Dexter Blanks Chelsea for D2 Field Hockey Title

A stifling defense and an immense amount of pressure on the offensive end was the recipe that the Dexter field hockey team used to blank Chelsea for its second straight MHSFHL Division 2 state championship.

The MHSFHL title was the fifth in school history and the fourth in five years for the Dreadnaughts.

The Dexter defense smothered the Bulldogs for most of the game and held Chelsea to just two shots in the game and only one on net.

Chelsea got the first shot of the game in the opening minutes of play, but Analisa Ledbetter was there for the save in net for the Dreads and it would be a while before the Bulldogs would get another shot away.

Dexter allowed no corners in the contest, while the Dreads offensive pressure caused numerous corner chances for the Dreadnaughts.

The Dreads had a great shot on net with its first corner of the game, but the ball was deflected over top of the net and it remained scoreless.

Just over a minute later, Brooke Alexander drove down the right side and centered a pass to the middle and Aiden Weinmann took the pass and backhanded a shot into the net to put Dexter on top 1-0.

The Bulldogs goaltender Elizabeth Lane was stellar in net for Chelsea, coming up with several big saves and keeping the game close.

In the second period, Dexter would strike again when Bailey Krueger ripped a shot on net that Lane made a diving save of, but the rebound bounced away and Alli St. Amour was there to lift it in for a 2-0 Dreads lead at halftime.

Dexter would continue to carry the play in the third and Chelsea was called for a corner in the final seconds.

Alli St. Amour slaps home a rebound for Dexter

In field hockey, the penalty corner is still played even if time has expired, and the Dreadnaughts would capitalize. The corner pass was centered, and Krueger took the pass and moved around the right side and fired a shot that was deflected off a Chelsea defender’s stick and into the net for a 3-0 lead and that would be it for the scoring.

Chelsea would get another quality chance in the fourth, but the shot went wide, and Dexter defense did the rest as they held on to claim the title.

The stifling Dexter defense did not allow a goal in four playoff games.

After an 8-0 win to open the tourney over St. Catherine, the Dreads defeated East Grand Rapids 8-0.

Seven different Dreadnaughts scored with Clare Dubuque scoring twice to lead the way. Maddie Rokke-Smith, Weinmann, Emily-Kate Covert, Addison Zogaib, Olivia Croftchik, and Sophie Grusche also scored for Dexter. Marissa Skinner and Daphne Grant had two assists each, while Weinmann and Alexander had one each.

Dexter then took down Detroit Country Day 7-0 in the semifinals.

Ledbetter made three saves in net for the shutout for the Dreads.

Weinmann led the offense with a pair of goals, while Skinner, Covert, Grusche, and Dubuque scored one each. Covert, Zogaib, and Alexander recorded assists for the Dreadnaughts.

Dexter finished with a 20-1-2 overall record on the season.