In the No. 8 Michigan field hockey team's 4-1 victory over Ohio State yesterday, Wolverines fans rocked Ocker Field with their cheers and chants.
The Michigan stickers played with a newfound intensity, a fact at least partly attributable to their amazing fan support.
In a standing-room only environment, Michigan fans packed the stands and filled the walkways around the field.
The ice hockey pep band led the crowd in chants usually reserved for the confines of Yost Ice Arena, and "The Victors" echoed after every Michigan goal.
"It's always awesome to have the fans out here screaming and yelling," said freshman midfielder Molly Powers, who scored two goals in the contest.
"The yelling and the screaming gets you riled up and when you get a goal it makes it so much more exciting. The fans definitely make a difference."
Fans agreed that their presence added to the intensity of the game.
"We love this sport," said senior Rishi Moudgil, who screamed words of encouragement to the Wolverines from the sidelines. "It's fast-paced, it's exciting and we come out here every week to cheer them on. We love cheering for them when they play well. It's a lot of fun."
Michigan fans berated Ohio State goalie Gillian Batey by screaming "sieve," a popular ice hockey cheer.
"The fans were excellent today," Michigan coach Marcia Pankratz said. "It's exciting. I'm glad they were here and we did have great support."
Senior defender Ashley Reichenbach, honored before the game as part of the Senior Day festivities, agreed that the fan support and energy made her last game at Ocker Field all the more meaningful.
"The fans help the momentum of the game so much," Reichenbach said.
"When the sidelines are quiet, it generally means that the field is quiet ... The fans have a tremendous impact on our team and the game."
Changing of the guard: On a day designed to celebrate the past, it was the future of the Michigan field hockey team that garnered most of the attention.
While seniors Ashley Reichenbach, Erica Widder, and Jocelyn LaFace were honored before their last home game at Ocker Field, it was freshmen Jessica Rose and Molly Powers who scored three of the Wolverines' four goals.
Freshman defender Stephanie Johnson also shined on senior day, making a number of key stops and interceptions to bolster the defensive unit anchored by Reichenbach and Widder.
"The freshmen had an opportunity to put (the ball) away today," Pankratz said. "They did a great job."
Rose tallied her sixth goal of the season, giving her 15 points on the year and making her the Wolverines' third-leading scorer.
Powers' goals were her fourth and fifth, respectively, and she ends the regular season with 13 points.
The strong play of Rose and Powers on the offensive side, along with the defensive ability of Johnson, predicts success for the Wolverine stickers well into the future.
"Hopefully this is some kind of passing of the torch down to the next generation and to the next group of people that are going to carry the program," Pankratz said.
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