BATH — Though the conditions were everything but balmy, the Morse High School boys’ lacrosse team was happy just being outside on McMann Field.

After several weeks of indoor play in the high school’s “Pit” the Shipbuilders opened their 2013 season with a bang Tuesday.

Morse got five goals from Oliver Kruze, four from Dylan Crowell and three each from Alexander Paulus and Alex Beveridge en route to a 21-3 win over visiting Mt. Blue.

The Cougars, who have been relegated to playing in parking lots while their fields are being revamped, got a goal each from Liam Welch, Ryan Rouillard and Matt Smith, while being outshot 39-12.

“It’s tough because you don’t want to run up the scores … the kids still want to play, shoot,” said Morse coach Jay Paulus, who emptied his bench early and often. “But, I also had to play my varsity to get ready for Gardiner. Still, I’m pretty fortunate because 80 percent of my team are sophomores.”

Though Morse was a bit over-zealous early, Alexander Paulus, the 2012 Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class B Player of the Year, got his team going with just 1:24 gone when he converted a nifty Werwaiss feed.

A Paulus helper on a Perry Chase goal made it 2-0, but Mt. Blue’s Welch one-timed a blistering shot past Morse goaltender Kevin Thibodeau at 2:43 for a 2-1 game.

However Mt. Blue defenders Calan Lucas, Alex Hiscock, Josh Dyke, Alex Dalrymple and Avery Guistra had their hands full with the speed and quickness of the Morse attack.

Morse ran off the next nine goals in the period and got five more in the second quarter before Mt. Blue’s Rouillard responded as the buzzer sounded to end the fist half.

“I feel we have very strong team, but we’re very young,” said Alexander Paulus. “But, last year those freshman got their varsity minutes logged in. They’ve matured and are ready to play.

“We haven’t really gotten to the point of set plays … inside it’s hard to get anything gong. And we got a little anxious in the beginning, so we tried settling it down and getting some formations going.”