The Saline field hockey team moved to Saturday’s D1 state championship game by holding off Novi with a 3-2 win Wednesday night.
To say the ending was frantic, might be an understatement.
The Hornets had a 3-2 lead over Novi and the defense had shut down the Wildcats for most of the second half, but things got crazy in the final minute.
Novi was twice awarded penalty corners, but each time the Hornets defense was there for the stop.
The Wildcats earned a third corner with 10 seconds left.
In field hockey, the game does not end at the final buzzer with the attack team holding possession of a penalty corner.
Novi took the corner and had several chances on net and the final horn went off, but the Wildcats controlled the ball and had more chances, but Hornets goaltender Kaylee Mitzel stood her ground and kept the ball out of the net and defense finally cleared the ball to give Saline the 3-2 win.
Saline took the lead midway through the opening period with a Clare Arvai goal, but the Wildcats answered just moments later to tie it at 1-1.
Arvai quickly put the Hornets back on top with her second of the game, but Novi answered late in the first to tie the game at 2-2.
Saline retook the lead early in the second when Elle Pufpaf centered a pass that Arvai rifled through a crowd and into the net for a 3-2 lead and that would be the final.
The Hornets reached the semis with an 8-0 win over Clarkston.
Arvai had another huge game for Saline with a hat trick of three goals to lead the Hornets.
Ari de Perez Cabrero, Celia Padot, Carly Pufpaf, Natalie Dahl, and Alli Gerdes also scored for Saline.
The Hornets advance to the state championship game for the first time since 2018 and will face rival Ann Arbor Pioneer. They have met twice this season with Pioneer winning the season opener 3-2 and the teams battled to a 2-2 draw later in the season.
Saline will be looking for its first state title since 2015 when they won the Division 2 championship.
Photos by Dawn and Dennis McCann
8123 Main St Suite 200 Dexter, MI 48130
