Last season, the Hampden Academy Broncos won their first Eastern Maine Class B hockey championship before losing to Cape Elizabeth 6-2 in the state title game.

The Broncos finished 20-4.

The joy of 2002-2003 has been supplanted by a frustrating 2003-2004 season.

The Broncos are 6-6 and five of their six losses have been by a goal with the other one being by two goals. The 5-3 loss to Class A Brewer this past Monday included an empty-net goal.

They are in danger of not qualifying for the Eastern Maine Class B playoffs.

“It’s definitely frustrating to lose all these games by a goal,” said Hampden Academy right wing Mike Brown, one of the Bronco captains. “We’ve played well but haven’t had anything to show for it.

“Our biggest problem is we’ve been reactive rather than proactive. When we get down, we step it up. But we’ve got to play every minute like it’s overtime. We have to play with a sense of urgency. It’s getting down to [the wire],” Brown added.

“We’ve got to play with intensity all the time,” concurred defenseman Lance Ingerson, another captain. “It’s good to know, at least, that we’re not getting killed. But it’s also hard being close but not winning.”

“We just can’t seem to get the close games to go our way,” said Broncos coach Tom King.

All three are confident the Broncos can get on a roll to earn a berth in the playoffs.

“It’ll come. We’ll win some games,” said Ingerson.

King said the team hasn’t been able to put together a complete 45-minute game but feels his Broncos will do so down the stretch.