​HONESDALE — Rookie head coach Mike Rosar wanted to see two things in particular from his Honesdale boys varsity soccer team during its 2026 home opener.The Hornets had lost their first two matches of the season and looked a bit tentative in doing so. In response, Rosar was emphatic in what he expected against Mountain View Sept. 8 at the Daniel J. O’Neill Sports Complex.“We have to be aggressive and we have to be physical,” he said just moments before sending his starters out onto the turf. “I want us to set the tone early and keep up the pressure all night long.”The visiting Eagles had other ideas, though, as Mountain View stunned the home crowd into silence with a goal less than four minutes into the match. However, that early tally ignited a fire in the Hornets.More: Honesdale boys soccer to begin a new era under rookie coach Mike RosarAlso by Kevin Edwards: Alex Iovacchini takes over as Western Wayne boys soccer coachLed by the potent 1-2 scoring punch of Alex Kerna and Alex Valerio, Honesdale reeled off five straight goals en route to an impressive 5-1 victory.“This was definitely a step in the right direction,” Rosar said. “I’m very proud of how the kids played tonight. I saw a lot of great teamwork and ball control out there.”Weather permitting, the Hornets will be back on the pitch Sept. 10 on the road versus Lakeland. Action gets underway at 6 p.m. at Chapman Lake.Offensive firepowerMountain View struck first in this one as junior forward Ben Millard notched an unassisted goal 3:34 into the match.But Honesdale wasted no time in retaliating. Kerna jumpstarted the offense, tying the score at the 25:39 mark courtesy of a Jase Berkihiser assist.The Hornets took the lead nine minutes later thanks to a scintillating run by Valerio.A junior midfielder who also kicks for the varsity football team, Valerio snagged a pass from Eli Carmody and jetted down the home sideline. The lightning quick attack ended with Valerio burying the ball in the back of the Eagle net for a 2–1 Honesdale advantage.It was a lead the Hornets never relinquished, going on to notch four more goals en route to a dominating win.“Everybody up top played well,” Rosar said. “I really liked what I saw from Alex Valerio, Calvin Rosar, Logan Lester and Alex Kerna. They all did a phenomenal job.”Kerna made his presence felt again with just under 12 minutes remaining in the first half. The senior striker broke free for an unassisted goal, increasing Honesdale’s lead to 3-1 heading into the break.“Alex is definitely a ‘we before me’ type of player,” Rosar said. “He’s very fast and is always looking to create chances for his teammates. But Alex isn’t afraid to pull the trigger when the opportunity presents itself.”Any hopes a young Mountain View team had of staging a second half comeback were quickly dashed when Calvin Rosar made it 4-1 off a Valerio assist just 30 seconds in.From that point on, Honesdale tightened up its defense and th