Falmouth boys hockey gives their all, falls just short in playoff opener

For 45 minutes, the Falmouth boys hockey team gave everything it had, going toe-to-toe with a team they fell to earlier in the season.

Ultimately, the No. 17 Clippers (12-10) fell short as No 15. Plymouth North won 2-1 in the Round of 32 of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 2 playoffs.

As the Clippers came off the ice, the mood was sad without being somber. Deflated without being defeated. No one in the locker room was left dissatisfied with the performance across the 45 minutes, certainly not head coach Paul Moore.

"(The) kids executed, (and) they did everything we could ask for," Moore said. "I'm proud of the senior group. This is a great group of kids, and they left it all on the ice. They have no regrets, and that's all you could ask them."

The loss may mean end of the line for the Clippers' season, but the fact that the team even got this far, is a testament to the group.

This year's Clippers team began the season 1-4. For a team with postseason expectations, the slow start left them with a mountain to climb if they wanted to reach the tournament.

A 6-2 stretch followed and suddenly, Falmouth was back in business. It was a reflection of the fight the team was capable of showing, and junior Ethan Santos said the team came together through the tough opening stretch of the season.

"We weren't even in the playoffs in the beginning, and then got a spark after that Wellesley game, and picked it up from there and left it all on the ice (tonight). What more could you ask for," Santos said.

Moore agreed, and gave credit to the way his team battled through the adversity.

"We got blood out of a rock with that group," Moore said. "All year long they grinded."

In order for a team to turn around like the Clippers did, the players had to take the responsibility. The change had to come from them, and Moore said the Clippers senior class (captains Charlie Bardelis and Chris Shanahan, assistant captain Sean Souza, goalie Eddie Leary, Nick Guidi, Christian Sullivan, Ryan Palmer, Jackson Kinsella, and Lucas Kapulka) were essential to making that happen.

"It was a process," Moore said. "We had great leadership in that room, great seniors. They all bought in. It's a tremendous group of kids, that knew what they needed to work on. The buy in was there, you saw it for 45 minutes. They didn't take a shift off."

It was Santos' goal that got Falmouth on the board in the loss to Plymouth North, tying the game late in the second period. The goal came after a barrage of Falmouth shots and sustained pressure. Moore said he felt his team had plenty of chances in the game, but gave credit to the opposition.

One thing Moore was sure to emphasize, that in those 45 minutes, he got everything he could've hoped for from his group.

"I feel bad for the kids because they wanted it so much, and they left it out there, that's all you can ask," Moore said.

Santos was reflective after the game, and said this year's Clippers team was a special one.

"Best group I've ever had in the past three years of high school hockey," Santos said. "We all grew together. We all do stuff as a team, held each other to a high standard, and that's what I like to see."

Moore said his message to the team after the loss was a simple one.

"I'm just going to tell them I love them, and I'm proud of them," he said.

André Simms covers high school sports for the Times. Contact him at asimms@capecodonline.com. Follow him on X/Twitter: @that1guyandre.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Falmouth boys hockey's 45 minute effort comes up short in playoff game