They say the first win is always the most difficult. They are, of course, wrong. No matter the level, anyone who has coached recognizes it’s the last victory – the one that comes in the final contest of the postseason – that’s toughest to garner.

And that’s why Manchester Central’s first-year head hockey coach, Chris D’Agostino, wasn’t exactly doing cartwheels at center ice following the Little Green’s 7-4 triumph against rival Memorial on Saturday, Jan. 10.

Though he fully recognizes the lengths his team must travel to even be mentioned in the same breath as perennial powers Bishop Guertin, Bishop Brady and Concord, D’Agostino said the win was still meaningful.

“I needed it, but the kids needed it more than anything,” he said. “You know, we were 0-3, now we’re 1-3, so it’s definitely a little confidence booster. I thought we looked great out there.”

After opening the season with three tight setbacks against St. Thomas Aquinas, Pinkerton and Berlin, all top teams in Division I, D’Agostino said it was important to enter another tough stretch – against Concord, Salem and West – with momentum.

“We’ve got a bunch of players that are hard to get focused at times, but they’re good, coachable kids,” said D’Agostino. “And I’ll tell you what, winning is a lot more fun than losing. Now they’ve experienced that feeling, and I hope they want more of it.”

Ideally, Central can make a habit out of the practice, perhaps earn six or more victories and reach the postseason. But those are only this year’s goals.

“I definitely want to build the program to be bigger and better,” said D’Agostino. “Every year we should be making the playoffs. Every year we should be winning games at a school the size of Central.”

The team is young, so those coveted tournament triumphs may not be far off.

D’Agostino has only one senior, Zach Wentworth, on his top line. He had a hand in all seven goals against Memorial. His other top playmakers include juniors Kyle Pratte, who recorded a hat trick, Tyler Lavertu and Cam Geddes, who found the net twice.

Freshman Rene Couture, with no goaltending experience, starts in net for the Little Green this season and has already improved markedly.

Also contributing for the Little Green this season are seniors Nick St. Croix, Karl Ludwig and Tyler Pratte; juniors Alex Murphy, Trevor Paquet, Chris Straw and Greg Hood; sophomores Sean Burke, Mackenzie Myers, Kyle Pettit, Ben Johnson, Jon Bairam and Tyler Clark; and freshmen Joe Libby, Easton Dubois and Derek Clark.