The start of postseason is still another few weeks away, but you couldn’t tell that to those at Houston Field.
Not with another colossal matchup between two preseason favorites who have fit the part of future state champions. There can only be one, and that championship game isn’t until early June, but twice now it’s been evident that some of Division III’s best girls’ lacrosse talent rests in Hopkinton and Bow.
And for the Falcons, if Monday’s game against the Hawks was anything, it was a release.
“It’s fun,” Bow coach Chris Raabe said following the 14-13 road win. “It’s a fun little rivalry. When they beat us the first time, it kind of lit a fire under my kids, and (Hopkinton) is just right up the road.”
Bow started its season off with a home loss to Hopkinton where Rabbe said the Hawks were just a faster, better team that day. The Falcons have won eight straight since that April 12 game, and No. 8 evened the regular-season series with Hopkinton.
It was a similar start to April’s game. Hopkinton scored two quick goals as Hannah Hoyt (two goals, three assists) and Annie Higginbotham (two goals, one assist) found the net nine seconds apart. The Falcons’ response was quick, as Jess Chamberlin put Bow on the board with just under 21 minutes left in the opening half and Alex Larrabee had the equalizer to tie the game at two.
Larrabee’s goal started a five-minute scoring frenzy that saw a combined seven goals scored and the score at 5-5. Hopkinton’s Sarah Chodosh scored the final goal of the half and gave the Hawks the lead at halftime.
As with the first meeting of the two, the second half featured a Falcons rally. The Hawks (7-1) had built an almost-comfortable 8-5 lead after goals from Chodosh (two goals) and Madi Zahn (four goals, one assist), but it didn’t last for long.
Larrabee cut into the lead when she scored twice within 35 seconds. Olivia Selleck tied the game, and Bow took its first lead of the afternoon with Larrabee’s third goal of the half.
“I think we’re pretty evenly matched (but) we got on a roll there, so that helps your momentum,” Raabe said. “You poke two or three in and all of a sudden the team is different; you’re playing a different style.”
The high-speed comeback never slowed as momentum continued to shift. The trio of Selleck-Larrabee-Chamberlin each scored to build the lead, with Larrabee netting her 100th career goal in the run.
With seven minutes to go and the Falcons (8-1) trying to play keepaway, the Hawks mounted their own attempt at a comeback. They forced a turnover and 17 seconds later Rose Finlayson scored as Hopkinton closed to within 13-10. Three minutes later Hoyt scored her second goal of the game and, with 3:53 left in regulation, Finlayson scored her third and final goal of the game to make it a one-score affair.
But a clutch series of plays from the Falcons ultimately preserved their lead and eventually the game. Selleck scored with 2:40 left and Elena Roy made save after save against an aggressive Hopkinton front. Even though Higginbotham scored once more to make it one-goal differential again, Bow’s second attempt at keepaway worked as it ran out the remaining 82 seconds.
Hopkinton coach Mike Zahn wasn’t critical of his team following the performance. Rather, he was content and still managed to see positive signs despite the outcome.
“This week is a tough week for us with Bow (Monday) and Derryfield on Wednesday,” Zahn said. “We’ve been fine; it was just a tough game.”
Both coaches acknowledged that their teams have given each other their best during the regular season. They hope the next time they see each other, it’s for a state championship.
While there’s still a few weeks to go, both Raabe and Zahn said they have already entered playoff preparation — meaning lighter the practice loads, preventing injuries and as always, maintaining fundamentals.
Hopkinton took its road win at the beginning of the season; Bow took its road win in the middle of the season. Both hope to have a clear-cut conclusion on June 7.
“Watch us get the same bracket,” Raabe said jokingly to Zahn.
“We just have to stay (Nos.) 1 and 2,” Zahn responded.