The No. 15 Swampscott boys’ lacrosse team saw its season come to a close Thursday evening in a 14-6 loss to No. 2 Weston in the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Division 4 Round-of-16.

“Disappointing loss,” Swampscott Head Coach Geoff Beckett said.

After a convincing 14-6 first-round win over No. 18 Fairhaven at home on Monday, the Big Blue entered Thursday knowing the challenge Weston posed. The Weston Wildcats are the winners of six consecutive Dual County League Championships, and the team entered Thursday’s matchup off the heels of seven-straight wins.

The Big Blue hung tough early, answering Weston’s first goal with a strike from senior captain Liam Keaney off of a timeout with 6:12 remaining in the first quarter. The Wildcats, however, quickly found their rhythm on offense and began to pull away behind a balanced attack and dominant face-off play.

Weston won 16 of 24 draws at the center dot and used that possession advantage to control tempo and rack up scoring opportunities. They entered halftime with a 6-3 lead and never looked back, scoring 10 goals in the second half including five unanswered to end the game.

Still, Beckett said he was proud of what his group achieved.

“We had to prove so much throughout the beginning of the year,” Beckett said. “We had 10 seniors, but only four or five of them were returning from last year.”

Among those returning was Keaney, who scored two goals Thursday to cap his record-breaking career. He leaves Swampscott with school records for goals (129), assists (113), and total points (242) in lacrosse.

Keaney’s next chapter is on the football field. He’s committed to Bates College, after setting another Swampscott High School record with 166 tackles in a single season as a linebacker this past fall.

“He’s a leader. He sets the work ethic for the rest of the squad,” Beckett said.

Swampscott’s offense also made two goals apiece, from junior Jason Rothwell and sophomore Chase Russo.

Rothwell ranked second on the team with goals this season, at 36.

“He’s got some big shoes to fill (when Keaney leaves), but he’s up for the challenge,” Beckett said of Rothwell, who is expected to step into a bigger leadership role next spring.

Russo led the team with 40 goals this year and scored twice in the second-half of Thursday’s game, despite missing the first-half due to an eye issue. He is expected to transfer to a private school next year and will not return to the Big Blue.

“He could barely see out of his right eye,” Beckett said. “But he’s a true scorer.”

In net, senior Timmy Sheehan made 10 saves in his final Big Blue appearance. The Springfield College commit was instrumental in Swampscott’s Final Four run last spring and stood tall again throughout this season.

“We could not have done what we’ve done the last few years without him,” Beckett said.

Beckett added that “you can’t replace those three,” referring to Sheehan, Keaney, and Jay Domelowicz, another senior captain and a standout defender committed to Assumption University.

“Defensive guys don’t always get the same recognition,” Beckett said of Domelowicz, “but his impact is undeniable.”

With the loss, Swampscott finishes the season at 9-9 and will have to wait until next spring for another chance at a deep tournament run.

Weston will advance to face No. 7 Manchester Essex (15-3) in the Division 4 quarterfinals at 6 p.m. Sunday on home turf once again.

Scoring Summary

Swampcott Big Blue:

Weston Wildcats: