Bloomfield Hills -- Flint Powers Catholic erased a four-goal deficit in the second half to beat Bloomfield Hills Academy of the Sacred Heart 12-11 in a dramatic overtime to win their first Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 2 title at Lahser High School on June 7.

   Powers' victory ended a three-year Division 2 championship run for state powerhouse Sacred Heart.

   "They're the benchmark," said Flint Powers Head Coach Betsy Kreston. "They raise the bar and raise the bar, and if we can compete with them, then we've made it. We're there."

> COMPLETE BOX SCORE

  Junior Jaimie Brady scored both overtime goals for Powers (14-5-2), including the game-winner. It was her third goal of the game.

   Sacred Heart led 9-5 with 16:48 left, when sophomore Devin Ferris scored to start a 5-1 run. Senior Susan Hamati then scored to close the game to 9-7 with 15:27 on the clock. Gazelle senior Alaina Mezwa scored her fourth goal to extend the lead back to three at 10-7 with 9:54 remaining.

   Powers' senior Karlee Braniff's goal with 8:09 left made it 10-8. Ferris' second goal of the game closed the gap to only one with 1:52 left. Twenty-two seconds later junior Shelby Rubel's found the back of the net for the second time on the day to tie it at 10-10 to force overtime.

   “We were up four goals and they started playing really well. They just fought back and I’ve got to give it to them for coming back and sticking with it,” said Sacred Heart Head Coach Vicki Oakley. "It was a tough way to lose but they played really, really well. We played well, we took the lead and wept playing and we had a chance until the last second and I’m very proud of them."

   Brady opened the overtime scoring to put Powers up 11-10. Sacred Heart tied it on Alaina Mezwa's fifth goal of the game.

   Brady won the championship for the Chargers with an over-the-shoulder goal with 22 seconds remaining on a perfect pass from Ferris in front of the net.

   JuniorAllyson Fritts had two goals and junior Marcella Olds scored one for Powers in regulation.  Junior Liz Palmer had 15 saves, including four in the last eight minutes of regulation, for the win in goal.

   "That made the difference," said Kreston. "It's really important for a goalie to step up and stop crucial shots, and she did that. Those could be breakers."

   The Gazelles had beat the Chargers three times this season, but each time the Chargers got a little closer. Sacred Heart won the first regular season meeting over the Chargers  12-5, the second 13-11, and the third 12-11 in overtime.

   "You gotta play who you gotta play," said Oakley. "We’ve had some tough games in the regional and semifinal and tonight's game. We had a lot of experience facing Flint (Powers) this year. I think it was a very close game, and we fought it out and we ended up on the wrong end of it."
 

   Powers won a state crown in its first year as a team in 2002 before the sport was officially sanctioned by the MHSAA.

    Rachel Stattler added three goals for the Gazelles (15-6-1).