The Hopkinton Girls’ Soccer team ended their season this past on November 10, following their loss to Bishop Feehan in the second round of playoffs.

Bishop Feehan struck quickly in the first half, putting up two goals in the first 30 minutes of the game. Both sides stayed even after that and the game ended in a 2-0 loss for Hopkinton.

Although the girls fell short in their playoff run, the season was nothing short of historic. For the first time since 1997, they were named the TVL Large Champions, finishing the regular season with a record of 11-2-3.

“It was a great accomplishment and I was very proud to see the teams hard work get rewarded,” Coach Tom Skiba said.

Last year, a few starting defenders graduated, so heading into the season, that backline needed to be rebuilt.

When asked what his thoughts were going into the season, Coach Skiba noted “I thought we would have a good team and be able to score goals. The defense was a question mark”.

One senior, Ellie Driscoll, was one of the players that stepped up to the task. Ellie had switched positions frequently throughout her high school career and played everything from forward, to midfield, to now, defense.

“I think it was a good move for me because my strength is speed” Ellie commented.

Although the defense may have been a “question mark” at the beginning of the season, it became a strength of this Hopkinton team by the end. Only 22 goals were conceded in the 20-game season.

The team also performed on the other side of the ball, scoring 54 goals led by junior, Georgie Clarke, and sophomore, Maddie Recupero.

Aside from their skill on the field, the girls had great character and won the Sportsmanship Award for the TVL.

“I really enjoyed how the players came together as a team. It was very important to see players building friendships on and off the field” Coach Skiba said.

When asked about what she was most proud of, Ellie said, “I’m proud of our team bond this season, because I feel like everyone got really close. There’s no one on the team that I wouldn’t want to like spend a day with”.

Senior captain, Emme Joy, commented that past seasons shaped her goals for this one. With COVID shortening her sophomore year, and the team not having the best season her junior year, she was proud of how far the team came this year.

“A lot of the seniors last year had such a positive impact on me and the way I play and the way I was a captain this year. Learning from them and making those friendships” Emme noted.

Looking forward, Emme and Ellie both think there is a bright future ahead for this team.

“They have so much talent, especially the younger players and as they grow… they’re just going to keep getting better and they’re going to be the new leaders for the team,” Emme said.

Coach Skiba will be ready to hit the ground running next season with this new team.

“Every off-season I look for new training methods to help the team. This year I’ll look to improve our ability to score goals and create better scoring opportunities” he said.