The girls’ soccer team defeated Ashland during senior night on Monday, October 25. Goals were scored by sophomore Jo Dupont with two, senior Ashley Butler, and freshman Nina Tzouganatos.

In the previous game against Ashland, Hopkinton secured the victory, again scoring four goals and shutting out Ashland on their home field.

The event began with a celebration for the seniors.

The Hillers started the game with a visible intensity, hoping to win their last home game. The bench played a large role in this energy with loud cheering and clapping.

“The energy [from the bench] translates tremendously onto the field which raises the intensity of playing for all of us,” Dupont said.

Dupont, an outside winger, scored the Hillers’ first goal 16 minutes in the first half. She received a pass from a teammate, beat her defender, and scored off a breakaway.

She scored again, in the seventh minute of the second half. This time she stole the ball from a defender and similar to her first goal was able to take a shot on Ashland’s exposed goalie.

“Honestly, leading up to the goals, I was really just focused on getting my shots off and placing the ball in tough spots for the keeper,”  DuPont said.

With a 2-0 score, the Hillers began to play more cautiously. They held onto the ball and kept possession, Tzouganatos scored with less than 5 minutes left in the game.

“Leading up to [the goal], I just felt that I had to get into a position to help to shoot,” Tzouganatos said.

As the game wound down, Butler got the ball wide open at the top of the penalty area and scored over the goalie’s hands, just under the crossbar.

“I was really surprised when I scored because I wasn’t expecting it to go in. I didn’t really think about it beforehand. I just shot and then was super excited,” Butler said.

Following the game, both smiles and tears were seen coming from the players. The 16 underclassmen had worked hard to plan a special night for the seniors, which included, making posters, t-shirts, customized blankets, and car decorations.

“One tradition that I think is important to continue is decorating the seniors’ cars with their nicknames and jokes from the season,” junior Kylie Skiba said, who played a large role in planning senior night.

The evening was successful despite the bad weather. Both the players and the fans were able to make the most of the exciting evening.