Nansemond-Suffolk Academy‘s boys won big over Portsmouth Christian School on Thursday, with a dominating 6-0 win on the soccer pitch in Portsmouth.

After losing their previous two games, the Saints bounced back with the win. Five different players scored goals for the Saints, making the game the ultimate team effort.

“This win was a huge step forward,” senior Gustav Berner said. “All of our games are conference games, and it is vital that we win them. This win helps us gain momentum. Moving forward, we will work on finishing our opportunities at the net. It also shows that just because you are not starting the game you can still come off the bench and score goals.”

The win puts the Saints at 2-6 on the year. Both wins for the Saints this year have come on the road, and both have been shut-out victories.

“My back line played a huge part in the shut-out,” Saints goalie Max Harvey said. “Up until the final 10 minutes, I only touched the ball about five times. I’m very grateful to have a strong back four.”

The new challenge for the Saints is to see if they can string back-to-back wins this season. They believe they can.

“The game really showed we could play really well if we wanted to,” Harvey said. “In our previous two games, the scoreboard didn’t reflect our effort well. We have played much better than 2-6.”

Owen Firnstahl led the way for the Saints with two goals. Firnstahl had recently been working his way back from a fractured bone in his left knee.

“Getting back on the soccer field has been a big deal for me,” Firnstahl. “I’m very proud of those two goals, considering all the work I put in coming back from injury. I felt we played a cohesive game. We have really been building up our teamwork and combination plays. We did not let poor decisions affect us.”

The next two games for the Saints are against Hampton Roads Academy and Norfolk Collegiate. Both will be tough games, but NSA plans to continue to improve.

“We have some competitive games coming up,” Firnstahl said. “I hope that we build upon the success of this win in order to improve as a team. We want to get more positive results.”

The Saints will be at home against Hampton Roads Academy at 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 22.

NSA 6, Portsmouth Christian 0

Goals: Luke Jackson, Owen Firnstahl (2), Parker Bono, Richard Xue, Kempton Davis

Assists: Parker Bono, Dallin Vetter, Aidan Watts

Shut-out: Max Harvey