Hopkinton High School girls soccer coach Dan Collins knows his team’s schedule is difficult, but he sees the challenge as a double-edged sword.

“On one hand, it’s tough and it’s tiring,” Collins said in mid-October, amid a string of three-match weeks for his squad, which had an 11-1-1 record heading into the final two weeks of the regular season.

“By the end of it, it’s like, ‘Oh my goodness, we went through a gauntlet and we have to do it again,’ ” he said. “At the same time, you do have to be battle-tested at some point.”

Collins, in his first year as head coach, said the challenge of playing three matches per week in the Tri-Valley League should have his team as sharp as possible for the state tournament.

“You need to manufacture pressure a little bit,” he said. “And we are feeling that right now.”

Fortunately for Collins, he said he is able to fully rely on all 23 members of his varsity team to contribute in a variety of ways. Several players have stood out in their selflessness, including senior captain Aila Chase.

“She was a starting goalie for the past two years, and she came to us and said that our other goalie deserved to get the starting job this year,” Collins said. “She wanted to compete for playing time, and she became our leading scorer as a striker.”

Chase, Collins said, brings talent and a physically imposing presence to the field.

“She is a menace for defenses,” he said. “She is vocal, she brings so much good energy, and she is the most selfless athlete and a phenomenal teammate.”

The Hillers have three other captains, all of whom are important cogs for the team. Mairin O’Connor is a strong facilitator in the midfield and another player who Collins praised as a great teammate. Ashley McCann and Alex Clarke are captains who have been battling injuries this year. Collins said they are two of the team’s most “complete” players.

“They are finding ways to contribute and help the team in nontraditional ways,” he said. “It just speaks to their leadership.”

Hopkinton has a balanced scoring attack, with a handful of players following Chase in the goals-scored category. The Hillers also are buoyed by skilled younger players. Sophomores Natalie Prisco, Riley Colleran and Taylor Skaff — who took over in goal this fall — are all among Hopkinton’s most consistent contributors.

With the season winding down, Collins said the team is focusing on the process and will let any potential titles take care of themselves.

“We said back in March, we are going to have one goal: to compete every day,” he said. “To win a league title or go to a final four or be considered a top-10 team, that’s all well and good. But we really just want to compete every day.”