WILMINGTON, Vt. — Kevin Brooker gave each one of his players a hug Tuesday afternoon after their 3-1 loss in VPA Division IV semifinals. It was the best he could do to console them.

The Rivendell Academy boys soccer team was knocked out in the semifinals for the second straight year, this time by top-seeded Twin Valley. Brooker, a first-year coach, had suffered his first playoff loss.

The visiting Raptors trailed from the opening minutes, and a goal with 2:31 to play put a comeback out of reach for No. 4 Rivendell. Raptors defenseman Ryan Woodbeck put his body in front of a Colin McHale shot, but the deflection sent the ball out of goalie Owen Mansur’s reach.

“It’s soccer,” Brooker said. “I think getting to the semifinals, that’s hard to do. Division IV this year is really difficult. Really proud of the boys and how they worked and what they did.”

After a season when the Raptors outscored opponents, 62-22, their offense struggled to produce in cold and rainy conditions on a field that was didn’t lend itself to traction.

Twin Valley took advantage of a slow Rivendell start, scoring two goals in the first 16 minutes of play.

Four minutes into the game, the Wildcats found the back of the net when McHale scored on a cross from Finn Fisher.

After two straight corner kick opportunities, the Wildcats scrambled to the front of the goal and were able to get a shot past Mansur in the 16th minute. Casey Sibilia poked in the score for Twin Valley.

“We started slow all season,” Brooker said. “We’ve known that’s been something to work on. The field conditions didn’t help very much. We play more of a power game, hard cuts and stuff. It is what it is.”

The fast start lent itself to physical play throughout. After the first 16 minutes, the Raptors made adjustments and played with a sense of urgency, which paid off right before the break.

With six minutes till intermission, senior Luke Senn stepped up to attempt a direct kick on the left side of the pitch and delivered Rivendell’s lone goal of the game.

In the early part of the second half, possession pingponged between both teams. Mansur made big-time stops early in the half to stymie several opportunities for Twin Valley to put the game out of reach.

He caught a hard-aimed shot right at his chest, forced a Wildcat to shoot the ball over the net on a one-on-one play and stood steady when a shot hit the left post.

Mansur finished the game with 16 saves on 24 shots. Brooker said the netminder’s performance was a testament to his improvement throughout the season.

“He’s been solid for us all year,” he said. “He’s improved dramatically. He puts a lot of effort into it and you could see that. We count on him.”

While Mansur was busy in net, the Raptors’ power offense struggled to create opportunities. They finished with 11 shots and forced the Twin Valley goalie to make only five saves.

Still, there were chances late in the second half. Senn dribbled close to the net, but he was stopped before he could get a shot off.

The best chance came with seven minutes in regulation, when Johnny Vogelien set A.J. Debois up on a cross, but Debois’ shot went wide right.

Vogelien’s frustration could be seen throughout the game. With 12 minutes to play, the Raptors were called offside on a play that could’ve been crossed over to him. The senior covered his face with his jersey.

Zach Gould, Rivendell’s leading scorer, voiced his frustration with the team’s scoring after the game.

“We had a game plan for our offense going against their defense,” said Gould, who finishes the season with 18 goals and five assists. “We knew that they were physical. They shut us down pretty well.”

Rivendell (13-4-0) lost to Twin Valley twice this season before Tuesday’s defeat: 4-0 in the season opener and 4-3 in overtime on Oct. 2.

Brooker was confident that a few changes in the Raptors’ look would give them an edge headed into the semifinal showdown. Now, he’ll be looking back on year one at the helm as Rivendell moves into the offseason.

He’ll also look to reload as he loses eight players to graduation: Gould, Sean Maddock, Dylan Ricker, Senn, Henry Tse, Vogelien, Woodbeck and Nolan Yvon.

Pete Nakos can be reached at pnakos@vnews.com or 603-727-3306.