to complete his hat trick and send Northern Lehigh into halftime with a 5-0 lead.

While the Bauer brothers have been instrumental in Northern Lehigh’s success, the impact they have made on each other has been just as important.

“Last year, I didn’t really appreciate the magnitude of what it means to play with my brother,” Kellen said. “But this year, definitely as a senior, my last lap around the track, it’s a blessing. It’s amazing being out there, playing with him, getting to see what he can do, and it’s truly amazing.”

“I love playing with my brother,” Michael said. “I’ve been watching him since he was a freshman ... and I’ve used his experiences and learned and grown from his, and I’ve implemented them into (how I play).”

The second half provided an opportunity for younger players to see action, but it was two seniors who scored next.

Sawyer Hoffman got Lehighton on the board just under two minutes into the half. Shelbiny Gregoire answered a little more than eight minutes later, scoring off a feed from freshman Ryan Barchini to make it 6-1.

Lehighton junior Kaeden Hernandez closed the scoring after stealing the ball from the Northern Lehigh defense.

The Indians and first-year head coach Mike Bridy remain in search of their first victory. While still learning how all the pieces fit together, Bridy has been encouraged by his players’ effort and attitude.

“It’s a learning process for me having it be my first year; basically having the set players before you and trying to make all the pieces fit,” he said. “There’s a lot of things that essentially are a work in progress. I can say the mood has stayed relatively positive, and I have a feeling with this group, I’m going to be learning for quite some time.”

Northern Lehigh, meanwhile, has responded to an 0-3 start by going 3-0-1 over its last four games. The Bulldogs pointed to their loss to Faith Christian — the final defeat of that season-opening skid — as a turning point.

“We played really solid,” Ohlund said. “They played discipline, they played smart, and they went toe to toe with a team for the most part that’s a state championship-level winning team. That gave them a lot of confidence to trust what we’ve been talking about all year; trust our system and know that if we play the way we should play, then we can get results.

“We’ve gone forward since then, and we haven’t lost the game since then. So hopefully we can keep rolling.”

NO TIME TO REST ... Northern Lehigh gets right back at it today, playing its third game in as many days when it travels to Wilson.

THE QUEST CONTINUES ... Seven games into the season, Lehighton remains in search of its first victory. The Indians’ next opportunity comes Saturday on the road against Saucon Valley.

N. Lehigh 6, Lehighton 2

Lehighton 0 2 — 2

Northern Lehigh 5 1 — 6

Goals: Lehighton — Sawyer Hoffman 1, Kaeden Hernandez 1; Northern Lehigh — Michael Bauer 3, Kellen Bauer 2, Shelbiny Gregoire 1. Assists: Lehighton — None; Northern Lehigh — Cameron Herring 1, Ryan Barchini 1. Saves: Lehighton — Peyton Ginder 7, Brady Litchauer 3; Northern Lehigh — Gus Rosario 6, Tyler Adar 1. Shots: Lehighton 9, Northern Lehigh 16. Corners: Lehighton 5, Northern Lehigh 7.

Records: Lehighton 0-6-1 (0-5-1); Northern Lehigh 3-3-1 (3-2-1).