HOLLIS – A year can make a big difference in high school soccer.

Just ask Milford High School boys soccer coach Anson Thibault.

Last year, the Spartans were one of the best regular season teams in the state, going into the tournament as one of the favorites.

This year, Milford is a totally different team, with the goal of just trying to improve on a daily basis and let the chips fall where they may. That’s what losing 15 seniors to graduation will do.

It’s put Thibault in teaching mode.

“We’re a young team learning the ropes a little bit,” he said recently after losing a competitive game to Hollis Brookline 2-0. “Graduating 15 seniors leaves you with a different team.”

Exactly. A year ago the HB and Milford met twice in the regular season as two title contenders. This time, only HB wore that label, took a 2-0 first half lead, but then Thibault saw signs over the final 40 minutes that what he’s been teaching is starting to sink in as Milford had a much better second half. Had Cavs keeper John Sommer not made a lunging save on Gage Tlapa’s point blank shot about 10 minutes into the half, “then it would have been a

different game,” Thibault said, his young, rebuilding team beginning this current week at 2-5. “There were some adjustments we made at halftime because a few things weren’t working for us.

“The second half was probably our best half of the year. Going up against a quality team. We’re a young team and we’re still learning the ropes a little bit.”

Milford freshman keeper Leo Goguen has played well this season, and at Hollis he made two acrobatic saves in the second half to keep the Cavs at bay.

“Two big saves in the second half, big confidence boost for him,” Thibault said. “He’s been solid back there, a very quality goalkeeper. He’s been great for us.”

Thibault had multiple freshmen playing 60 minutes, including left halfback Gabe St. Onge. Another player, Maddox Maguire had never played center back before this season “and he’s stepping in big,” Thibault said. Mark Muidugam, from Spain, had never played 11 on 11 soccer prior to this year, and has played some big minutes.”

“Proud of the way we played,” Thibault said. “We’ll learn from it. Later in the year we might win some of these games.”