The Oak Harbor soccer team didn’t let a little bit of mud and snow stop them from picking up their third straight victory to start the season, knocking off Arlington 2-0 on Tuesday.

The Wildcats grabbed a 2-0 first-half lead against the Eagles in some horrible conditions. With the pitch more like a marsh than a recognizable field and snow falling, the match was abandoned five minutes into the second half with the Cats earning their third consecutive win of the season.

“The conditions in Arlington were absolutely diabolical,” said Wildcats head coach Steve Barker. “The mud made it like a swamp. It was a testament to our capacity to make things happen in the mud that we got ahead of them 2-0 in the first half.”

Senior midfielder Brent Thompson put the Wildcats on the scoreboard first with a goal off of a feed from junior Dan Hinkley. Junior striker Grant Bull then got his fifth goal of the season to put the Cats up by two.

“Grant was able to dig the ball out of a mud furrow and somehow put it in the back of the net,” said Barker. “If we were racehorses we definitely would be mudders.”

The Wildcats are off to a strong start. They have jumped to the top of the Wesco North standings along with Snohomish, the only other remaining undefeated team in the division. Barker credits the team’s work ethic and a brickwall defense.

“This is an amazingly hard-working team and so far it’s paying off,” he said. “We have only given up one goal and that came on a somewhat questionable penalty kick. Our defense has been outstanding giving up just that one goal in three games.”

Oak Harbor was scheduled to host the defending 3A state-champion Monroe Bearcats on Thursday for what could have been a huge early matchup. Due to the snow covering the Memorial Stadium turf and with Monroe’s home stadium in Bothell unavailable for a switch of home dates, the game will be made up at a date to be determined.

“You don’t want to play or practice in conditions like this. The last thing we need would be a bad injury,” said Barker. “We’ll get a chance to play them.”

Next up for the Wildcats is a match at Snohomish today. The Cats host Lake Stevens at Memorial Stadium on Tuesday. Barker is confident that the team can keep on winning.

“If the defense can continue to play the way that it has we will be in good shape,” he said. “We certainly have enough firepower up front and our midfield is extremely capable.”

Oak Harbor 2, Arlington 0

Goals: Thompson (Hinkley assist), Bull. Goalkeeper: OH: Moreno. Records: OH 3-0 in league, 3-0 overall. Arlington: 0-3, 0-3.