EXETER, N.H. — Dexter Southfield let the scoreboard do the talking.
As the physicality and emotions intensified, so did Dexter's lead as the No. 6 Shields pulled away from No. 8 Phillips Exeter for a 5-1 win.
Teagan Beigel (Natick, Mass.), Devon Moore (Milton, Mass.) and Maggie Chudzinski (Needham, Mass.) each had a goal and an assist for Dexter (13-2-2). Addie Sutherland (West Roxbury, Mass.) earned the win in net.
Paisley Meyer (Greenland, N.H.) scored for the Big Red (12-3-2). Eva Mai Whyte (Natick, Mass.) started in net.
After Whyte kept Dexter at bay through the first period and a half, Beigel broke the stalemate with 7:30 to go in the second. The latter intercepted a giveaway up the middle in the neutral zone, walking back into the zone and beating Whyte over the glove.
Chudzinski doubled the lead when her shot from the point pin-balled in with four minutes left in the period.
Meyer cut it to 2-1 on a shorthanded breakaway in the closing seconds of the period.
In the third, Dexter piled on, putting the game away with three unanswered goals, thanks to Moore's line.
Evelyn Doyle (Needham, Mass.) made it 3-1 with a power-play redirect before Elizabeth Allen's one-timer in the slot made it 4-1. Moore's snipe on a 4-on-3 with three minutes to go sealed the 5-1 final.
Let's dive into some standouts and takeaways from the game.
Teagan Beigel
Dexter Southfield, 09/2010, F/D, left shot, 5-9
Hometown: Natick, Mass.
Beigel was excellent on the back end once again, using her reach effectively and creating offense. She took advantage of a reckless stretch pass by Grace Riley as Dexter had Exeter scrambling defensively, and she made them pay. Beigel's heavy wrist shot beat Whyte cleanly, and she nearly scored again shortly after with a powerful wrister, trying to go low-glove. Beigel also helped set up Allen's goal, keeping the play alive at the point and feeding Maddie Perkins, who found Allen.
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Maddie Funk
Dexter Southfield, 9/26/07, F, right shot, 5-2
Hometown: Duxbury, Mass.
NCAA: Northeastern (field hockey)
Funk played with a ton of energy, making the most of her ice time. She was hard to play against in all three zones, playing fast and physical. She made life difficult on Exeter's defenders on the forecheck and forced turnovers, including in the first when she intercepted a pass and set up a chance in front of the net. Her line helped set up Chudzinski's goal with hard work on the forecheck.
Addie Sutherland
Dexter Southfield, 01/2008, G, catches left, 5-4
Hometown: West Roxbury, Mass.
NCAA: Assumption
Sutherland was tested early and often, and the score would've been a lot closer if it weren't for her. She was quick in the crease and did a good job of taking away shooting angles. She made a tremendous stop against Gray in the slot, exploding off her line to cut the angle before the shot hit her in the mask. Sutherland had Gray's number throughout the night, denying her partial breakaway in the second before making a pair of huge lunging stops on rebound bids in the third.
Paisley Meyer
Phillips Exeter, 08/2009, F, left shot, 5-7
Hometown: Greenland, N.H.
NCAA: Yale
Meyer and linemates Erin Sears (Cornwall, Vt.) and Maria Gray were at the center of Exeter's offense all night. Meyer had quality chances throughout the game, including a pair of breakaways in the second. On the first, she stole the puck at the point and gained separation the other way with controlled, efficient strides. Sutherland shut the door at the other end. Meyer made no mistake on the second, going the other way after Riley broke up Dexter's rush, before going top-shelf in tight. Meyer also made a great play to break up Chudzinski in a 1-on-1 as she covered for the defense.
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Eva Mai Whyte
Phillips Exeter, 7/5/2008, G, catches left, 5-5
Hometown: Natick, Mass.
Whyte may have given up five goals, but she was still outstanding. She didn't have much of a chance on either goal. The postgrad was quick, anticipated well and was strong positionally. She made some insane saves, especially in the first two periods. She made lunging pad stops on Grade-A rebound chances for Doyle and Moore in tight. Whyte also made some huge stops in the sequence before Beigel's goal, including a shoulder save on Doyle through a screen.
Leah Hafer
Dexter Southfield, 12/6/2008, F, right shot
Hometown: Winchester, Mass.
Hafer's speed was a difference-maker once again alongside Sawyer Merrill (Hingham, Mass.) and Maggie Lovering (Scituate, Mass.). She was difficult to contain in the neutral zone and down low in the offensive zone, thanks to her quick acceleration. She had a great rush in the first, cutting around the high forward and blazing through center ice for a clean entry. It set up an extended offensive shift for her line. Hafer also had a quality chance in the slot in the second off a feed from Merrill.
Grace Riley
Phillips Exeter, 8/14/2007, D, right shot, 5-6
Hometown: Winter Garden, Fla.
NCAA: UConn
Riley will want the giveaway to Beigel back. Otherwise, she was one of Exeter's best skaters. She was strong in all three zones, finding outlets and making aggressive decisions that usually paid off. She did a terrific job holding the blue line, including in the first when she one-timed a pass to Meyer at the left dot for a dangerous shot. In the second, Riley sparked Meyer's breakaway with a physical play along the boards to break up the rush. In the third, Riley did a great job of taking away Abby Loring's (Wellesley, Mass.) stick as she crashed the net for a rebound.
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Leftover thoughts...
- I'm going to loop the Allen-Doyle-Moore line into one note. The three Division 1 commits were fantastic for Dexter all game, generating chances in all situations. All three of their goals were things of beauty, too. Moore set up Doyle's goal with a shot from long range on a re-entry as Doyle parked in front of the net. It was a perfect tip that rang off both posts and in. Allen (UNH), meanwhile, dropped to a knee on Perkins' feed to blast her one-timer off the right post and in. Moore (Holy Cross) capped things off when she picked the top left corner from the right circle on the power play.
- There was no love lost in this game at all. Exeter played an extremely physical game, toeing the line at times through the first two periods. As the third wore on and the game got out of reach, emotions bubbled over, and the physicality led to some late penalties. With the playoffs around the corner, it's a good sign to see such intensity (to a point).
- I wrote about it after their win over St. Paul's, but Dexter's details and ability to get impacts from each forward line were one of the biggest differences in the game. Whether it was Merrill or Doyle's lines leading the offensive charge or spark-plugs like Funk, Loring, Maddie Perkins (Milton, Mass.) and Alex Mitsakis (Winchester, Mass.) further down the lineup, each line made plays. Funk and Perkins, in particular, made the most of their ice time. It wouldn't be a shock to see any of those role players rewarded in a key moment down the stretch.
- The result didn't change a ton in the JSPR. Dexter entered the night at No. 5, and they remained in that spot. Exeter dropped from eighth to ninth, putting them outside the Elite 8 if it were to start right now. Fortunately for the Big Red, it doesn't. In the end-of-season projection for the JSPR, Dexter is fourth, and Exeter is eighth. The margin for error is slim in a tight race for that final spot, though.
