MHBDS' Luc Chretian and STA's Michael Flood look to chase a loose puck during Saturday's Division II quarterfinal at the Dover Arena. (Photo by Al Pike/Seacoastonline.com)

DOVER – A year ago, the Merrimack-Hollis Brookline-Derryfield boys hockey team reached the Promised Land, Manchester’s SNHU Arena, for the Division II Finals.

This year? A trip Dover, and that was it.

The WarHawks (9-9-1) saw their season come to a 1-0 end, ironically against the team that beat them last year in the finals, St. Thomas of Dover.

Cam Aceto scored the game’s only goal and senior goalie Zack Pattow made it stand up by stopping all 22 shots he faced as the second-seeded Saints improved to 15-4 and advanced to what is an all seacoast Division II Final Four Wednesday at Concord’s Everett Arena.

Warhawks coach Dan Belliveau and STA’s Chris Plummer stress defense in their systems,especially now. And that’s the kind of game it was on Saturday.

“When you hit the playoffs defense is going the make the difference,” Plummer said.

Merrimack’s Liam Gagne finished with 35 saves on 36 shots. St. Thomas applied pressure late in the third period, preventing the visitors from pulling their goalie for an extra attacker until 14.7 seconds remained.

The WarHawks tri-op says goodbye to some key senior players such as Will Farrell, Josh Kahn, Manny Pacheco, Felix Rattunde, Bryson Smith, Tuyler Allen and Connor Miner.

(Material written by Al Pike of Seacoastonline.com was used in this report.)