EXETER – Heading into the Division III championship against Kearsarge, the undefeated Hopkinton boys’ lacrosse team knew it still had to elevate its game for a chance at No. 2 Cougars.

Hopkinton, which handed Kearsarge its only two losses on the regular season, narrowly won their second matchup in overtime.

To beat a Kearsarge team bent on revenge and a formula for challenging the Hawks, Hopkinton needed to adapt.

Henry Yianakopolos certainly got the memo.

Hopkinton’s senior midfielder, who scored six goals in a 19-1 semifinal blowout of ConVal, continued his hot streak in the championship game.

Scoring the first two goals of the game in what would be a 12-7 victory, Yianakopolos spearheaded his team to an early lead that the Hawks would never relinquish.

His first goal came just 11 seconds into the game. After winning the opening draw, Yianakopolos immediately charged up the field and launched the ball into the net before Kearsarge could even blink.

“My goal is just to win faceoffs and just to push the pace,” said Yianakopolos, who finished the game with three goals. “When I win, I use my speed to my advantage and I see a wide open middle and I just take it in. If the opportunity is there, I’m going to take a shot, and luckily it went in.”

Yianakopolos was a versatile threat for defenses this season. He racked up 24 goals, 33 assists, and a commanding 156 faceoff wins.

In the postseason, he found yet another way to wreak havoc on opposing defenses by adding a left-handed shot to his repertoire.

“He just really started to figure out how to shoot,” Hopkinton Coach Deacon Blue said. “He started using his left hand, shooting on the run.”

In fact, his first goal of the game came off a left-handed shot.

“I haven’t been known for using my left hand too much and the team knows that,” Yianakopolos said. “To get that right off the bat was huge.”

Yianakopolos, who was sidelined last season with a torn labrum, is a big reason for the Hawks’ success this season.

“He stepped up, figured out how to score on offense, and it was big for the whole team,” Blue said. “(He) leads by example, is loud, talkative and I think the whole team responded by the way he was playing and acting.”

Given that opposing defenses had started keying in on other shooting threats, such as Hopkinton’s top scorer Joe Cullinan, Yianakopolos knew he had to take the offensive reins for the Hawks.

“I want to give them the ball because they’re our shooters,” Yianakopolos said. “But since teams started to notice them and started pushing out on them, I had to step up.”

While Yianakopolos is likely finished playing competitive lacrosse – he plans to play football at the University of Rhode Island – finishing his senior year as a state champion means a lot to him.

“It’s amazing. I’ve never been to a championship game myself,” Yianakopolos said. “Finally getting there and winning it, there’s not enough to say.”