In the last moments of the game, the team’s cheers began echoing through their ears as the final whistle blew victory. South Varsity Field Hockey beat Dexter for the first time in eight years on Aug. 19, 1-0, with a goal from Hannah Agnone ’27 during a fiercely contested event.
As the team plans for the remainder of the season, they are standing with a record of 3-1-1. Forward Andee Baker ’26 emphasizes that it wasn’t just one play; it was the way everyone came out with high effort and passion, stayed motivated from start to finish, and didn’t let Dexter’s skill or reputation deter them from playing to their highest potential.
“When we matched Dexter’s intensity and started winning the small battles on the field,” Baker said. “We knew that this was a team that we could beat.”
Head Coach Jessie Rouleau expresses her amazement and satisfaction while embracing the result and identifies specific adjustments and techniques implemented by the group that led to the historic win.
“Team defense, tenacity, and speed made the difference in this game,” Rouleau said. “Dexter had a lot of shots on goal, our goalkeeper [Harriet Kowalski ’27] and our defensive unit kept the pressure on and made key saves for us.”
Rouleau emphasizes how this outcome reflects the progress and development of the South’s field hockey program over the last few years, in addition to how the group is projected to keep winning.
“Our goal this year is to make it to the final four,” Rouleau said. “We had set that goal before we played Dexter and are sticking to our way forward by continuing to master fundamentals and elevate our collective game IQ. The MHSAA will host one state championship for all 36 teams. It will be very competitive.”
Defender Charlie Harr ’26 discusses her experiences and emotions during the game’s final moments, as well as how they led to the momentous glory.
“Once we scored on them the first time, I knew we had a definite shot at winning,” Harr said. “The win rushed over me, and I started crying because it was so exciting and relieving at the same time.”
Harr recounts how the players efficiently got ready for such a critical battle, highlighting essential components of the victory such as strength, rehearsal, and unity.
“We prepared by constantly pushing ourselves in practice, while also bonding with each other to gain trust on the field,” Harr said.
Harr believes that, although the success against Dexter was an immense accomplishment, the crew anticipates conquering even more in their upcoming matches and is ready to compete with the very best. Beating Dexter was huge, but the team feels that it’s just the beginning.
“This win will change some other teams’ view on GPS field hockey,” Harr said. “Not taking us for granted, but being nervous to play us in the future.”
