The Hopedale Blue Raiders’ bid to repeat in Division 5 ended in heartbreak as No. 3 Hull edged the No. 2-seeded Blue Raiders 1-0 in a defensive, high-pressure semifinal. Hopedale arrived at the final four with an impressive playoff goal differential of 13-0 and had earned a reputation for shutting down opponents. Hull came in with a robust 23-3 scoring margin and matched Hopedale’s intensity in the semifinal.
This contest was a tactical battle across the pitch, with both teams limiting dangerous chances and defenders on both sides holding firm. The decisive moment arrived in the 65th minute when Brianna Ramos produced a brilliant solo effort, beating multiple Hopedale defenders with close control and finishing for the game’s only goal. Hull’s finishing touch was the difference in an otherwise tightly contested match.
Though disappointed, Hopedale can take pride in the season’s progress after a round-of-16 exit last year. The Blue Raiders showed they can compete deep into the postseason and will return key pieces, and learning from a campaign that moved the program forward. Hull advances to the final and will carry momentum from Ramos’s decisive strike.
