Junior Ashton Marshall scored just over seven minutes into the game and a tenacious defense made the goal stand up Thursday to lead Foxcroft School to a 1-0 victory over Highland and the 2008 field hockey championship of the Delaney Athletic Conference.

Marshall's goal, her team-leading 13th of the season, came from 10 feet out, off a pass by defender Terry Lynne Garvey but Highland's defense stiffened from that point on and Foxcroft had few opportunities.

Foxcroft caught a break with 9 1/2 minutes gone in the second half when a Highland shot hit the inside right post. The ball dropped in front of the net but goalie Hilary Key alertly kicked the ball out of play. Key finished with three saves to post her eighth shut out of the season. A junior from Herndon, VA, Kee has made more than 100 saves while allowing only six goals all season.

Garvey (Bloomsbury, NJ), Anna Anderson (Aldie, VA) and Whitney Weeden (Broad Run, VA) played stellar defense for Foxcroft, breaking up several Highland runs.

Foxcroft (10-3, 9-1 in the DAC) joined the DAC this season after 23 years in the Independent School League (ISL).