The Newburgh Free Academy boys’ lacrosse team has cracked the win column.

The Goldbacks routed the Middletown Middies at Faller Field on Wednesday, 16-3, to pick up their first win of the season.

It was also the Goldbacks’ first Division I game of the season, giving them an early 1-0 Class A record.

However, it had been a tough start for the Goldbacks, who opened the season with double-digit losses to Highland on April 1 and the Valley Central Vikings, 15-0, on April 5.

The Goldbacks fell behind quickly as Valley Central jumped on them for four goals in the game’s first 6 minutes of play.

The Vikings kept Newburgh goalkeeper Anthony Vasquez busy, peppering him with 29 shots over the course of the game, and connecting on nearly half of them.

Vasquez finished with four saves.

The Vikings’ scored seven goals in the first quarter and tacked on another four in the second to take an 11-0 lead at halftime.

The Vikings scored immediately after halftime to get the clock running for the remainder of the game.

Kevin Acevedo led the Vikings with five goals and two assists on his way to seven points. Connor Stafford and Gavin Starr had three goals each and two assist each for five points. Jack Sherry scored three points on two goals and one assist. Bryson Antal had a goal, and an assist and Bryce DeRonda had a goal.

Cameron Prutzman made five saves in the cage.

It’s been a tough start for the Goldbacks, who had previously suffered a road loss to the Highland Huskies about four days earlier.

Newburgh coach Jim Horton said the COVID-19 and the lost 2020 season hurt the Goldbacks’ program because many of them didn’t pick up a lacrosse stick for almost two seasons between the end of 2019 and the resumption of play in 2021.

The Goldbacks have some time to savor the victory and prepare for the rest of the season as they won’t play again until April 19, after Spring Break.

However, they will take the field against one of the area’s top teams, the Kingston Tigers.