Hopkinton boys soccer carries reminder of state final catastrophe to avoid repeating it

HOPKINTON - Three numbers on a white, laminated placard cast a pall over the Hopkinton classroom.

The Hillers boys soccer team was passing out equipment in a classroom before the season. Assistant coach Dan Collins crafted a tag with 2:31 emblazoned on it. To most, the numbers are either either mid-afternoon or the middle of the night on a digital clock. In the Hopkinton boys soccer program, those numbers represent regret, failure and catastrophe.

Hopkinton led Oliver Ames 2-1 in the waning minutes of last season's Division 2 state championship game. The Tigers scored twice in two minutes and 31 seconds to snatch the lead and the trophy.

"It was hard. I think most of the people in the room wanted to forget about it," Hopkinton senior Jack Ianelli said. "I still haven't watched the full game back. I don't like looking back at that and seeing the last game I played with that team."

He and some other seniors are still in touch with the 14-strong graduating class of 2023. They've told him, "Wow, I don't know if I could deal with that the entire season."

Which is part of Collins' point. He says "if it's unmentionable, it's unmanageable." Collins plunged similar depths for the previous season's bag tag. Hopkinton hadn't won a Tri-Valley League title since 2009. He plastered "Tri-Valley League Champions 2009" on the green rectangle. The Hillers crossed out 2009 and replaced it with 2022 once they won the crown.

"Something like (the state final), we can't just put it back behind us because it is a big part of who we are," Hopkinton senior William Bialobrzeski said. "We've got to face it and make sure it doesn't happen again."

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The 2:31 becomes a moment to learn from rather than regret. Hopkinton won five one-goal games during the regular season. Exorcising those demons required acknowledging they existed.

"My confidence has grown since the beginning of the season. I was like, 'I don't know if we have what it takes to protect a lead like that,'" Ianelli said. "Our team has shown time and time again we have what it takes. That mentality has even passed down to the younger kids, some of the sophomores and freshmen have even been saying 2:31. Even though they didn't play on that team, they know what it means to this program."

The Hillers emphasize time in every one of their matches. They divide the game into eight 10-minute segments and try to win each of the slices.

"The 2:31 is about playing 80 minutes, hard. That’s been one of our themes this year. They’ve lived up to it," Hopkinton coach Garrett Sawyer said. "These guys seem to come through as a team mentally when it’s close at the end."

They owe a portion of that to their lockdown defense. Hopkinton set a program record for the fewest goals allowed in a regular season for the second year in a row. The Hillers let in just 13 a season after conceding just 14 times.

"We're always talking and helping each other, telling people where we're at. That has helped us tremendously," Bialobrzeski said.

Protecting a lead takes more than a defense, however. A team can only absorb so much pressure before eventually cracking. Successfully ending a game ahead requires buy-in and collaboration with the midfield and the forwards.

Hopkinton kept its season going by executing at all three levels. The Hillers put in two goals in the first 1:37 against North Attleborough in Wednesday's Division 2 Round of 16. Rather than hanging back on a job well done, Hopkinton pressed for more separation.

"We wanted to be more comfortable with our lead because a two nothing lead is great, but we see leads like that go away all the time," Ianelli said.

Ianelli made it 3-1 in the 55th minute, and once the Rocketeers narrowed the margin to 3-2 with 20 minutes to go, the Hillers knew how to ensure they moved on.

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Hopkinton switches its formation often throughout a game to respond to circumstances. Last year that meant pulling Ianelli off the field for more defensive-minded teammates.

"I'd have to watch from the bench, and that wasn't a good feeling," he said. "I wanted to be out there trying to protect the lead for my team."

Now Ianelli drops back into midfield and works with the defenders. They keep their communication positive, especially after seeing the blame games some of their opponents play.

"If someone makes a mistake, that's obviously not their intention," he said.

Perspective like that is hard earned. It takes reflection and understanding a larger picture. The Hillers' 3-2 win on Wednesday ensured them a trip to play top-seeded Bedford (11-2-5) in the Division 2 state quarterfinals on Saturday (noon).

Hopkinton's boys soccer team carries its greatest failure on its back every day to avoid repeating it. Everything else feels lighter by comparison.

Contact Kyle Grabowski at kgrabowski@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @kylegrbwsk.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Hopkinton boys carries memory of state final catastrophe on backpacks