Colchester — Bacon Academy boys’ soccer coach Skip Starks knows that his program will stand on the shoulders of the eight players in this senior class for quite some time.

“Their ability to bring the young guys along has been unsurpassed by any other senior class,” Starks said. “That’s who I feel bad for today. We all wanted to keep going, of course. ... This year we had very high expectations.

“We didn’t get the grand finale.”

Sixth-ranked Bacon, coming off a victory over Eastern Connecticut Conference rival Stonington in the second round of the Class M state tournament Wednesday afternoon, didn’t fare as well in Friday’s quarterfinals against No. 14 Cromwell.

Cromwell got the upset, 3-0, advancing to next week’s semifinals to meet the winner of Saturday’s game against No. 7 Weston and No. 15 Rocky Hill.

Cromwell scored three minutes into the game on a rebound by Jacob Salafia, got another goal by Salafia to push the lead to 2-0 at halftime and, with Bacon consistently firing shots over the net in the second half as it tried to carve into the lead, the Panthers made it 3-0 with 13:01 to play on a goal by Jack Wood.

“Sadly, it was not our best effort at the wrong time,” Starks said. “I don’t know if that’s the Stonington game hangover we’re calling it or whatever, but that four-game battle we had with (Stonington) this year with the big game the other day ...

“They got us today, I’ll say that. But I don’t think we played our best. I’ll leave it at that.”

Starks said there was no indication after the latest game in the Stonington series that there would be a letdown. Bacon Academy (14-4-2) played Stonington four times this season with all four decided by one goal.

The Bears and Bobcats split during the regular season, with Bacon earning the ECC Division II regular-season title on a tiebreaker. Stonington then edged Bacon 2-1 in the ECC Division I tournament semifinals before Bacon won the last meeting in the state tournament, also 2-1, ousting the two-time defending Class M champ.

“The boys have really been clicking quite well,” Starks said. “And it’s not just the soccer. It’s the great leadership we’ve got on this team, the guys just buy into side before self, which is big. We support each other through thick and thin and this is one of those moments, of course.

“Today was sloppy at best. We didn’t finish well, every shot off target. When we put them on target, the keeper made a couple unbelievable saves and we let a couple less than dynamic goals go in. ... I knew our outside wingers could beat their outside backs and we did. But when you put it in the middle and shoot the ball over the bar and the keeper saves two off the line, maybe it’s just not your day.”

Bacon had six of its seniors honored as All-ECC Division II selections, four on the first team.

“This senior class has turned the program around,” Starks said. “All great guys. My heart goes out to them.”

v.fulkerson@theday.com