D-R boys soccer lost 12 key players to graduation. Now they begin a new era.

DIGHTON — It's always tough for a team to replace a talented senior class, especially one as successful as Dighton-Rehoboth boys soccer's Class of 2021.

Led by 2021 Taunton Daily Gazette Boys Soccer Player of the Year Kevin Smith, Reece Cordeiro, Bryce Downs, Marc Thaler and Thomas Zibriba among others, the Falcons captured back-to-back South Coast Conference titles and went on a 24 game unbeaten run on their way to an Elite Eight appearance last season.

This year, while there are plenty of returning players such as Kristof Trond, Matt Suprenard, Tiago Conceicao, Nathaniel Wheeler, Spencer Jones and goalkeepers Liam O'Neil and Brennan Silva, D-R boys soccer has a bit of a new look and new feel to it as the team looks to move forward and find their way to success.

Field opening delayed: Taunton High home games moved as work wraps up on new sports facilities

So far things have gone fairly well for the Falcons, who find themselves 2-1 through their first three games, the most recent being a 1-0 win over Bourne Wednesday. D-R dominated possession for much of the match, keeping the ball mainly in the Canalmen's half as they creating chances that fizzled out until the 61st minute where a corner kick by William Hoskins found Liam Hannon, who sent a floating header past goalkeeper Nathan Reynolds to break the stalemate.

"Overall I thought we were OK," Falcons coach Mike Morgado said. "I thought our backline played fantastic just keeping the ball and not making any mistakes coming out of the back. With our style of play we like to share around and pass with our teammates, but overall I think we were just OK."

In the backline can be found some of the team's most tenured members, including Suprenard and Conceicao, using their size and experience to shut down opposing offenses while keeping D-R's determination to move around the ball alive and well.

"Those are our oldest guys back there and probably the ones with the most experience as well, they played a lot of games last year," Morgado said. "We had a lot of guys that we lost last year but overall those guys are confident on the ball and we like to share, that’s our style of play."

'A really good fit': Familiar face to lead Taunton girls soccer

Particularly the backline showed their power in the later stages of the match as Bourne attempted a comeback but found themselves denied all but one shot on goal the entire half, with O'Neil recording just four saves all afternoon compared to the 15 of his counterpart Reynolds.

As for the midfield and forwards, the positions most affected by the Class of 2021's graduation, Morgado said he feels it's also the area the Falcons need the most improvement in.

"I think our midfield kind of needs a little bit more spacing there but the one time that it all connected and came together, we scored a goal," Morgado said. "We get it out wide and then Liam’s just in a great spot and knocks it in the back of the net with a great header, but again we’ve still got some things to work on and we’ll do that."

Of course replacing such a potent offense as last year's team had, with Smith and Cordeiro alone combining for 56 goals and 17 assists, is no walk in the park and Morgado said he feels his forwards will need a few matches to get to each other and gel better in order to reach their full potential.

"I think from our five guys moving forward there, our attacking guys up top and our midfielders and our three guys up top, they’re still gelling," Morgado said. "It’s still early in the season so those guys have got to get used to playing off of each other and working with each other out in the field and I think each game we get a little bit better, so it’s just going to take some time for those guys to gel and get together and hopefully they’ll put it together."

For Morgado, he tells his players their success all depends on their desire.

"The success will come from the group," Morgado said. "It’s about how bad they want it and how they want to work for it."

The offense made their chances early on against the Canalmen, forcing Reynolds to make six saves by the 18th minute. Their best chance of the first half came in the 14th minute where D-R briefly found themselves facing a wide open net, only for defender Stefan Lumsden to clear it from the line with a diving save.

"(Bourne) they defended their tails off," Morgado said. "They worked hard on the defensive side of the ball and they never stopped running and kept working."

The second half saw the Falcons continue their form, as well as their struggles to break through the Bourne backline. They upped the pressure about 10 minutes into the half, knocking on the door but getting nowhere until Hannon headed home a corner to put the hosts on top in the 61st minute.

"It felt good to get a goal in after all that fighting for all that time," Hannon said. "My teammate put that corner in and I saw everybody rush forward and I read the play right, stepped back because I saw it going over everyone, and I just took the opportunity that I could and put it in."

The junior forward said that the more they play, the more he feels him and his fellow forwards are improving their connection.

"We’ve definitely improved throughout the season naturally just like anyone should," Hannon said. "We could’ve played better but I think we did pretty well today on our game really connecting."

D-R kept the pressure up following the goal, making several shots and forcing a pair of saves from Reynolds. At the same time, Bourne began to pick up the pace and pressed hard down the opposite end of the pitch, but still the Falcons backline continued to keep them at bay.

Sports scores, highlights for Wednesday: Almada leads B-P girls soccer over Wareham

"They’re just a brick wall in the back, they don’t let anyone by so they’re always a good help to keep the ball in the other team’s half," Hannon said.

D-R held on to secure their second win of the young season, and second in SCC action, but didn't dwell too long as their attention soon turned to their upcoming bout with rivals Seekonk.

"Hopefully we won’t have too many guys banged up so we’ll be alright injury wise and we’ve just got to get ready," Morgado said. "It’s always a tough game against Seekonk. They’re always a good side and it’s kind of like a little town rivalry so it’ll be a fun game, a fun match and we’ve just got to get a win. It’ll be a good match."

As for the players, they feel up for the challenge.

"It's always a big game for us, they're our biggest rivals, but I'm definitely pumped up and ready to crush it," Hannon said.

The Falcons (2-1-0) are set to host the Warriors (1-0-1) at 3:45 p.m. Friday.

Taunton Daily Gazette sports reporter Cameron Merritt can be reached at cmerritt@tauntongazette.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @CamMerritt_News. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to the Taunton Daily Gazette today.

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Dighton-Reboboth boys soccer defeats Bourne as it enters new era