The Derryfield Middle School girls’ field hockey team defeated Boynton Middle School Saturday afternoon 2-0 to claim the championship of Division 3 of the Tri-County League. The D-3 league is made up of the smallest schools from Hillsborough, Merrimack and Rockingham counties.

The victory was revenge for the Cougars, as the Bulldogs defeated them by the exact same 2-0 score in last year’s final. Derryfield’s head coach Tracy Blaisdell noted after the contest that, going into the championship, Boynton had not lost a game in two years. Earlier this season, Boynton had won at home over Derryfield 6-2, the only game the Cougars lost all year.

The game was scoreless until nine minutes into the third quarter when Derryfield eighth-grader Brooks Baker tallied the first goal given up by Boynton in the playoffs off a penalty corner. The insurance goal was scored by sixth-grader Charlotte Sirlin with 3:07 left in the game.

The championship was played on the artificial turf field at the Hollis-Brookline High School. It was the first game of the season for Boynton on an artificial surface, while Derryfield played their home games on turf.

Blaisdell praised her team, saying the championship was a “testament to the hard work her players had put in all season and to their teamwork.”

The game was a disappointing ending to the season for Boynton coaches Michelle Saari and Mindy Vautour. The Bulldogs finished with a record of 15-1, including a perfect 10-0 mark in regular season Tri-County League play.

The contest was the last game as Boynton field hockey players for captains Grace Matson, Emery Saari and Kyra Rodriguez, as well as for fellow eighth-graders Brielle Bergeron and defender Mia Saari. Matson scored one goal in the team’s three playoff games. Emery Saari was in the center of the midfielders who kept the ball in the opponents’ half of the field most of the season. Rodriguez anchored the defense, which allowed only five goals all year.

Seventh-grader Reese Alix led the Bulldogs in playoff scoring with five goals. Seventh-graders Olivia Klebes and Eden Traffie each scored two goals during the playoffs, as did sixth-grader Pippa Phillips.

Other members of the Boynton team were seventh-graders Brooke Muhonen, defender Brooke Sallia, goalie Maddie Somero and Lillian Knisley, sixth-graders Anya Bergeron, midfielder Havana Cormier, Harper Alix, Kelsey Lawler and Bridget Raymer and fifth-graders Aralyn Hills, Maggie Higgins, Ellie Landguth and backup goalie Stella Neilson.