Manchester
Having Superman in your corner doesn’t hurt, either.
Senior midfielder Jacob Rockwood scored the match’s only goal in the 25th minute and led the fifth-seeded Hawks’ superior second half in a 1-0 NHIAA Division III boys soccer championship win over No. 2 Stevens on Saturday at Southern New Hampshire University’s Larkin Field.
Although the Cardinals (17-3-0) enjoyed large stretches of possession, they couldn’t light enough of a fire under their high-octane attack to match a Rockwood goal that came from almost nothing. Stevens’ opportunities became fewer and further between as the match extended until Hopkinton (17-3-0) walked off with the hardware.
“Let’s do it again; I think we can get back here next year,” said fifth-year Stevens coach Jason Stone, the former Lebanon High junior varsity boss. “We’re only losing two starters and four overall. The core group is coming back.
“It feels OK. We did what we needed to do. We needed to get to get to the state finals, and we did.”
The title is Hopkinton’s second in four years. The loss extended Stevens High’s championship drought; the last time a Cardinal team won state honors came with boys soccer in 1989.
“Jacob … to come out here in the finals and score the only goal of the game, he’s our superstar and he got it done when it mattered most,” Hopkinton coach Scott Zipke said. “To see a kid to be able to execute like that is what it’s all about. Good for him.”
Both teams could claim the maestro’s baton through the first half of play. Stevens came right out of the gate, senior midfielder Ethan Sweet forcing an easy save from Hopkinton netminder Tim Meserve in the opening minute. The Cards were at their best on the counterattack, with Sweet, Noah Spaulding and senior sub Coby Hussey running right at attackers, although none of Stevens’ bids bothered Meserve much.
The Cards also showed their skills on set pieces, twice nearly denting the Hawks’ net. Left back Logan Bonneau sailed a shockingly wide-open header from 6 yards over Merserve’s cage in the 14th minute, and Sweet set the crossbar vibrating with a point-blank blast in the 37th after Hopkinton let Spaulding’s service roll right through the box.
Hopkinton, however, hit halftime with the lead. Off a right-wing throw, Max Rossignol popped a head ball away from a Stevens defender to the left foot of Rockwood, who beat helpless Cardinal keeper Tanner Durkee from 8 yards at 24:25.
Sweet pumped seven of the Cardinals’ 11 first-half shots, so Hopkinton used the second half to take him and Stevens’ dangerous counterattacks out of action. The Cards managed just three shots in the final 40 minutes, and Hopkinton counters kept Durkee (nine saves) busy as Stevens pushed bodies forward.
One last rush nearly brought Stevens level. Spaulding accepted a diagonal pass on the right flank in the 77th minute and outraced his mark toward the goal line. Cutting back, the junior fired a 12-yarder right at Meserve, who made the stop and kept Stevens’ Drew Grenier from knocking the ball loose after a collision.
While still seeking the big plaque, the Cards can take solace in the fact that, under Stone’s guidance, they’ve become a threat every time they take the field. On top of that, only starters Sweet and Bonneau and reserves Hussey and Christian Menendez graduate, leaving Stevens poised to make another deep run next November.
“Honestly, I thought we were a little bit more scary than they were,” Stone said.