The failure by some fans to sing "The Victors" characterized the initial feelings at Michigan's field hockey game against Ball State on Saturday.
Not until the last minutes of the game did spirits start to rise and cheers start to be heard.
The Wolverines managed to pull the game off, winning 3-2, but it was a little too close for comfort for Michigan's home fans.
Ball State led, 2-0, in the middle of the second half before the Wolverines mounted a comeback. The Cardinals' first goal came with 7:25 left in the first half, and the next arrived early in the second half.
Michigan was not playing up to coach Marcia Pankratz's standards, and the large parents' weekend crowd was noticeably silent.
Pankratz, visibly discouraged, said it wasn't the score that was bothering her.
"I think more so than the score was the way we were playing," Pankratz said. "I wasn't very happy with the way we were playing in the first half and the start of the second."
The players, however, would not let the deficit discourage them.
"Our team is great, we weren't even down when they scored the first goal," junior attacker Julie Flachs said. "That's what keeps us together."
It was Flachs who started the ball rolling, scoring the Wolverines' first goal of the day.
After the tally, the team became more aggressive.
"It picked up a little after the first goal," Pankratz said, "but then we still weren't quite there."
Some changes were made and then the playing improved.
"(The players) stepped up hard and played very aggressive, but they need to do it all game," she said.
Flachs said a domino effect hit the team.
"When one person gets fired up, then they all get fired up," Flachs said. "We hate losing on home turf."
With only five minutes left on the clock, the mood became increasingly fervent, and the players were more visibly passionate.
Then Flachs scored a second time, tying the score with two minutes left.
No one broke the stalemate during regulation time, forcing overtime. Michigan didn't win the game until only 2:35 remained in the extra session.
And it was Flachs working her magic again, netting the hat trick and a Michigan victory.
Flachs' initial shot didn't make it into the net, hitting a Cardinal player on the foot.
"She was down (and) ... hurt," Flachs said, "so I got another chance to make sure it went in."
After the score, the overjoyed Wolverines rushed the field, smothering Flachs and celebrating Michigan's win.
Although the Wolverines did pull off an impressive comeback, Pankratz believes her charges need to play all 70 minutes of each game the way they played the last 10 of the win.
"A win like this really shows that if we stick with the game plan ... and have that killer instinct, at the end good things will happen," she said.
With the non-conference part of the schedule past them, the Wolverines now focus their attention on the Big Ten.
Michigan begins its conference campaign Oct. 27, hosting Ohio State.