ADA TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Field hockey became one of the newest entries into the Meijer State Games of Michigan Saturday, with the first high school championship held at Forest Hills Central High School.
Six teams from around the state competed in a round-robin tournament, with some of the top teams in Michigan involved. Novi and Marian were both state tournament semifinalists from 2012, Mercy and Dexter reached the quarterfinals, and Forest Hills won the Division IV regular-season championship. East Grand Rapids also joined the tournament, coming off a strong year in Division II as well.
The day began with teams shaking off a little off-season rust, as the first two games of the morning ended in scoreless ties.
But as the weather heated up, so did the scoring. Teams handled the heat as best they could, and officials provided additional water breaks in many of the afternoon games.
Novi and Marian led the tournament throughout the day, with Novi winning most of its games handily. The top two teams faced off in the last game of the day, with Novi taking a 3-1 win. Over the course of the day, Novi scored an impressive 17 goals in five games while allowing only two.
The surprise of the tournament may have been the host team. Forest Hills managed to upset rivals Dexter and East Grand Rapids to take the bronze medals.
The final standings for the day were:
1. Novi (5-0-0)
2. Marian (2-1-2)
3. Forest Hills (2-2-1)
4. Mercy (0-1-4)
5. Dexter (0-2-3)
6. East Grand Rapids (0-3-2)
Click here for the State Games of Michigan website.
Click here for information on the Michigan High School Field Hockey Association.
