As the Hawks’ season progressed, they got better. The same can be said of their performance in the championship game.

The No. 5 Hopkinton boys’ lacrosse team (13-5) survived a chaotic three quarters with a one-goal lead and netted the final three goals of the game to claim the Division III championship with a 7-4 victory over the No. 2 Campbell Cougars (15-3) on Sunday at Exeter High School’s Bill Ball Stadium.

The Hawks, who started out the season 5-5, closed out their championship campaign with an eight-game winning streak and avenged last year’s disappointment in the title game, a 12-10 loss to Laconia.

“We had a really hard path,” said senior defenseman Steven Reddy, one of Hopkinton’s captains. “It means everything to me. We lost here last year. It feels unbelievable. It was hard. That is a good team. But we played our game and I think we’re the best defensive team in the league. We played our game and did our thing.”

“Our game” means defense, and it’s understandable to predict a defensive battle given how Campbell and Hopkinton’s previous meeting went, a 4-2 win for the Cougars on April 21.

Call it championship game jitters, unsure footing on turf, or excellent defense, but whatever the reason, the two teams combined for more than 50 turnovers, 30 of them in the first 24 minutes alone of a chaotic, helter-skelter first half full of dropped and errant passes, wild shots, big hits, limited possession time and seemingly endless battles for loose balls on the ground.

It wasn’t until 1:52 remained in the first quarter that senior middie Lincoln Wilson (six ground balls) put the first goal on the scoreboard. Freshman Shane Smith (three ground balls) netted another 30 seconds into the second quarter to put Hopkinton up 2-0, but Campbell’s Cruz Sandquist and Andrew Willnus (three goals) scored in the final six minutes of the half to tie it 2-2 by halftime.

Willnus scored with 7:10 left in the third quarter to give the Cougars their only lead of the game, 3-2, but senior attack Nick Martel (two assists) and Wilson scored at 3:47 and 1:43, respectively, to give the Hawks a 4-3 lead heading into the final frame.

In the fourth quarter the game changed. Hopkinton’s offense clicked. Possessions were sustained. Passes were made with purpose and successfully completed.

“As the season progressed, our offense got better and better, and I think the same thing happened in the game,” Hopkinton head coach Deacon Blue said. “We were able to possess more and more and keep the ball out of their hands. They’ve got a potent offense. We knew we had to possess, and they did a good job responding.”

“I think a lot of us came into it and we didn’t realize (until halftime) it was our last time playing,” Reddy added. “This is my last time playing on this team. And we had to give it our everything. We had to give it our all. 

Willnus completed his hat trick with 7:47 left in the game to tie the score 4-4, but the Hawks defense didn’t let Campbell near the cage again, and senior attack John Despres, junior attack Patty Buss (two assists, three ground balls) and senior middie Will Chapin all scored over the final four minutes of action.

Junior Ozzie Rosenholm won 12 of 14 faceoffs, including a perfect record in the second half, and Reddy (five ground balls, four caused turnovers) and junior defenders Cam Bassett (four caused turnovers) and Avery Condon (eight ground balls, three caused turnovers) led a strong defensive effort throughout.

Senior midfielder Robby Rinden (six ground balls, two caused turnovers) and junior defender Brayden Crawford (three ground balls, two caused turnovers) played good defense off the bench.

“Cam, Steven and Avery are arguably some of the best defenders in our division,” Blue said. “We know (Campbell) has some potent offense and we had to lock them up. Willnus is always a threat. We put Reddy on him and he shut him down most of the time. What we’ve seen from them before, they like to draw and dump. They draw it up top (of the circle) and then cut around the back, so we were looking out for that stuff and keeping our heads on a swivel, seeing where they were.”

Campbell goalie Ryan Guerrette (seven saves) and Hopkinton junior netminder Colby Boissy (13 saves) both played exceptionally well.

What’s even more impressive is that this is Boissy’s first year playing lacrosse. He previously played baseball in the spring season, but as a soccer goalie, he showed a knack for the position on the lacrosse field.

“He’s an incredibly athletic dude,” Blue said. “He’s making no-look saves. He’s got a sixth sense for where the ball is going to be. Not your textbook technique goalie, but he’s got the quick hands and hand-eye coordination.”

While Hopkinton boasts a steady, experienced defense, an emerging offense, and an athletic goaltender, it’s the team’s cohesiveness and camaraderie that stands out to Blue as his squad’s best attribute.

“They’re just such a cohesive team,” Blue said. “We have a lot of fun at practice and in games. That’s my philosophy, it should be fun for the guys. Learn life lessons from it and have each other’s backs. They’re incredibly selfless. Nobody is trying to do it all for themselves. It’s all for the team.”

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