BIRMINGHAM >> The host Birmingham Groves Falcons rolled to an 8-0 win over the South Lyon Lions Friday in girls soccer.

After being shut out in their first two games, the Falcons got the offense going early when Kendall Gaines got behind the defense and centered a ball that was chipped in under the crossbar by Camryn Pepper just under six minutes into the game. Just 94 seconds later, Gaines buried a ball in transition and it was 2-0 Groves in a blink.

“It kind of broke the glass for us a little bit. We found that one. They started smelling blood a little bit, and then the next ten minutes we really kind of pounced and put a couple more in,” new Groves head coach Reed Losee said.

The Falcons would largely dominate after that. South Lyon had a few good spurts, but the Lions were largely unable to sustain anything offensively after the first few minutes.

“We had moments, especially in the first half,” Lions head coach Brian Elliott said. “The first five or ten minutes, we honestly in my opinion looked like the better team, and then they got that long range goal that I think infused them with some confidence and also kind of knocked us back a little bit, and from there the tides kind of turned. They’re a great team.”

In all, Groves got eight goals from eight different players. Lilia Chung, Ava Brown, Delphine McLauhglin, Sophia Wilson, Elise Everett, and Mikalya Benavides all scored for the Falcons.

This was a chance for Losee to learn a little more about his team.

“I think we took that we have some very dynamic players that can get in behind and put some pressure on some back line players. We were able to change some formations up a little bit. We were able to move some players around. So I was able to learn a little about that. We got our backup goalkeeper in for the first time. She came out and did a really good job,” Losee said. “But I think with these games it’s good to look at some of the things we can get better at. We played a little bit too slow on the ball. We were playing a little bit square. When we played positive, good things really happened.”

This was also a learning experience for the Lions, who feature five freshmen on a very young roster after graduating most of last year’s team and who were playing for the first time all year after previous games had been cancelled due to weather.

“We learned a lot. This was our first game and their third, so naturally we were kind of fighting a losing battle. This was a team that hadn’t really played together much before this year. It’s a pretty young team,” Elliott said. “We knew it was going to be an uphill battle this year. But I was very proud of the way the girls bonded together. I think it’s very easy to start getting negative and start criticizing each other when the score doesn’t quite go your way. But to their credit, they kept their heads held high. They battled and they still were up to the final moments having fun and finding little moments of fun within the game.”

Groves (1-2) gets its first win of the year after being shut out in their first two games against Bloomfield Hills and Clarkston. The Falcons will look to even their divisional record on Tuesday when they host Lake Orion in a game that will hold a bit of extra meaning for the Falcons’ new coach.

“My old alma mater, so that will be fun,” Losee said. “That will be a fun one. I know Hutch (head coach Amanda Hutchinson) and Jason (Wise, assistant coach) pretty well, and I’ve coached probably half of their starting line up. So that will be fun to see them.”

South Lyon (0-1) is back in action on Monday when the Lions host Walled Lake Western in what will be the Lakes Valley Conference opener for both teams.

“It should be more competitive, and it’s good. I’m glad we got this first game under our belts and can look forward to Monday,” Elliott said. “I think this team’s going to really progress well this year.”