One defeat usually doesn’t make a difference in a regular season.

For the Northampton hockey team, it did.

The Konkrete Kids suffered just one loss during the season, but it proved to be the difference in them capturing its second Lehigh Valley Scholastic Hockey League Cup in three years.

Northampton defeated Southern Lehigh, 6-2, in Bethlehem March 14, as they won the best-of-three series. It was their seventh championship in the program under head coach Brian Ruff. The Kids’ JV program won its second straight title with a 5-4 win over Nazareth March 8.

According to Ruff, their 6-1 regular-season loss to Southern Lehigh Jan. 9 proved to be the difference. The Kids finished with an overall 14-2 mark, their other loss to the Spartans in the second game of the championship series.

“That woke us up and gave us a jolt,” explained the veteran coach. “We were undefeated at the time, and we learned not to take anything for granted. An undefeated season would have been a goal, and we may have been able to do it.

“We knew we had a good team. You don’t want to lose, but a loss made us better at that time.”

Ruff knew he could have had a dominant team last year, but it was a matter of chemistry.

“We just couldn’t get them to jell,” he said. “The talent was there, but we couldn’t get them to play good hockey. It wasn’t a team-oriented bunch. It is the coaches’ job to do it, but we couldn’t find the right buttons to push.”

Senior Stefan Gutekunst saw his journey as a perfect way to end his career.

“Honestly, playing with this group has been an amazing experience,” he stated. “It was an amazing ending to my scholastic hockey experience. If I could, I would play with these guys for the rest of my hockey career.

“Our team chemistry is exceptional, and I could not have asked for a better team. These boys are my family, and it saddens me that I have to leave them this year.”

Sophomore goalie Bailen Smargiassi, who had a 2.06 goals against average and a .924 save percentage, also had a fairy-tale ending. His older brother, Noah, led the team in the nets to their 2021 championship.

Lorenzo Tita led the team with 38 points, and Gaven Mollenkof added 27 and Ryder Ault had 23.

“Winning the championship was a dream come true,” gushed Smargiassi. “Going from watching my brother win it in 2021 to winning it now with the same guys I’ve been playing with for years is surreal. I am extremely fortunate to play with guys like Enzo Tita, Gaven Mollenkof, and Broc Lazarus. They truly make it much easier in the crease.

“Blocking shots, making great plays, and scoring goals - the team as a whole was a dream team that I am forever grateful to be a part of. And the team choosing me as the first person to lift the cup is a huge honor that I cannot thank them enough for.

“We could not have done it without the experience, the plays, and the inspirational speeches. Our coaches, Brian, Rick, and Eric were a wonder from the bench. After winning, the most shocking part was the support we got from everyone. It felt like everyone was rooting for Northampton.”

Mollenkof echoed his teammate’s sentiments.

“Winning the cup was something I’ll never forget,” he said. “With an almost perfect season, there wasn’t much more you could ask for out of our group. Our seniors were a driving force for this championship.

“Playing with this lineup made it easy to make quick turnarounds from mistakes. Everyone had each other’s back down to the final seconds.”

With a strong core back next season, Ruff again likes his team’s chances, but he doesn’t want to make any bold predictions.

“We lose four seniors,” he said. “We have a good, solid team. We have three good lines, and our defense is deep and young. I think our defense is the best in the league. We also feel we have the best goalie in the league.

“The kids like each other, and there is a solid chemistry. We have a very good JV and middle school program. We’re going to try and have our middle school team play during the summer.

“We have a program that is in good shape right now.”