Newton North field hockey picked up its first win of the season on Sept. 28, beating Framingham 3-0 behind a hat trick from junior Vayla Leffler.

The victory broke a rough opening stretch for the Tigers. Newton North had opened the year with losses to Needham, Wellesley, Milton and Braintree before earning a 0-0 tie against Brookline on Sept. 23, according to MaxPreps.

Leffler scored all three goals against Framingham, including the opener off a penalty corner, The Newtonite reported. Junior captain Ashlyn Baugher told the student newspaper that the captains had held a team meeting earlier in the season and that practices had become more effective since.

The chemistry theme had been building. Senior captain Anna DeConciliis struck a similar note after the Brookline tie five days before the Framingham win. "We have formed a rhythm, we know each other's playing styles, and how to collaborate better now," DeConciliis told The Newtonite on Sept. 23.

The Tigers have not been able to sustain that momentum. Newton North lost to Natick 1-0 on Sept. 30 and fell to Waltham 4-0 on Oct. 3 before tying Needham 0-0 on Monday, Oct. 5. The team's record stands at 1-6-2 overall and 0-5-2 in the Bay State Conference's Herget division, eighth in the league.

Newton North hosts Wellesley on Wednesday, Oct. 7, then faces crosstown rival Newton South at home on Friday, Oct. 9.