When they needed her most, Hopkinton senior sharpshooter Maeve Owens stepped up. Cutting towards the goal, she took a whack to the face.
She was given a penalty shot and scored with ease. After a series of long possessions, Owens scored again. She finished with six goals to vault the Hawks to a 16-6 win.
On a rare missed shot from Owens in the third quarter, Pippa Lang scooped it up behind the goal, quickly bull-rushed around the net, and smashed one through with a strong overhead shot. It sank Laconia’s hearts and put Hopkinton up by five goals.
“I think we worked a lot harder this year,” Owens said about the team’s path to the playoffs. “I think we have really good chemistry going on.”
No. 2 Hopkinton (14-1) is now on to the semis to face the defending champion, No. 3 St. Thomas.
“I think every team that’s left at this point is going to be dangerous,” co-head coach Gus Madden said before learning his team’s next opponent. “We just have to be ready.”
Senior midfielder Marcella Guadagno and junior defender Autumn Meier were crucial in controlling the midfield, generating three turnovers and scooping nine ground balls between the two.
Seniors Emma Pelletier and Ava Burns dominated the faceoff alongside Meier, and combined for 11 draw controls. Pelletier also had four ground ball wins. Meier and Pelletier had two goals each, while Lang had two goals and two assists.
Hopkinton junior Autumn Meier (L) rushes on the fast break after picking up a ground ball, taking it all the way into the crease to score against Laconia in the quarterfinals on June 4, 2026. Credit: ALEXANDER RAPP / Monitor 
Hawks senior Ava Burns (L) and Sachem’s Ava Currier battle for a draw in Hopkinton on June 4, 2026 for the D-III quarterfinals. Credit: ALEXANDER RAPP / Monitor
The offensive versatility of the team was on full display, but it was also the defense that stepped up. They only allowed one goal in the remaining 22 minutes of the game.
Senior Helen Yeaton and Ryan Barrett stepped up big alongside the aforementioned middies to shut it down.
They have worked more than usual on positioning and staying fresh on defense with smart rotations, according to both Yeaton and Coach Madden. They hope to be a tougher nut to crack this year.
“Just keeping that intensity up throughout the game and never putting our heads down, even if we are down,” Yeaton said on the defense’s effort.
The Hawks will play St. Thomas (16-2) on Saturday at 4 p.m. in the Bank of NH Stadium in Laconia.
St. Thomas was the only team to hand the Hawks a loss. Last year, Hopkinton lost in a disheartening semifinal. They’re going to have to break a pattern this weekend to advance to their first championship since 2022.
