Chelsea, MI. – On a beautiful Wednesday evening, the Chelsea Bulldogs Field Hockey team played host to the Dearborn Pioneers in the first round of the regional playoffs. The Bulldogs had only one win and a tie in their last 5 games, but Head Coach Leslie Fry had her girls ready to play. And play they did!
The Bulldogs scored early and scored a lot. 19 seconds into the game, Lexi Wahl scored on the team’s first shot and, within less than 6 minutes, the Bulldogs had a big 5-0 lead. With 30 seconds left to go in the first quarter, Landry Cook scored to give the Bulldogs a huge 8-0 lead. A running clock started as the second quarter unfolded, and Chelsea gave everyone on the team the opportunity to play, including the recently called up for the playoffs Junior Varsity players.
Senior Azlyn Eckert started the scoring right away in the second quarter, and the team kept piling them up. Dearborn didn’t move the ball deep in Chelsea’s zone until about 2 and a half minutes left to go in the second quarter, and Chelsea goalkeeper Elizabeth Timberlake had to make a big save on Dearborn’s only shot of the game. Right before the half ended, Eckert scored again to give the Bulldogs a 15-0 lead.
With the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) rules, in the playoffs, if a team is up by 8 goals any time after the half, the game is over and a mercy is declared. So the Bulldogs moved on to the next round of the Regionals with an outstanding victory.
Wahl led the Bulldogs in scoring with 3 goals in 4 shots on goal, with the game-winning goal. Freshman Milah Reeves finished with 5 points, 2 goals, and an assist, while Cecilia Bayer and Sydney Baldwin also scored two goals each. Eckert finished with a team leading 6 shots on goal and had 4 points, while Lucia Taylor, Landry Cook, Brenna Taylor, Mary Heiss, and Grace Eckhout had a goal apiece.
The Bulldogs (11-5-3) on the season so far will head to the MHSAA Regional Semi-Final Final Friday at 4:15 against Grosse Pointe North (7-11) at University Liggett School, Muriel Brock Field in Grosse Pointe Farms.
