Its game was seven minutes old, and the Hopkinton girls’ lacrosse team still had its mind on another contest entirely.
Coach Tim Bassett could see it from the sideline. But before he could lecture his team, the Hawks found a way to correct the problem themselves.
Hopkinton erased a quick two-goal deficit in time to take a halftime lead against Bishop Brady, which it then built on in the second half for an 8-5 victory, its first win of the season.
“We took a little time to adjust and get back into it,” Bassett said. “Our girls settled down a bit and started playing again.”
The momentary absent-mindedness can be understood. Hopkinton was playing its first game since losing, 16-1, at Division III power Laconia Friday, and the shell shock lingered into Monday afternoon when the Green Giants (0-3) scored one and four minutes into the contest.
“I think the girls were still on their heels from (Friday) a little bit,” Bassett said.
The fog lifted soon after. Three minutes later, the crisp passing and poise on offense found the Hawks, and so did the goals. Amelia Bassett (three goals, assist) made it 2-1, and Taylor Signor scored with 14:30 and 13:03 to go for a 3-2 halftime lead.
“They did it themselves,” Coach Bassett said. “I didn’t say anything, I didn’t have to call timeout. I let them kind of settle into it, and that’s exactly what they did.”
Hopkinton, which got second-half goals from Tess Masci and Lyndon Flanagan, scored the first two goals after intermission, but the Green Giants (0-3) weren’t finished. Led by Sophia Palangas (two goals), they scored back-to-back goals in the final five minutes to cut the gap to 7-5, but an insurance tally with three minutes left kept Hopkinton in front.
Isabel Leeming, Alex Sacco and Hannah Brigham also scored for Brady.
Ireland Tawney, Cathen Hall, Ellie Morrall and Cassidy Donohoe (four saves) led the defensive effort that helped the Hawks take command of a game that was slipping away – and learn a lesson in the process.
“I’m hopeful it’s a good learning experience,” Coach Bassett said. “It’s always hopeful that they’re taking something out of every game, and getting better every week.”
Hanover 12, John Stark 10
Key players: John Stark – Sam Porter (20 saves), Lizzie Brandt (4 goals, 2 assists)
Highlights/key moments: Teams traded early goals, but Hanover pulled ahead by two halfway through the first half. Startk tied it at 6-6 by halftime, but Hanover opened the second half with a four-goal run.
Coach’s quote: “The girls played real hard versus a fast and skilled team. We have some things to work on before we meet Hanover again next Monday.” – John Stark’s John Warner
Records: John Stark 2-1; Hanover 3-0
Bow 15, Oyster River 5
Key players: Bow – Taylor Darrell (6 goals, 3 assists), Shannon Murray (3 goals, 2 assists), Zoe Jukoski (3 goals, assist), Sofia Darrell (2 goals)
Highlights/key moments: Bow opened an early lead and maintained its advantage throughout the game. Bow doesn’t play again until April 29 when it hosts St. Thomas Aquinas.
Records: Bow 2-0; Oyster River 0-2
Campbell 12, Coe-Brown 4
Key players: Andrew Dziuba (2 goals), Jack Percy (3 assists), Sam Godwin (goal), Ben Watson (goal)
Highlights/key moments: Coe-Brown fell behind early and took an 8-2 deficit into haltime. The Bears played better in the second half, but most of the damage had already been done.
Coach’s quote: “I’m impressed with their ability to continue to build and grow. We have high hopes for this program.” – Coe-Brown’s Ryan Hanavan
Records: Coe-Brown 1-1; Campbell 1-1
Hopkinton 9, Bishop Brady 6
Key players: Hopkinton– Joe Cullinan (2 goals, 3 assists), Sam Schuster (2 goals, assist), Owen Kanter (2 goals), Tim Jones (goal, assist), Prince Mansah (goal, assist), Gerry Donahue (goal, 8 takeaways); Bishop Brady – Bryce Johnson (3 goals, 2 assists), Chris Thurber (goal, assist), Rich Sullivan (goal, 2 assists), Kyle Cioffi (goal, 2 assists)
Highlights/key moments: Brady fell behind 2-0, but was able to score five of the next seven goals to take a 5-4 lead into halftime. Hopkinton dominated the second half, outscoring Brady 5-1 and creating chances off dodges.
Coach’s quote: “We created a lot of good scoring opportunities and once we figured out how to beat their goalie we were able to maintain the lead. Strong defensive play and hard work on the ride and groundballs helped us keep the ball in the hands of our offense.” – Hopkinton’s Deacon Blue
“We really struggled to get our offense going in the second half. I loved the intensity we played with and our mistakes were fixable. Our goalie, Craig Newcomb, played an excellent game with 16 saves, bailing us out a few times. Our midfield has to be better and help out the defense on clears.” – Bishop Brady’s Justin Loring
Records: Hopkinton 2-1; Bishop Brady 1-2
Kearsarge 15, Lebanon 2
Key players: Kearsarge – Colton Wilhelm (3 goals, 4 assists), Justin Norries (3 goals, 3 assists), Zander Hauck (4 goals), Lucas Muzzey (2 goals, 2 assists)
Highlights/key moments: Lebanon scored the first goal of the game, but Kearsarge responded with 14 straight. Kearsarge was up 5-1 after one quarter and 10-1 at halftime.
Coach’s quote: “Guys did a really nice job creating opportunities for one another today. We had a lot of assists and moved the ball well.” – Kearsarge’s Zach Matthews
Records: Kearsarge 2-1; Lebanon 0-1