ARLINGTON — David Lopez didn’t hesitate in getting the Eagles off on the right foot.

The Arlington forward made his talent and intentions known early, scoring from 35 yards away on a perfectly placed strike in the ninth minute.

“I have been practicing with my dad a lot and I was confident I could put it in,” Lopez said.

It was the first in what would be three goals for Lopez, who helped Arlington to a 4-0 Wesco North win over Gig Harbor March 16.

“Sadly, it is,” said Lopez about his performance being the first hat trick of his career. As a junior in 2009, Lopez notched six goals all season.

Lopez’s associate up front, Jake Smith, scored just a couple of minutes later, taking advantage of a weak Gig Harbor pass inside its own 18-yard box. Smith then beat a defender and placed a shot to the near post from just outside the area to make the score 2-0.

“Having Jake able to move inside and outside, depending on what the defense gives us, really opens things up,” said Arlington manager Michael Gudgeon. “He’s a special player.”

Arlington scored its most spectacular goal of the match just under the 20-minute mark on a counter attack. Defender Hunter Amundson’s clearance found midfielder Kevin Krogmann on the right side about 30 yards out. Krogmann then beat his defender and crossed the ball near the end line, which Lopez finished on a header on the edge of the goal mouth.

Lopez scored Arlington’s fourth goal in the 35th minute on a shot inside the penalty area.

The Eagles, who finished 6-11 overall in 2009 showed ample promise and ability at the start of the schedule to better that mark by more than a few games.

“These guys have the best chemistry of any team I’ve coached,” Gudgeon said. “And they are all getting the system so well. They know what to do with the ball in most situations, and we’re starting to see their creativity really take off.”

While the offense was the story of the night, Gudgeon praised his defense for helping maintain possession, which limited the Wildcats’ scoring opportunities.

“I hardly got a chance to touch the ball,” said senior Keeper Cory Ferris, notching the shutout.

The Gig Harbor attack wasn’t without incident, however, but Ferris proved to be up to the challenge on all five save opportunities.