(Chelsea Update would like to thank Angela Menegay for the information in this story and Robin Woodward and Sharee Burkel for the photos.)
Last weekend, the Beach Middle School field hockey team enjoyed a day of tournament play against Dexter and Rockford as well as teams fielded by the Ann Arbor-area field hockey clubs Pinnacle and Fer De Lance (FDL) during the 8th Annual Dexter Middle School Challenge.
The Chelsea team is led this season by Head Coach Emma Yee. Chelsea kicked off the tournament against Dexter in the rain, demonstrating a strong defensive presence by allowing only two goals despite six corner opportunities by Dexter.
The game concluded with a 2-0 win by Dexter. Goalie Brinna Wenzel had several good saves, and defenders Libby Timberlake, Maddy McCollum, Brenna Taylor, Lucy Taylor, and Emma Woodard worked to clear rebounds and clear the ball out of the scoring circle. Players on the midfield and forward lines, especially Cecilia Bayer, were quick to the ball when breakaway opportunities emerged to carry the ball down the field.
The Chelsea team kept their spirits high while playing a second game in the rain, this one against FDL.
Chelsea’s defenders worked in sync with goalie Timberlake to block FDL scoring opportunities during three corners, and L. Taylor got behind Timberlake for a defensive save. Midfielders, including Grace Eckout, Rowan Burkel, and McKenzie Williams, navigated the ball to the forwards, leading the Bulldogs to a 1-0 victory with a goal by Azlyn Eckert.
Transitioning fields, the Chelsea team played their third game against Rockford, a developing team from the Grand Rapids area. Although Rockford made several attempts to move the ball into Chelsea’s scoring circle, the Bulldogs’ forwards and midfielders dominated the game and minimized Rockford’s time in Chelsea’s defensive end. No shots were taken on Chelsea goalie McCollum.
Forward Eckert was the first Bulldog to find the back of the net, followed in succession by Williams, Lexi Wahl, B. Taylor, and Eckout, leading to a 5-0 shutout.
Strong midfield play was shown by Bayer, Burkel, and Charlotte Ferrell by keeping up the pressure against Rockford in the middle of the field.
During the fourth and final game of the tournament, Chelsea faced off against Pinnacle in a hard-fought contest that ended in a 3-1 victory for the Bulldogs. The defensive combination of L. Taylor, B. Taylor, McCollum, Woodard, and Wenzel, along with goalie Timberlake, prevented Pinnacle from scoring during two offensive corners during the first quarter.
Eckert again led off the scoring for the Bulldogs with a goal in the first quarter. During the second quarter, Burkel skillfully fed the ball to Wahl, who brought the score up to 2-0, then Pinnacle found the back of Chelsea’s net, resulting in a 2-1 score at the half.
During the third quarter, Wahl had her second goal of the game, with an assist by Bayer, bringing the score to 3-1. Persistent midfield play by Eckout and Williams, along with an offensive corner for Chelsea in the fourth quarter, provided scoring opportunities for the Bulldogs.
Thank you to the team parents who provided drinks, sandwiches, cookies, and tents. The team would also like to thank Dexter Field Hockey for providing this tournament play opportunity for middle school players by organizing the annual Dexter Middle School Challenge and the tournament sponsor Stieper & Brust Orthodontics.
