Hopkinton coach Scott Zipke said he hopes the memory of back-to-back state champions reverberates for years to come.

“Those leaving, they left a legacy of excellence and served as an example that we strive for excellence here at Hopkinton,” said Zipke. “You often see trends set where if you have an average year, the kids next year will aim to be average. But if you get on a roll and kids see that goals are being set higher, they want to do just as well or even better than those before them.”

That’s quite the lofty task, added Zipke, who noted his five Class M all-staters this year are good enough to excel at any level of high school competition.

“To replace players like that … Well, you can’t hope to replace them, but you just do your best to fill the holes as best as you can and continue to set the bar high.”

And while the team must fill holes for 10 departing seniors, including first-team all-state selections David Wood and Zach Cousens, Zipke said he is confident the return of three other all-state selections – first-team picks Travis Fuglestad and Brian Long among them – means continued success.

“Having four first-teamers is really tremendous,” said Zipke.

“It’s a little unusual, I think, but it really shows that other coaches in the state recognize the caliber of these guys. That they looked at them and said, ‘It doesn’t matter they are on the same team, this is how I have to vote.’” Wood, a midfielder, came in eighth in voting for the all-New England team, just missing the exclusive honor.

But Wood, who Zipke said was the best in Class M this season, earned a spot on the Twin State team and will compete for New Hampshire with 21 other players from all four New Hampshire classes – L, I, M and S – when the Granite State faces Vermont in July.

“Statewide, people really know who Dave Wood is, and it was good to see him recognized as one of the best players in the state in any division,” said his coach. “Even when opponents marked him, he was able to distribute the ball so well that it gave other players the time to really blossom and made us that much more dangerous.”

Cousens, the other senior first-team all-state selection, doubled the vote total of the next closest goalkeeper.

“Zach Cousens made saves the last two years that simply kept us from losing games in the semi-finals and finals both years,” said Zipke.

Fuglestad, who scored 21 goals this season, made his second consecutive first-team allstate appearance.

“Coming in, he had big expectations, and I think making first team again proved he really belongs in that upper tier of players,” said Zipke. “He was probably a bigger threat to score goals than any other player we saw all year.”

That may be due, in larg epart, to Long.

Zipke can’t remember an opposing player beating him all season.

“He isn’t the most imposing player physically, but the best players in state just couldn’t get by him,” he said. “I mean, he flat out was just able to stop them.” Assisting Long in the backfield was sweeper Travis Kuster, who received an honorable mention in his first year playing varsity soccer.

The tandem of Kuster, Long and Cousens on defense, said Zipke, made each a standout on the field as they held opponents to 11 goals throughout the season.