It was a much better performance for Coach John Blake’s boys’ hockey team on Saturday night at The Bog. Nevertheless, once again the Dragons came up short against Coyle-Cassidy and dropped a 5-3 decision. After jumping out to a 4-1-1 record in the first two weeks of the season, the Dragons have picked a bad time to hit the skids. Losses to Norwood, Pembroke, and the Warriors have Duxbury on a three-game losing streak, just as they get ready to start a brutal stretch of games with Medford, Marshfield, and Hingham over the next seven days.

Blake decided it was Ian Ikeda’s time to take a turn in net. However, the sophomore had a tough 15 minutes in the first period, as he surrendered three goals to put the Dragons behind the eight ball.

Duxbury had its chances in the first few minutes with a power play opportunity and a Pat Charland shot that went over the crossbar, while Ikeda was faced with a point-blank shot that he turned aside to keep the game scoreless.

Unfortunately, his good fortune didn’t last, as Connor Matthews took the puck from behind the net and centered it in front, where it was accidentally battered toward the Duxbury net and eluded Ikeda for a 1-0 with 8:10 left in the period.

It didn’t take C-C long to take advantage of its one-goal lead, as they stormed the Duxbury end and jumped on a loose puck in the slot. RJ McCann beat a defenseless Ikeda for a 2-0 lead with 6:23 showing on the clock.

The Dragons had a golden opportunity with a power play at the 3:32 mark, and doubled their chances 26 seconds later with a two-man advantage, allowing junior captain Bobby Barry to tuck home a rebound past junior goaltender Seth Lavigne to cut the deficit to 2-1.

It looked like Duxbury had earned its way back into the game. However, with 40 seconds to go in the period, the Warriors scored right off a faceoff when a shot appeared to go right through Ikeda’s legs for a deflating 3-1 deficit.

Blake decided to bring goaltender Tim Matthews in to start the second period and the junior was unlucky right off the bat, as captain Shayne Marks came flying through center ice before firing on Matthews. His shot on net sailed into the air and landed behind the Duxbury goalie, dribbling over the goal line and putting the Dragons in a serious bind.

Senior defenseman Jake Kearney did his best to get his team back in the game, as he kept a clearing pass inside the blue line and fired a slapper though a screen of players that made its way just inside the right post to cut the lead to 4-2 with 12:55 left in the period.

Lady Luck doesn’t seem to be in the Dragons corner these days, and she disappeared a minute later when captain Jay Sylvia beat Matthews for a three-goal lead.

Matthews had his hands full the rest of the period, as he stopped a partial break-in at the 7:37 mark and another one with three minutes left before intermission.

Charland’s goal four minutes into the third period gave Duxbury hope. However, a failed power-play less than a minute later was the Dragons’ last serious chance to get back in the game.

”I think we totally out-played them for all three periods,” said Blake. “When we were 4-1-1 the puck was bouncing our way, but now it isn’t. Now we are back to square one, so we’ll have to keep working on it. I don’t fault the effort tonight. I thought we carried the play tonight and were the better team, but the puck just bounced Coyle’s way.”