Why is no one talking about the undefeated Hopkinton Hiller’s girls soccer team?
With 14 wins, zero losses and one tie, this Hillers squad is seeking to equal the school record set by last year’s team, which ended the season 17-0-1. That team made a deep run into the playoffs, only to see their dream end 1-0 on a flukey goal from a Bishop Feehan corner kick in the state semifinals.
They were led by Hopkinton’s goal scoring record holder, Georgina Clarke, who notched 52 career goals and now plays for Boston College. It also featured star center back Brooke Birtwistle (now at Brown University) and Juliana Grontzos, who anchored the defense and now plays for Connecticut College.
Entering the season, HGVS fans may have thought this year would be a letdown without the offensive firepower of Clarke up top. But nothing could be further from the case. This Hiller girls team has outscored their opponents 60-7 and defeated both Tri-Valley League and non-league rivals capably.
What is most startling is the possession advantage the girls maintain. Across 14 games the Hillers average 60% possession and a successful completion pass completion rate of 71%. These are stratospheric performances, and are an obvious key to their success. By and large, opponents spend most of the game chasing the ball around the field, exhausting even the most fit squads.
The engine that powers this team is senior midfielder and Princeton commit Madison Recupero, who orchestrates the game in a way no other midfielder in Hillers history has been able to do. Recupero deftly moves the ball between defenders, cutting left and right, and opening passing lanes for her teammates. Recupero has already notched 22 goals on the season with ruthless scoring efficiency: She has taken 50 shots with 32 on target. Notably, Recupero now has 43 career goals for Hopkinton and has a legitimate chance to beat Clarke’s school record.
Recupero’s partner in crime is senior midfielder and BU commit Nina Tzouganatos; the two play club ball together and have for years. Where Recupero’s game is defined by finesse, Tzouganatos is a blunt instrument, breaking opposing attacks before opponents can even advance into the defensive third of the field. Tzouganatos also excels at creating opportunities for her teammates: she leads the team with 13 assists.
The Hillers are productive up and down the roster. The team’s second leading score is freshman Riley Colleran, who (off the bench) has 6 goals and 6 assists on the season. Colleran contributes a mix of blistering speed and a crossing ability that perplexes rival defenses. Junior Alyson Green, who has appeared in just 9 matches, now has 6 goals on the season.
The squad was blessed to have strong goalkeeping last year, and with the same group returning the depth in that position should not be overlooked. Starting goalkeeper Aila Chase was sidelined midseason with an injury and was replaced by junior Ella Nye and newcomer Taylor Skaff, but the Hillers have seen no difference in the outcome. The goalkeeping committee has recorded 9 shutouts this season, which also speaks to the strength of the Hiller defense. Occasionally bending but rarely breaking, the Hillers have allowed just one goal from the run of play all season.
Hopkinton has steadily climbed the MIAA power rankings and are now ranked third in the state. They are one of only five undefeated teams, just behind perennial powerhouses Natick and Wellesley. The Hillers must maintain a top four spot in the power rankings to guarantee home field advantage for the early games in the state tournament. With just four league games remaining, all against opponents previously beaten, Hopkinton is in an enviable position. The absolute dominance in possession the Hillers demonstrate strikes fear into the heart of any opponent, because the math is clear: In soccer, if you don’t have the ball, you cannot score, and the Hillers have shown time and again that they can play keep away like no one else.
Hopkinton has a legitimate chance to win the state title and yet there’s little talk of them outside of a profile on Recupero in the Metrowest Daily News. Around town and on social media it’s eerily quiet, and the sidelines are populated by the usual suspects; parents, grandparents and friends. The Supporters’ Section remains curiously empty.
On Thursday, October 17 at 4:30, the Hillers face Dedham at HHS. Prior to the match, ten senior players will be joined on field by their families in recognition for what they have accomplished this season and throughout their career.
If you’ve yet to see the Hillers play this season Thursday night presents a good opportunity. This team is just getting started.
Peter Thomas is a special correspondent for HopNews.
