Campbell's Brady Marcotte pushes the ball past Hollis Brookline's Colin Magnuszewski and Alex Gertz (14) during Tuesday's Division II contest in Litchfield. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

LITCHFIELD – New Campbell High School boys soccer coach Dan Dufourny wasn’t in on the administration’s decision to move its boys soccer program up a notch to Division II this season after capturing the Division III crown last November.

“I guess it was the right move to go up,” he said with a big grin on Tuesday.

That’s because his Cougars had just beaten a Division II contender, fellow local Hollis Brookline, handily by a 6-1 count. Campbell has started its maiden Division II voyage with identical 6-1 wins, beating Coe-Brown in last week’s opener.

That the Cougars are winning is no surprise; that they dominated a good team on the scoreboard yesterday was. The hero of last year’s title game, 2023 Telegraph Co-Player of the Year Luke Delia, had four goals yesterday giving him seven in two games.

“He’s a dangerous player,” Cavs coach Pedro Zampilli Ambrosio said. “They’re an efficient team. They know how to play it and they stick to it. … It’s a great lesson to be learned and it’s very humbling.”

Zampilli Abrosio wasn’t wrong when he said the Cavs (1-1) had outplayed the Cougars the first 20 minutes in terms of possession. But when he looked up nearly midway through the first half, Campbell had already grabbed a 3-0 lead.

“They had three plays and they scored on three plays,” he said, “and we were controlling the actions of the game.”

Delia was a big difference. If he gets a step, he’s gone. The first goal was by Nathan Roche, who beat the HB defense down right wing and fired a shot to the far side, out of the reach of HB keeper Ian Sinclair (two saves) just 8:41 into the contest. Delia struck next, beating the defense down the middle off a great goal kick by Cougar netminder Jack Bourque at 10:50. Campbell’s Aaron Belanger scored the third goal three minutes later off a deflection that went his way.

HB closed to within 3-1 on Noah Natalino’s corner kick that found the net, but the backbreaker was a Delia goal as he simply took it away from Sinclair in the final minute of the half to give the Cougars a 4-1 lead at the break.

“I think we overall just had more energy,” Delia said. “We just played our hearts out and we won it.”

“Our attacking was excellent today,” Dufourny said. “Especially our counter-attacking. Whenever they tried to press us, we were just able to go and get those goals.”

Delia scored the only two goals in the second half, one on a penalty kick. He simply seemed to be the difference on the day, and it wasn’t as if the Cavs didn’t know he was the one to watch.

“He’s fast, he’s strong, he passes too,” Dufourny said. “We’re lucky to have him.”

Campbell’s Luke Delia looks like he’s winning the battle for the ball against Hollis Brookline’s Alex Gertz during Tuesday’s Division 2 clash in Litchfield.(Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

Campbell’s Luke Delia looks like he’s winning the battle for the ball against Hollis Brookline’s Alex Gertz during Tuesday’s Division 2 clash in Litchfield.(Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

The final will certainly raise eyebrows, and one neutral onlooker explained that in the off-season, these players all play with Divsion I level competition, so they are no slouch. Dufourny was surprised by the scoreboard disparity, as the former Campbell JV coach has worked camps in Hollis, and seen the numbers and talent.

“It’s a big soccer town, they’re always training,” he said. “We have a good team.”

“Good coaching, good players, and just overall good communication with the team in general,” was Delia’s explanation for the early success.

And a good goalie. It’s easy to get lost admiring the Cougars’ quick strike offense, but the Cavs weren’t sleepwalking and Bourque had to make nine saves, two of the spectacular variety.

“He’s really good,” Dufourny said. “He’s being vocal bac there, managing the defense.”

Now, two games certainly does not a season make. But if the rest of the division isn’t careful, the new kids on the block could end up owning it.

“We’re going to work hard,” Zampilli Ambrosio said, “to try to keep up with those guys next time.”