Middleboro High boys’ hockey fell to Marlboro in the playoffs, 5-0, Wednesday March 1, but the team met the goal of playing well together with heart and determination, Coach Steve Chamberlain said.

“They were really in there battling,’’ he said.“They battled from start to finish. They battled and skated hard the entire time.’’

The game was not as tilted as the score would indicate, the coach noted. The Sachems were down one after the first period, and two after the second. 

He credited freshman goalie Greg Mason with making “a ton of unbelievable saves that kept us in’’ the contest. 

The coach also praised Senior Jake Jordan and Junior Ethan deNormand for particularly strong games on defense.

This was Chamberlain’s first season as varsity head coach. The season also marked the debut of the introduction of players from Carver and Wareham onto the squad.

He admits to having concerns about how the team would bond but said those fears were groundless. They proved to be a “strong team that wanted to play hard.’’

For seniors Cam Manuel, Eric Umbrianna, Nolan Kaiser, Cam Cochran, Brayden Fernald, Jake Jordan, and Kaden Poh, this was their final game. They will be missed, Chamberlain said. “All seven helped lead the team in a very positive direction.’’

“They’re good hockey players, but more importantly, they’re good people,’’ he said.

But although the seniors will be missed, Chamberlain sees “a very positive future for the team. We have a lot of young talent.’’

The season’s top scorers can all return: Sophomore Sam Steinman (21 goals and 11 assists for 32 points), Freshman Wyatt Goyette (8 goals and 16 assists for 24 points), junior James Joyce (2 goals and 14 assists for 16 points), and freshman Levon Mulready (8 goals and 6 assists for 14 points).

The playoff provided “a taste of the playoffs’’ that they can build on.

“This was a fun group to teach,’’ the coach said. “We grew a lot as a team this year. I’m excited to see how the next couple of years go.’’