CONTOOCOOK — The Monadnock High girls’ soccer team came to Hopkinton on Thursday looking for a win to keep itself in the playoff picture with the regular season winding down, but the Hawks defended their home turf instead in a 3-0 victory.
The win kept Hopkinton (8-3-2) in the top five of the Division III standings.
Hopkinton senior Elise Miner scored two goals, one in each half, to put the Hawks ahead, 2-0. Junior Sarah Chodosh assisted the first goal, and senior Paige Martin assisted the second. Freshman Paige Prisco-Nelson added her second career goal in the second half to further expand the lead.
On the defensive side, Hopkinton goalkeeper Maddie Carmichael made multiple key saves in the shutout. She was aided by the play of senior defender and team leader Lexi Lawler.
“It’s a good leadership role,” Lawler said of her contributions to the team. “I get to see the entire field and let people know where to play the ball.”
Hopkinton has now won six of its last seven games and is in strong position to host in the first round of the playoffs.
The Huskies (5-8-1) remain near the cusp of qualifying for the 16-team postseason tournament.