Hopkinton gets OT goal to beat Bishop Brady in D3 field hockey final (video)

BEDFORD - Not many teams would give up a lead late in a championship game and be bale to bounce back in overtime.

The Hopkinton High School field hockey team is not like most teams.

Despite seeing a two-goal halftime lead disappear in the final minutes of Monday's Division III final, the top-seeded Hawks came out flying to start overtime and got a game-winning goal from Julia Baer with 3:11 remaining to take a 3-2 win over No. 6 Bishop Brady at Bedford High School.

It's Hopkinton's first title since 1992, and for Baer and fellow senior captain Kate Bouchard, it was the perfect end to a high school career that saw them finish as the D3 runner-up as freshmen.

"It feels great," Baer said. "We were here in the championship my freshman year and we lost. That was really big for us. I’m so happy we took the win senior year. This team is incredible. We have such a well-rounded team. I think we deserved it."

Baer had two goals for Hopkinton (17-0) and Hannah Hoyt scored on a penalty stroke that gave the Hawks a 1-0 lead just 3:27 into the game. Abby Simpson finished with four saves and the Hawks had an 11-8 edge in penalty corners.

"Our whole motivation this year was to prove it," Hopkinton coach Kate Hohenberger said. "To prove it to ourselves, to prove it to other teams, that we have what it took to be the No. 1 team. That’s what was driving us all year. We came in undefeated and knowing we needed to finish. We worked this hard, we couldn’t let it go, and they did it. But we did it in our fashion. We like to keep everyone on our toes."

Bishop Brady (14-5), which was the two-time defending division champion, got a goal and an assist from Mieke Rentsch while Kimbale Rose scored the tying goal with 3:13 to play to send the game to overtime.

The Hawks had opportunities to extend their lead in the fourth quarter, getting four corners early in the frame and getting a couple of breakaway chances that they couldn't finish.

But despite that, Hopkinton felt good about going into overtime.

"I think we were all ready to go," Baer said. "The last game we played against Newfound (in the semifinals), we went into overtime, too. We’ve been there, we’ve got this. We were kind of confident."

Hohenberger never saw any panic from the Hawks down the stretch.

"This team doesn’t and they never really have," she said. "They’ve got that drive. I wasn’t too worried, as long as they stuck together and had great communication on the field, then we were good.

"They were working hard. Everyone was where they were supposed to be, it was just a matter of the right touch to get it in the goal. It wasn’t connecting with that little piece. They like to give me grey hairs. I adore them and they worked their tails."

Hoyt's goal was the only tally for most of the first half, until Baer scored with 14 seconds left to give Hopkinton a 2-0 lead going into the break and all the momentum.

But midway through the third, Hoyt picked up a green card and Bishop Brady took advantage, getting a corner. A drive by Libbey Hicks was tipped in by Rentsch with 4:25 left in the third to make it a 2-1 game.

Hopkinton's midfield and defense were able to keep the Giants from getting many more opportunities, but with under four minutes to play, Bishop Brady was able to get into the circle and get a corner.

An initial shot by Rentsch came back to her and she snuck a pass across to Rose, who knocked it into the open goal, and setting up the overtime.

The Hawks got a corner early in the extra session, but Hicks was able to clear the circle quickly. Hopkinton got another corner a few minutes later, and after an initial save by Bishop Brady goalie Julie Blais (seven saves), Baer came in to knock in the rebound.

"Someone sent it into the goalie’s pads and it popped up," she said. "We shoved it in and there it was. You’ve just got to keep going at it."