Veazie to leave coaching posts

BANGOR – Margaret Veazie walked off the Winkin Complex field Thursday with a handful of roses and a championship plaque in the last Eastern Maine Class C field hockey title game she may ever coach.

Veazie, who has led the Dexter squad to four state championships since 1998, won’t return next year. Instead, she’ll spend her fall days watching daughters Kristy and Brittany play at the college level.

Kristy Veazie is a sophomore midfielder at UMaine-Farmington. Brittany is a senior at Dexter this year and likely will play at the college level next year.

Both girls played four years for their mother.

“I want to watch the kids and I want my summers to myself,” she said. “I’ve been saying that for years, but this is it.”

Veazie also will give up her position as the Tigers’ head girls basketball coach after the 2003-04 season. She hasn’t officially resigned yet from either position.

Each of the Tigers presented Veazie with a red rose during the awards ceremony after Dexter beat Central of Corinth 4-0 in the regional final.

“It’s been a very emotional time for me,” she said. “It’s been hard. I’ve been crying all week. I start talking in practice, I start crying.”

The team will head to Gorham for Saturday’s 10 a.m. state championship game.

Dexter also will be going for its 63rd straight win. The Tigers set the state consecutive-wins record with 51 earlier this season.

In her seven years, Veazie said she believes the Tigers have had five losses and one tie.

Four of those losses came in her first season.

Dexter won the program’s first state title in 1998 and has won three straight crowns since 2000. The Tigers lost to Hall-Dale in the regional semifinals in 1999.

Veazie said she likely will remain involved with the town’s youth programs and also will run a summer field hockey camp.

Veazie coached Dexter to the Eastern Maine Class C basketball championship last winter. It was her third season as the basketball coach.