Maddie Recupero controls the ball during an early season win over Norwood. PHOTO/JOHN CARDILLO

Hopkinton High School girls soccer coach Tom Skiba was pleased with the way his team looked at the start of the preseason, and he said the leadership of his senior captains should go a long way toward helping the team achieve success this fall.

“The kids came in very fit, and skill-wise they look pretty good,” Skiba said. “They put some time in before the tryouts, which was great to see.”

The highly touted Hillers played well in both of their scrimmages ahead of the Sept. 3 home opener against Norwood, the coach said, and the captains have been leading the way. Four-year varsity players Maddie Recupero and Nina Tzouganatos and three-year standout Fotini Grontzos each will hold down a different part of the field.

Recupero, Skiba said, will play the role of “creative playmaker.”

“Her skills are beyond belief, as is her running ability — she can run forever,” he said of the Princeton University commit. “You combine those two things, and it’s very fun to watch her play. She is very creative for herself and her forward teammates.”

As the holding midfielder, the Boston University-bound Tzouganatos effectively is the quarterback of the team.

“She dictates the pace of play and she helps to keep everyone organized on attack,” Skiba said. “She helps to dictate how we want to attack different teams.”

Finally, Grontzos is expected to take on a bigger scoring role this fall following the graduation of a couple of seniors on the forward line.

“We are looking for her to be a goal scorer,” Skiba said. “She will get more minutes than she has in the past, and we will utilize her as a creative playmaker as well.”

In addition to the trio of captains, Skiba said the Hopkinton back four and goalkeeper are going to be a “foundation” for the Hillers after the unit was more or less rebuilt last year following an exodus of graduating seniors.

“They had a phenomenal preseason,” Skiba said. “We can get aggressive and creative on offense knowing that they can hold down the fort against anybody.”

Hopkinton’s goals this season start right from winning the first game of the season and will build throughout the year. Skiba said winning the Tri-Valley League Large School Division and qualifying for the state tournament also are at the top of the list. Ideally, Hopkinton hopes to win enough games during the regular season to earn a home game or two in the tournament and make as deep a run as possible.

Skiba said this team has the ability to tick those goals off the list.

“I think all of those are achievable,” he said. “How far we get in the tournament is anybody’s guess, but I think we have a fair shot of doing those things.”