The bracket consisting of 11 teams has narrowed to just two, and it’s only appropriate that it’s these two.
No. 1 Hopkinton will face No. 6 Bishop Brady in the Division III state final on Monday, and these teams aren’t strangers to one another.
The Hawks entered the tournament as the undoubted top team after posting an undefeated regular season. They won their two tournament games by a combined 3-0, including the semifinal against No. 4 Newfound, where the match in double overtime.
This is the first championship game that Hopkinton has played in since 2018, when it lost in a tight game to Mascoma, 1-0. It is seeking out its first championship victory since 1992, when it defeated White Mountains, 3-1.
Hopkinton is led by Kate Bouchard, who was recently announced as the Division III Defensive Player of the Year, and two of its other All-State players in Julia Baer and Natalie Allen.
Brady will be playing in its third consecutive final. The Giants were crowned champions last season over Berlin despite the game not being played because of COVID-19. They also were Division III champions in 2019 after a 1-0 victory over Mascoma.
The reigning state champions entered the postseason on a sour note – a 3-0 loss to its counterpart in this year’s state final. Before that loss, however, Brady was on a five-game win streak and very much was in its championship ways. It opened the playoffs with an 8-0 trouncing over Littleton and then won its next two games, 9-3, to punch a ticket to the final.
Libbey Hicks has been one of the main characters in Brady’s story this season. Hicks, the offensive player of the year and First-Team All-State forward, has scored in each of the Giants’ games this postseason. She’s joined by fellow First-Teamer Mieke Rentsch and Second-Teamer Michaella Savary.
Monday’s final will be the third matchup between the two programs this season. Hopkinton leads the series 2-0. The Hawks defeated the Giants in Concord, 4-3, back in September and at home, 3-0, in October.
The championship will take place at Bedford High School and is set to begin at 6:30 p.m.