Attack before the opponent knows what hit them and don’t let up.

That’s the game plan for Armada’s soccer team this season, and so far it’s working quite well.

“Always hit them early, keep the ball rolling and just keep it going the whole game,” said Tigers senior Ashlyn Upton, who had a goal and two assists Monday to lead Armada to a 3-1 win against Richmond in a Blue Water Area Conference showdown between two rivals on long winning streaks.

“That’s our team’s mindset.”

The win was the 12th straight for Armada (8-0-1 BWAC, 12-1-1). The loss ended a seven-game winning streak for the Blue Devils (7-2-1 BWAC, 9-3-1).

The game was barely five minutes old when the Tigers struck for their first goal: Upton drove to the net but her shot was stopped by Richmond keeper Kaylee Backers. She got her own rebound, slid a pass to freshman Kenzie Maniscalco and Maniscalco drove the ball into the open side of the net.

Another rebound led to Armada’s second goal. Backers made a save on a corner kick but the rebound came to Upton, who scored on a shot just under the crossbar.

“That’s what I was shooting for,” Upton said.

Having first place in the league on the line might have affected the Blue Devils in the early going.

“I think they came in really nervous and that showed in the first 10 to 15 minutes,” said Richmond coach Keric Jones. “Once they settled in, it was a very good game. I felt we didn’t communicate well in the first half but it was much better in the second half.”

Backers made a good save on a free kick by Megan Barnett late in the first half. Richmond had a couple good scoring chances before halftime. A Blue Devils’ shot hit the crossbar and goalie Abby Denoyer turned away a chance by the always-dangerous Liz Kocher.

Annabelle Fair scored Richmond’s goal midway through the second half and it stayed 2-1 until Upton fed a pass to Barnett, who scored to provide the Tigers with some insurance.

“We knew Richmond was good,” said Armada coach Neal Todd. “We tied them (0-0) in the second game of the year and we’ve been on a roll since then. I just tell them, ‘keep going, keep going.’ We’re just trying to get stronger for the end of the year.”

Armada’s defense has been solid all season. The Tigers have given up only five goals in BWAC play this season.

The back line is led by seniors Evie Henry at sweeper and Paige Romano at stopper. Freshmen Emma Koss and Emma Cook have done a fine job on either side.

“It’s our teamwork,” Upton said. “We’re all together as a team. We love playing with each other. Our chemistry is amazing. And our coach preaches to us that every day is a new day. Yesterday doesn’t matter.”

Upton’s all-around play is a key factor in Armada’s success this year. She’s dangerous up front but Todd has used her at midfield and, in the first Richmond game, she played in the back.

“I’ve got a couple girls who can play anywhere and Ash is one of them,” Todd said. “She’s relentless up top. She’s all over the place. She never runs out of energy.”

Jones, who previously coached the women’s soccer team at St. Clair County Community College, has counted on a trio of veteran players while the rest of the team gains experience.

“Kaylee Backers in goal has been great,” he said. “Belle Fair and Lizzie Kocher both can score at will. Those three have been our core but everyone’s been stepping up. It’s a matter of getting them all to jell in the last few weeks.”

Richmond will host a Division 3 district that includes the top three teams in the BWAC — Armada, Richmond and Almont.

“It’s a fun race and what makes it even more fun is that we’re going to play each other in the playoffs in a couple weeks,” Jones said.