HOPKINTON – Wednesday’s match was supposed to be one for the ages.
Two undefeated teams with way too many similarities prior: the amount of wins (8), the number of shutouts (6), even the scores of their last three games were near-identical.
And it looked as though the match would play out close until the very end with the score tied at halftime. Hopkinton, however, had other plans in mind and, behind its offensive dominance in the second half, defeated visiting Gilford, 8-2.
What quickly became one of the most anticipated games on the schedule based on records, the Hawks knew to some extent this match would be a measuring stick.
“We expected Gilford to be strong, and so really it was to challenge the girls to stay focused and work hard in practice,” Hopkinton assistant coach Courtney Benson said. “We knew this was going to be a statement to the division who’s on top, and we really wanted to set that tone.”
Benson, who filled in for head coach Mike Zahn and who is a former Hopkinton player herself, challenged the Hawks at halftime to look at what worked in the opening 40 minutes of the game. After the assessment, they had a plan to score five goals in the second half.
They had to settle for six.
Jess Carney broke the stalemate in the 44th minute when she kicked in a shot from the far right side of the pitch. Carney’s goal sailed just underneath the crossbar, going from right to left and smacking against the back of the net.
Carney’s game-winning goal – after all, she was the one who canceled out the tie – was just the beginning of the offensive showcase for the three-time reigning Division III state champions.
In an eight-minute span, which started in the 67th minute, the Hawks netted their desired five goals. Liz Holmes scored when she used her chest to send a ball home that was originally off the foot of Loren Charron on a corner kick.
Ashlee Brehio scored back-to-back goals two minutes apart. Her goal in the 70th minute was on a breakaway opportunity, where she faked out the defense to her right and then went left. The other goal was scored on a failed corner kick that she sent into play. The ball made its way back out into space, where Brehio sent the shot in as soon as the ball hit her cleat.
Juliana Pardo, who after the game was ear-to-ear smiles about it, scored her first goal of the season following a two-on-one sequence. Charron wrapped up the goals with another odd rush situation.
“Coming out big and scoring six in the second half was definitely good motivation for our team to finish the season strong and get into playoffs with a good foot,” Pardo said.
Brehio finished with a hat trick, having also scored in the first half. Annie Higginbotham opened the scoring for the Hawks.
Hopkinton (9-0-0) might enter playoffs on more than a good foot. Wednesday’s win against the now third-best team in the division — Trinity is second at 7-0-0 — was still by a magin of six goals, its third-largest differential of the season. The Hawks will go for win No. 10 on Saturday at Hillsboro-Deering.