Stoughton hadn’t sent a team to the MIAA boys hockey tournament since 2006. Now having joined forces with Brockton, the “Boxer Knights” made up for lost time with a solid 7-1 victory over Diman in a Division 3 preliminary-round game at Asiaf Rink in Brockton.

Colby Strunk scored a pair of goals for No. 31 seed Stoughton/Brockton, and Charlie Caputo added a goal and assist. Sean Farley scored 1:22 into the game and the Knights never trailed, taking a 2-0 lead after one period on Caputo’s tally.

Diman’s Connor Faria cut into the lead 2:02 into the second period, but Strunk followed with his first goal and Cooper Card added a big goal with 21 seconds left to make it a 4-1 game after two.

Aidan Obrock, Matt Young and Strunk added goals in the third for Stoughton/Brockton, which plays No. 2 seed Scituate in a first-round game (Saturday, 1 p.m., Gallo). The last tournament win for a Stoughton team also was in 2006, a 5-2 upset of Hockomock rival King Philip in a D2 South first-round matchup.

Diman, the No. 34 seed, finished 9-10.

Ludlow 5, Apponequet 2

The No. 32 Lions broke out with three goals in the first 1:25 – two of them from Sam Cocchi, and held on the rest of the way to beat the No. 33 Lakers at Olympia Ice Center in West Springfield.

Cocchi fired home a Brandon Gomes feed from the mid slot just 19 seconds in, then Ryan Kurtz scored on a wraparound on a delayed penalty at 1:11. Just 14 seconds later it was 3-0 when Cocchi tipped home a Ben Corbin feed to the crease.

William Harrop got Apponequet on the board late in the first, but the Lakers never got any closer. Brandon Gomes and Alex Gomes added goals for Ludlow, which now gets to take on top seed Marlboro on Thursday (6 p.m., Navin Skating Rink).

Jacob Legault added a goal for Apponequet.

Division 4

South Shore 4, St. John Paul II 2

Preston Channell, the leading scorer in the state, had a pair of goals and an assist in the second period as the No. 34 seed Vikings erased an early deficit and toppled the No. 31 Lions at Lt. Kennedy Rink in Hyannis.

South Shore is making its first tournament appearance since 2011, and secured its first postseason win since 2007 (Division 3 South first round, 3-2 over Dartmouth).

Down 1-0 after a period, the Vikings got going when Channell scored a shorthanded goal at 7:11. Then 3:28 later, Channell gave South Shore the lead, and later set up Cole Sheehan’s first of two goals for a 3-1 lead after two.

Sheehan added a goal in the third, also finishing with two goals and an assist. Jacob McAleer added two assists.