In the moments after the final state championship game wrapped up at TD Garden last year, Tewksbury athletic director Ron Drouin walked the tunnel toward the postgame media room with a dreary expression.

Eleventh-seeded Boston Latin had just scored three goals in the last five minutes of the Div. 2 state final to pull off an epic comeback over top-seeded Tewksbury – which had routed the Wolfpack twice in the regular season.

“They’re going to need a minute,” Drouin said in the tunnel. “The boys are devastated.”

Much is said about the bliss of hoisting the trophy where the Boston Bruins play, conquering a mountain of parity that many only dream about. It’s a magical opportunity longtime Hanover head coach Jonathan Abban reminds his players of, win or loss, in each of the six times his Hawks reached the title game.

But while those state champions celebrate and carry that honor for the rest of their lives, many runners-up are left stewing over what could have been. In Tewksbury, it was for months.

Abban, whose team lost to Dover-Sherborn/Weston in the Div. 4 final, calls the losing locker room raw. There’s little to do to make it better other than recognize and appreciate the magic of an incredible season, regardless of the outcome.

Well, that, or rally back to TD Garden for another chance the next season.

Tewksbury (Div. 2), Nauset (Div. 3), Hanover (Div. 4) and the Notre Dame Academy of Hingham girls (Div. 1) follow losses at TD Garden to each rank in the top-two of this year’s first sets of MIAA power rankings, showing early signs they’re all capable of at least another deep run. For right now, though, the focus for each program is about balancing the motivation of last year with discipline.

“It’s cliché, you know, take it one game at a time, one shift at a time,” said Tewksbury head coach Derek Doherty. “(But) it’s hard to get there. Trust me, I know. I’ve been doing it a long time. Especially in hockey, you’ve got to win five games and it’s not an easy task. I know in the back of (the players’) minds, the main goal is to get back there. But I think they also understand that it takes a lot to get there, and that needs to be accomplished first.”

“A state title, I’ll take one of those any day,” Abban added. “Been fortunate to be a part of three of them. But you’ve just got to keep the kids grounded. They know what their goal is, but we don’t beat it into their heads. It’s such a special feat that not many kids have that privilege.”

Tewksbury’s (7-0-1) months of stewing showed in the tenacity it brought to beat Boston Latin 7-2 in their first meeting this year, and it showed again in a 3-0 win over the Wolfpack on Wednesday. All of the Redmen’s wins have come by at least three goals, and just once have they allowed more than two.

Junior Tyler Bourgea is one of the top forwards in the state, picking up where he left off from a 58-point sophomore season. Sophomore Kevin Andriolo has been a major spark plug on the second line and special teams. Senior Anthony DiFranco and sophomore Jake Cunha return as solid defenders in front of a red-hot David Karlberg in net, while senior captain Jason Lavoie (forward), junior Michael Macauda (defenseman) and sophomore Jason Shreenan (forward) have provided depth and leadership.

“We have a nice mix of some older guys … but we also have some younger guys who are hungry,” Doherty said. “We have a nice program. I think it’s structured, and when the kids come in each year, there’s expectations. It’s not like, ‘We’ve got to get revenge.’ The expectations are, we’re expected to win.”

Nauset can vouch for the difficulty in reaching the mountaintop, suffering heartbreak in the 2022-23 state quarterfinals as a team with lofty expectations itself. When the Warriors reached the final last year, it was the first time in 20 years, and the nerves showed. After they settled down, about six shots off the post in a 1-0 loss to Marblehead further emphasized just how hard it is to win, but also how close Nauset was to doing it.

The Warriors aren’t shying away from aiming high in a 6-0-1 start, and they talk about playing championship-level hockey just about every day.

“There’s definitely a significant hunger … there’s a big empty feeling that they left with last season that they kind of want to replace,” said Nauset head coach Connor Brickley. “They understand that they have a group to truly make history. … As a team (last year), our mindset was, we had a team that we knew could get to the Boston Garden. That was the message and that was the belief. However, that’s not the right message because what we really want to do is win a state championship.”

Senior star returner Logan Poulin is red-hot with 14 goals already. Returning senior Colin Ward and junior Jake Eldridge help lead an attack that can erupt for five-plus goals any given night, too. And the defense in front of senior goalie Zach Coehlo has been dominant.

“Our team identity stems from our defense,” Brickley said. “They’re extremely disciplined. You won’t find a better team that can execute at breaking pucks out, relieving pressure on forechecks. They have a really good understanding as far as puck movement and feeling out pressure. We do not spend much time on our defensive end whatsoever.”

In Hanover, Abban says the team doesn’t even talk about returning to TD Garden, where they lost to D-S/Weston, 5-1. But intensity is still there to strive for a deep run and break the Hawks’ uncanny stretch of only making the state final on even years (2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2024).

Defense is also Hanover’s (4-1-4) major strength. Senior captains Aidan Richards and Pierceson Lee star alongside Luke Fanning and Own Murphy in front of goalie Thomas Perkins.

“They’re great kids, they work hard,” Abban said. “Each week, we’re getting better. You don’t want to be playing your best hockey in January – save that for March. ”

Notre Dame Academy of Hingham was a part of one of the wildest finishes at TD Garden last year, falling to St. Mary’s of Lynn in triple overtime.

The Cougars (4-1-1) are the early favorite to get back, featuring a dynamic attack. Goalie Erin Kral has impressed with only four goals allowed, and Morgan Brady’s transfer back from prep gives a boost up front.

Controversy swept over the Div. 1 title game when St. John’s Prep defeated Winchester on a buzzer-beater. The Red and Black (5-3) graduated a lot and lost their star goalie to transfer, but they’ve played inspiring hockey to challenge in the Middlesex League Liberty race and hunt for more. They ranked No. 10 in the first power rankings.