Hopkinton High hosted field hockey and girls soccer games on Tuesday, sweeping both by a cumulative 17-0 margin.
Both Hawks squads are off to impressive starts in this early part of the fall season, and their lopsided wins were just a snapshot of their potential.
Field Hockey
Hopkinton’s 9-0 victory over Derryfield extended the Hawks’ winning streak to four games, leaving them undefeated through NHIAA Division III play.
Seven different players got on the scoresheet for Hopkinton. Seniors Ryan Barrett and Autumn Meier both had two goals and two assists. Aurelia Salce and Lauren Vetter had a goal and an assist each. Carlie Leino, Gigi Upton and Dahlia Perry all scored as well.
Hopkinton coach Kate Hohenberger said the key to the Hawks’ success has been the upperclassmen helping “bring the underclassmen together.”
The Hawks (4-0-0) returned 12 players from last year’s squad that reached the D-III semifinals, and they are looking to push again. On Thursday, they’re headed into a rematch against Mascenic, who upset them in the semifinals last year, with plenty of momentum.
Senior Mary Maughan, a defensive leader for Hopkinton, said her team is playing with tons of confidence. The connectivity from the back line to the forwards was evident against Derryfield and has been throughout the season. Goalie Evelyn Read has only allowed one goal through four games. The offense has scored 32 in support.
“We’re able to transition really well because we’re able to communicate, because we’ve played with each other for so long,” Maughan said.
Senior classmate Ryan Barrett knows this is her last chance at a state title this year. She want to maximize it while simultaneously lifting the underclassmen to prepare them for the future.
“It’s everyone working for the same goal; it’s not really an individual thing,” Barrett said.
Girls Soccer
Hopkinton’s girls soccer team is not undefeated like the field hockey team is. That’s not to say the Hawks haven’t seen plenty of success this year.
On Tuesday, they easily beat Inter-Lakes, 8-0, with most of the goals coming early in the game. Freshman Ruby Lu Emerson led the offense with two goals and two assists, followed by senior Avery Chase’s two-goal effort. Junior Zoey Freitas scored twice and provided an assist. Junior Gemma Guadagno and freshman Emma Jenkins scored one goal each, and freshman Lily Sproles and sophomore Tessa Barton each provided an assist.
Hopkinton’s only loss of the season was a second-half collapse against Raymond on Sept. 1, ending in a 5-1 defeat. Its only draw was a 1-1 away game at Stevens. Coach Mike Zahn knows there’s room to grow, but his team is well on its way to building a strong season with a current 4-1-1 record.
Hopkinton is very young after graduating 13 seniors, with two seniors, five juniors and nine sophomores and freshmen on the team this year. The Stevens game was an especially big confidence boost, Zahn said.
“I think once the girls realized they could do that in that game, it helped,” Zahn said, talking about playing up to the competition.
Senior captains Lia Chapin and Avery Chase said it’s an odd feeling to be the leaders. Even sitting on the bus last year, they were always sat up front because seating order was by seniority. They jumped to the back row this year.
Chapin said they’ve tried to show the girls to practice with the intensity with which they would also like to play. They’ve had their work cut out for them, but so far the Hawks have had success with very talented young girls on the roster.
Each game gets better and better as the Hawks work on understanding each other on and off the field, Chase said.
“We’ve been doing the best we can to help get the younger players integrated well into the team and to make sure they all feel comfortable, confident enough in themselves to talk and have their voices out there,” Chase said.
