The Demons are making a habit of scoring goals and scoring goals early.

Continuing that streak, the Glenwood Springs girls soccer team scored three times in the first half and twice in the second half of the 4A Western Slope League opener Thursday night against Palisade.

After building a 5-0 lead, the Demons settled for a 5-2 win when Palisade scored twice in the final two minutes of the match at Stubler Memorial Field.

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“We really started the game offensively minded,” Glenwood Springs coach Steve White said.

“We really wanted to attack early in the game,” he said of the WSL opener.

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White said the Demons almost passed too much before they started firing shots on goal.

“I thought our possession was great in the first half. And it was good through the second half until we started breaking down at the end,” White said.

The 0-0 scoreless tie that opened the game lasted only six minutes when Chelsea Strautman scored the first of what would be four goals on the night.

Her kick from the right side, 20 meters out, lifted up and over the diminutive Palisade goalkeeper.

Strautman’s next goal, 16 minutes into the match, generated even more momentum for the Demons. After a whistle and a free kick call, Strautman quickly returned the ball into play with long scoring shot from 25 meters.

“That was an outstanding free kick because she took it quick before they could get set … that was a great play,” White said of the momentum-stealing second goal of the match.

Sarah Cunningham of the Demons extended the lead to 3-0 when she beat Palisade’s Janet Barth with a rebound with 13 minutes to play in the opening half.

Palisade nearly got on the board late in the first half when Kendra Nash ripped a shot from in front that hit the crossbar and bounced away.

Midway through the second half, Strautman scored twice in a three-minute span as the Demons pushed the lead to 5-0.

A pair of acrobatic saves by Barth kept the Demons off the board with further goals.

Keegan Nadon had a scoreless first-half in goal for the Demons. Michelle McReynolds added a handful of saves for the Demons in the second half.

Palisade finally scored with 1:50 to play in the match on a shot by Melissa Thate.

Thirty-four seconds later Palisade scored again on a left-footed shot by Jessica Sargent.

The victory improved the Glenwood girls to 2-1-0 overall and 1-0-0 in the Western Slope League.

Palisade dropped to 0-5-0 overall and 0-1-0 in league play. Palisade did play without all-league player Heather Yutzy, out with a leg injury.

Strautman’s four goals on Thursday gave her six in two games, including the pair she scored in Tuesday’s nonleague win over Roaring Fork.

The Glenwood Springs girls return to action Saturday with an 11 a.m. match at Moffat County in Craig.

In other area soccer on Thursday, Rifle dropped a 3-1 decision to Central of Grand Junction.

Haley Hubbell scored for Rifle at the 23:26 mark of the first half, tying the match 1-1. Nikki Koloff of Central had opened the scoring in the fourth minute of play.

Lindsay Zortman put Central ahead 2-1 with 16 minutes remaining in the first half.

Lisa Esposito of Central scored the only goal of the second half in the nonleague match.

The Rifle girls will host Steamboat Springs in a 4A Western Slope League match at 11 a.m. Saturday.

In upcoming prep sports this weekend, the Rifle baseball team will host Loveland Mountain View at 1 p.m. Friday at Cooper Field.

And in tennis today, Glenwood Springs will play at Alameda. Roaring Fork’s tennis team will host Paonia in matches at 2 p.m. Friday.

On Saturday, the Glenwood Springs baseball team will play Steamboat Springs in a doubleheader. Those games will be played in Craig.

Also Saturday, the Rifle baseball team will host Delta in a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.

And the Roaring Fork baseball team will open the home season at 1 p.m. with a nonleague game against Alamosa.

And in tennis Saturday, Roaring Fork will be at Delta and Glenwood Springs will be at Machebeuf in Denver.