CONTOOCOOK — Last season, when Hopkinton came up short in its first playoff game, it was really the first time all season the Hawks had to contend with running around in the heat.

On Monday, they had a chance to play through some warmer temperatures in their final regular season game before the playoffs start next week, in a 14-8 victory over Lebanon (8-5).

Hopkinton led most of the way, though Lebanon kept it close, with a 3-3 score through one quarter, a 7-3 Hopkinton lead at halftime and just an 8-7 lead for the Hawks around midway through the third quarter. But their ability to dig down in the latter stages should be a positive for them to build on with the playoffs on the horizon.

“Last year, our first hot game we had was in the playoffs, and it really shocked us,” co-head coach Gus Madden said. “I thought our ride looked really good, really did a great job of getting us the ball back, and I thought sometimes we rush things, and sometimes we don’t, but once we settled down and really worked our matchup, it came together for us.”

Junior Sydney Westover led the way for Hopkinton’s offense, with four goals and nine draw controls; senior Sarah Chodosh and sophomore Maeve Owens both had three-goal performances.

“We lost a lot of scoring last year from graduation and going to prep schools, and this year, some people have stepped up,” Madden said. “Sarah’s always been the anchor, Syd’s always been a real dominant force, but Maeve has really stepped up, and I think she’s doubling her goal total from last year, so that’s good.

“And then we have a supporting cast. Autumn Meier had a big game today with one really good dodge from the top which is part of her game she’s developing, so it’s always great to see that. And defensively, Helen Yeaton, we gave her the toughest draw, and she kicked it out of the park again, so once we put her down, that was the key to shutting down their offense.”

The win puts the Hawks at 12-2 to end the regular season, and they’ve now won 10 games in a row after a 2-2 start. They’re temporarily in a tie for second place with Bow and a half game above 11-2 Gilford which plays its final regular season game against Milford (1-12) on Wednesday. Either way, Hopkinton has clinched a top-five seed, so it’ll receive a bye into the quarterfinals which will be played on Thursday, May 30.