YARMOUTH — Margaret Veazie, the field hockey coach at Dexter High, has said all this fall that she would put her defense up against any offense. Saturday afternoon against one of the best offenses in the state, the Tigers´ defense proved her point.

Dexter stunned previously unbeaten and defending state champion North Yarmouth Academy 1-0 in the Class C state championship game at Yarmouth High.

The Tigers (15-3) got a goal from Catherina Mountain with 2:07 remaining for the game´s only goal. And sophomore goalie Maicee Gustin, with a lot of help from senior sweeper Kayla Libby, made it stand up.

Gustin, a former soccer goalkeeper and first-year field hockey player, made 12 saves and Libby made two defensive saves, clearing sure bids out of an empty goal.

The victory avenged last year´s championship-game loss to NYA (17-1), which beat Dexter 2-1 in overtime. It´s Dexter´s first championship since 2003, when the Tigers´ won the last of four consecutive titles.

"This one´s sweet because this group has never won anything, from middle school on," said Veazie. "We have worked our butts off. This was hard work; this is family."

The Tigers shut out an offense that scored 110 goals this season. Dexter controlled the first half until the final minutes. And NYA carried that momentum into the second half, keeping the ball in Dexter´s end for nearly the first 22 minutes. But Gustin made save after save -- "I was going to dive and do anything I had to keep the ball out," she said -- and when she wasn´t there, Libby was.

Gustin had a point-blank save on Kylie Dalbec with 11:45 remaining, then made a huge play on Lianna Hachborn, who had 38 goals in the regular season, with 4:10 left.

Hachborn dribbled through the defense and Gustin came out to the top of the circle to challenge her. Hachborn lost control of the ball, and Gustin got back to make a save.

"I think they took our game away a little bit," said Julia Sterling, coach of the Panthers. "They were quick to the ball and they took advantage of our mistakes."

Dexter made its only chance of the second half count. The Tigers were awarded their second penalty corner, and first since the game´s early minutes. Devyn Bell´s shot was deflected to Shelbee Lancaster, whose shot was stopped by goalie Mariah Farrell. But the rebound went to Mountain.

"The ball just came off the goalie´s pads," she said. "I put my stick on it and it went in."

Staff Writer Mike Lowe can be contacted at 791-6422 or at:
mlowe@pressherald.com