Staff photo / Brian Yauger LaBrae sophomore Bennett Syzmanski battles for possession with Brookfield’s Ryland Mihalcin (13) during a game on Monday in Leavittsburg.

LEAVITTSBURG — LaBrae earned its first win of the season on Monday as the Vikings took down Brookfield, 5-0, at home.

It also marked the first win for LaBrae’s assistant coach Logan DeArmitt, a 2022 graduate, who was filling in as head coach for Michael Fitzpatrick on Monday.

“It’s a little bit of a culture shock,” he said following the game. “Things are a little bit different, but I feel like I can just do my own thing without having to watch my steps.

“It felt nice being able to run my own things and work on the things we need to work on.”

In three games for the Vikings, lessons have been learned.

The season-opening 8-0 loss to Rootstown served as a wake-up call, and while the team’s second game against Liberty was also a loss, the team had a much better idea of what it needed to do to win.

“We really brought it to them today,” DeArmitt said. “They worked hard.”

Sophomore Bennett Syzmanski got things going for LaBrae, scoring the team’s first goal 10 minutes into the contest.

Five minutes later, Ian Bauer added to the Vikings’ total, putting Brookfield in a quick hole.

Early in the second half, senior Brett Marsh connected with the back of the net, further extending LaBrae’s lead.

Sophomores Cameron Mills and Garrett Sullinger rounded out the scoring in the second half.

DeArmitt credits the success on Monday to the team adjusting to the changes the new season has brought.

“A lot of our big issues were that we had a little bit of a change in formation,” he said. “The first game, we struggled a lot with it, but the second game, we started figuring it out. Today, I feel like they did a good job performing all our changes from the previous season.”

It was a long offseason, making the first win of the year a special one.

“All the way from December to June, we did indoor leagues at the wellness center,” DeArmitt said. “We had once-a-week practices in the gym. Once summer hits, we’re outside one or two days a week, whether it be weightlifting, conditioning, all that stuff.”

Brookfield coach Erin Warrender could not be reached for comment. The Warriors (0-3) will welcome Waterloo on Wednesday for a mid-week tilt.

LaBrae plays host to Jackson-Milton on Wednesday and will hit the road on Saturday to take on South Range.

It’s a long season, and DeArmitt wants this to be the first win of many for the program this year. The Vikings hope to ride the momentum of the first win as Fitzpatrick returns.

“Just keep playing our game, and keep working,” DeArmitt said.