Brothers Austin and Stone Sosnovik love to play lacrosse. They love it even more because they play on the same team with each other.

Last week against Saucon Valley (0-2), the brothers put on a show, including combining to score the final six goals of the game and 10 of the final 12 goals in the 17-0 win over the Panthers. Northwestern (2-0) has opened the season with back-to-back shutouts, having outscored their two opponents 33-0.

If the Sosnoviks were the main event against the Panthers, Cade Christopher shared at least a part of the stage. The senior opened the scoring just 1:20 into the first quarter when he beat goalie Mitchell Davis with a high, hard shot to make it 1-0 and later used his speed to beat a defender and race well into the attack zone before feeding Austin Sosnovik, who was positioned in front of the net and flipped the ball past Davis.

Christopher finished the night with two goals.

Blaine Snyder had two first-quarter goals with the second one coming with just :18 left when he played a rebound and caught Davis still recovering from the previous shot. At the end of the quarter, the Tigers held a healthy 5-0 lead.

The defense in front of goalie Bailen Smargiassi was able to stop much of the Saucon Valley attack before the Panthers were able to get shots on goal. Smargiassi did make two saves, playing just the first half of the game.

“Historically, we have been known as a really strong defensive team and this was the year to be kind of a youth movement and these guys have stepped in and picked up right where our other teams left off,” said coach Marcus Janda. “Coach [John] Seitzinger does a great job with that end of the field, and we are athletic, we’re aggressive and the guys are playing really well.”

Northwestern went on to score eight goals in the second quarter with Christopher getting his second goal of the night and Snyder adding his third off an assist from Austin Sosnovik, who fed the pass from behind the net. Austin Sosnovik added four second quarter goals and Stone Sosnovik added two more in the quarter to make it 13-0 at the half.

Stone Sosnovik scored three times in the third quarter and Austin Sosnovik scored twice to cap the scoring.

“I love playing out there with him (Austin),” said Stone Sosnovik. “We played together all through youth, so we have a great chemistry and working together with him on the field is great and really brings us together. When he gives me an assist, it’s a special thing.”

Janda went with a young lineup of players in the final quarter and focused on working set plays toward the goal and on defense. Backup goalie Dane Kauker, a freshman, took over for Smargiassi in the second half and did not have to fend off any shots to preserve the shutout.

“No matter who we are playing, it’s always awesome to have a shutout,” said Austin Sosnovik. “Our defense does a great job every single day with the ground balls and with the faceoffs and it is awesome having a defense like that we can rely on; they’re just awesome.”

The two early shutouts have provided Janda with an opportunity to get young players into varsity games. The experience is especially important because Northwestern does not have a JV team. There are six freshmen and six sophomores on the roster, so finding varsity experience for them is essential. Kauker has gotten some time in goal, which Janda believes is important.

“We have two excellent goalies, and we want to find some time for Dane so he can get used to playing at the varsity level,” said Janda. “The same goes for the rest of these young kids who need work in game situations.”

Blaine Snyder has 10 goals and two assists through two games and Austin Sosnovik has nine goals. Snyder totaled six goals in the opening win over Bethlehem Catholic. Stone Sosnovik has seven and Cade Christopher has five. Smargiassi turned in four saves in the two shutouts.