Lawrence High junior Ebrahim Diagne (10) works to get the ball past Shawnee Mission West senior Dawson Hindman (2) during their soccer match Tuesday evening at LHS.

For the first time this season, Lawrence High’s boys soccer players were clicking on offense on Tuesday.

The Lions created strong opportunities with their speed and ball vision. They were rewarded with a 2-1 victory over Shawnee Mission West at LHS — their first win of the year.

LHS senior midfielder Brennan Davies gave the Lions a lead in the 11th minute, his team’s first lead of the season, when he dribbled the ball through defenders down the length of the field into the middle of the 18-yard box and struck a shot past SM West’s goalkeeper.

“That’s not all me, though. It’s the defense,” said Davies, who high-fived classmates in the student section to celebrate his goal. “I just picked up on a read, saw they weren’t stepping to the ball and snaked through them.”

Davies started the season on the back line of the defense, but moved to midfielder when the Lions (1-5) switched to a two-forward formation. It was only the Lions’ second game using their new formation and they outshot SM West, 22-15.

“Super talented player,” LHS coach Mike Murphy said of Davies. “He’s got great vision. Obviously his ball skills are such that he can beat guys one-on-one. That’s what we’ve been having trouble with up top and in the attacking third. If you’re going to score goals, somebody is going to have to beat somebody one-on-one.”

With only three players on the back line, that usually hurts teams defensively, but the Lions had strong games from defenders Cameron Guy, Sam Dykes, DJ Davis and Adam Weir.

“(Davis) has stepped up,” Davies said. “He came off the bench and I don’t think he’s been beat once down that left side. I’m so proud to see him turn out that way because he works so hard.”

The Lions nearly added onto their lead with a strong shot in the box from junior Hosam Aldamen that was deflected away by the SM West keeper. In the second half, LHS junior Cain Scott had two steps on his closest defender but his shot on the breakaway was caught by the keeper.

Finally in the 63rd minute, senior midfielder Piper Hubbell found junior forward Ebrahim Diagne with a pass between defenders and Diagne slammed a shot into the back of the net for a 2-0 advantage. The Vikings defenders stopped running when Diagne touched the ball, hoping for an offsides call that was never made.

“Piper just made a nice pass to me and I just finished it by putting my feet on it and having a good ball,” Diagne said. “I didn’t think I was offsides.”

The Vikings (3-5) added a goal in the 68th minute from senior Magdiel Meza, but LHS goalkeeper Jeremiah Barbe made enough saves in the final minutes to preserve his team’s first victory of the season.

“It is so nice,” Davies said. “I mean, like, literally every game we’ve been fighting so hard. The fact that it all came together and in our second full home game and everything, was just amazing.”