KNIGHTDALE - Brooke Foil and Kaitlyn Eckert are enjoying each other's company at the head of the offense where the two have truly been positioned together for the first time in three years.

Other soccer teams, like Southeast Raleigh for example, are not enjoying their camaraderie - not when it leads to 8-1 Knightdale wins like it did Wednesday night. The duo combined for seven goals and four assists in the Bulldog mauling.

Minus a 3-3 tie with Millbrook, the Lady Knights (3-0-1) have posted similar results all season long, topping Franklinton 5-2 and Smithfield-Selma 6-1 last Monday.

"We work great playing up together," Eckert, who is averaging three goals per game so far this season, said.

Foil agreed.

"We know where each other's going to be so it really helps out," she said.

Still, Eckert said it's not that hard to believe the chemistry is there when she and Foil have been playing together for as long as they have.

"They're really giving defenses problems," Knightdale coach Jeff Deal said. "It's giving us some good momentum."

In past seasons, one, but not both of the two standouts would take to the goal striking spot. The other would linger in the midfield and feed her counterpart, or make the necessary stops on defense. Deal said that no longer needs to be the case thanks to a couple new players filling some key roles. He also said the result of the goal stinging offense is a less hectic defense.

"It really lets the team settle and evens things out a bit," he said.

Deal praised the efforts of freshmen Holly Lopez and Sarah Snotherly. Snotherly completes the offensive triangle with Eckert and Foil up top, and is helping unlock opposing defenses. It showed with her first half goal, assisted by Eckert, in the win over Southeast.

But without being too excited, Deal is sticking with a "practice makes perfect" mentality.

"There's an 8-1 win, but there's still more things we can work on, like taking advantage of key looks at the goal and controlling the field," he said.

Knightdale likely could have run the tally up into the teens had every header, every misfire from point-blank range, and every shot deflected off the post gone found the net.

"There's still plenty of challenges to come, but when winning 8-1 you can't complain too much," Deal said.

Knightdale traveled to Garner Monday and returns home to face Harnett Central today, Wednesday, at 6:30 p.m.