The Dartmouth High hockey team is heading back to the playoffs after the team picked up its 10th win on February 11.

Dartmouth took the lead early in the first period in its matchup against Apponequet Regional High, scoring the first goal of the game two minutes in. The Indians closed the period 5-0. In the second period, the Lakers put their first point on the board, but Dartmouth responded with three goals of its own. At the end of the third, Dartmouth took the win, 9-2.

“When you’re able to score early things tend to go your way,” said head coach Mike Cappello. “We came out firing, got off on the right foot, and built a nice lead in the first period.”

The win brings Dartmouth to a 4-0-1 record for its last five games (10-5-1 to date), which broke a three-game losing streak that began with a loss to Westfield on January 14. Cappello credited the win to improvements he’s been working on throughout the season.

“We got our legs, and we’re a much better conditioned team,” Cappello said. “We’re getting more balanced scoring. We’re getting good goaltending. It’s a little bit of everything, but for the most part, I think as a team we’re coming together.”

The win officially qualifies the Indians for postseason action, which Cappello is no stranger to. Last season, Dartmouth secured the top seed in its division, beating Bellingham and Rockland before falling to Hanover in the Div. 2 South semifinals.

With the postseason two weeks away, Cappello is focused on the last few remaining regular season games. The Indians have a tough path to clear, and Cappello hopes for wins to improve tournament seeding. The first major challenger: Rockland on February 15.

“Rockland is a team that’s only lost one game,” Cappello said. “They beat us earlier this year.”

Cappello’s plan: up the offensive strength in the neutral zone and strengthen the team’s defensive abilities.

From there, the Indians will take on Bridgewater-Raynham for the Old Colony League title. A win gives Dartmouth the championship title, while a tie will result in a shared first-place win. The season concludes with the Bishop Stang Tournament on February 22 and 23.

It’s a tough lineup, but it’s exactly where Cappello said the team needs to be.

“It’s definitely a tough end team wise, but it’s what you want to be doing,” Cappello said. “If you’re getting into the tournament, you want to be playing some of the better teams to get your own team ready for the pace of the game, for the intensity of the game and all that comes with it.”

While it’s still too early to make predictions, Cappello anticipates about 18-20 teams will qualify for the postseason.

“Come that time, it’s anyone’s game,” Cappello said.