PENNACOOK – Cece Dufoe’s third-quarter hat-trick brought Hollis-Brookline High School girls lacrosse team within three, but just when the Cavs got close, Merrimack Valley pulled away again.

It was a valiant effort in the heat away from home by the visiting No. 9 Cavaliers. They faced an experienced offense that powered its way to last year’s championship, and they couldn’t keep up. Their season came to an end up north, 15-7.

The Cavaliers snuck into the first round of the Division II playoffs with a 6-10 record and faced the No. 8 Pride (8-10).

It was an up-and-down season under first-year head coach Eric Broadhurst. Only two starters returned from last year’s seventh-seeded squad.

Broadhurst thought his team was better throughout the season than their record reflected, but he also knew that with a small team of only 15 girls, it would be hard to keep up through four quarters in the postseason.

“If I load our attack, I got no one on D. If I load the D, we’ve got no one attacking,” Broadhurst said.

It was tough, especially toward the end. Despite Dufoe’s efforts, MV’s depth wore down the Cavaliers.

Anna Kinney, Elise Broadhurst and Lulu Dunsmoor all scored a goal each. Goalie Lilly Hamilton notched eight saves against the Pride, but was faced with multiple one-on-ones on fourth-quarter counterattacks.

The Pride’s senior attacking threats, Lauren Bailey and Abbey Thompson completed their hat-tricks to kick off the fourth quarter and sink Hollis-Brookline back down six goals, 13-7.

MV’s senior midfielder, Ella Frink, added two more to her tally before the end, totaling seven goals on the night to reach her 200th-career-point night.

“That was our season. The fourth quarter killed us,” Broadhurst added.