ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Freshman Jake Pawlika scored his first two collegiate goals and Cooper LaValley and Drew Decker each contributed one goal and one assist Wednesday as Nazareth opened its 2021 men's soccer season in decisive fashion with a 5-1 non-conference win over Wells at Golden Flyer Stadium.

The game was the season opener for both teams and was highlighted by four first-half goals for the Golden Flyers, who outshot the visitors by a whopping 49-2 margin. Freshman Zakary Smith also had a goal for the Golden Flyers and freshman Zane Bramson delivered a second-half assist.

With Nazareth dominating the action early on, Pawlika finally broke through in the seventh minute with an unassisted score from the middle of the box that found the upper right corner. Wells answered just 29 seconds later when Shane Sims lofted a long shot from just inside the midfield stripe that slipped through the hands of Nazareth keeper Logan Menna.

LaValley, the Empire 8 Rookie of the Year last spring, then scored the game-winner just two minutes later. Pawlika and LaValley teamed up to score Nazareth's next goal in the 21st minute before Smith delivered his first career goal less than two minutes later off an assist from Decker to give Nazareth a 4-1 lead at the midway point.

Nazareth continued to pressure in the second half in producing 23 more shots. Decker scored the lone goal of the half in the 67th minute as he finished a nice cross from Bramson.

Wells' Colton Jaquith played well in goal in making 19 saves. Menna started in goal for Nazareth and was relieved in the second half by Patrick Larkin, who made one save.

The Golden Flyers play a pair of games this weekend as part of the Doug May Memorial Classic. Nazareth plays at Brockport Saturday at 12 p.m. and at RIT Sunday at 7.