In their final postgame huddle of the season, the St. Aloysius Flashes were silent as they waited for their coach to speak.

The words never came. After a difficult 3-1 loss to Heritage Academy in the first round of the MAIS Division III boys soccer playoffs Tuesday, there wasn’t much to say. All they could do was pack up the gear and cast a hopeful eye toward next season, even as this one was wrecked upon a rocky playoff shore.

“It sucks. It sucks. But it is what it is. I hope they do better next year,” St. Aloysius senior midfielder Casey Griffith said.

Even though it lost, this was still a year to remember for St. Al.

The program had just its second winning season in the past seven years, and made the playoffs for the first time since 2011. It rolled through the regular season undefeated, compiling most of its 12 wins in blowout fashion.

Twelve players scored at least three goals, and as a team the Flashes averaged nearly nine goals per game.

Connor Bottin led the team with 23 goals and 15 assists, Gradon Bourne had 16 goals and 13 assists, and Kieran Theriot finished with 11 goals and seven assists.

“I feel like I accomplished more than the past St. Al teams have. We just didn’t go all the way like we expected to. I just wish it could have been more,” said senior defender Lofton Varner, who totaled nine goals and four assists.

After they broke their quick postgame huddle following the loss to Heritage Academy, but before they left the field for the last time, coach Scott Mathis told his returning players to remember the feeling of the loss and use it as fuel for next year.

It was a large group he spoke to.

Sophomore forward Jack Dowe is among nine players who will be back to make another run at a championship next season. Losing was not easy to take, but Dowe and the Flashes already seemed to be taking it in stride.

“I haven’t really been in this situation this year. There’s always next year, I guess,” Dowe said. “We have a good shot of going all the way next year.”