Miami field hockey meets new opponents in the 2024 MAC tournament

The 2024 field hockey Mid-American Conference (MAC) tournament is here. For the Miami University RedHawks, this tournament is nothing new.

The RedHawks have seen much success in the MAC, having won the past six conference championships. This year was no different.

Miami dominated this season, finishing 7-1 in conference play. There is fresh talent throughout the roster, and the team has no plans to take their foot off the gas.

However, the conference looks different compared to previous years. The James Madison University Dukes joined the tournament this year. They have established themselves as an imposing threat, with a 12-4 overall record and a 7-1 conference record to take the first seed in the tournament.

Despite winning five of their last six games, head coach Iñako Puzo said the regular season isn’t indicative of the postseason in any way.

“People misunderstand because they think after the team wins [many games] in a row, it becomes easy,” Puzo said. “It has never been easy, and this one is not going to be easy either.”

The two other tournament opponents have proven to be tough as well. The No. 2 Appalachian State University Mountaineers finished the year at 11-7 (7-1 in conference play) and defeated James Madison earlier in the year. The No. 5 Ball State University Cardinals and the No. 4 Kent State University Golden Flashes have also set themselves up for success with their MAC games.

However, James Madison may be the toughest opponent in this year’s tournament. The Dukes handily won almost every MAC game this year. They lead the conference in goals (56) and have the second-lowest goals against average (1.50).

Miami junior goalkeeper Nicky Sjouken has the conference’s lowest goals against average (1.37).

The RedHawks set themselves apart from the other teams. Junior back and Academic All-MAC member Becca Lawn testifies to the team’s strength as they enter a more difficult tournament than in previous years.

“We have a lot of personality, and this equates to our play both on and off the field,” Lawn said. “We have a lot of different people coming from different backgrounds, and that makes us a more diverse and strong team when we play together.”

But it’s not always about the strong suits that make a team successful. It’s about the weaknesses that it conquers to ultimately come out on top.

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The non-conference slate saw the RedHawks go 3-6, including shutout losses against the University of Iowa Hawkeyes and the Princeton University Tigers. However, Lawn said the non-conference games helped Miami prepare for the electric MAC competition.

“Even though you’re good at something, you could always be better,” Lawn said. “We look at what other teams are doing, look at what we're doing, and try to fix that to have the strongest possible outcome.”

There are still pieces that the team is working on to improve in order to reach their maximum potential. Senior striker and Academic All-MAC Team member Katherine Groff went behind the scenes about the team's keen eye on specific areas of importance.

“We’re always focusing on our corners and the execution of our corners, and we’ve taken a deeper look into the statistics and scouting reports of the team we’re playing,” Groff said. “We tailor the plays we’re calling based on the defenses we’re facing."

There’s no doubt the team has been putting in the hours off the field. There are numerous strategies and schemes the team plans on implementing to defeat high-caliber teams like James Madison.

The team’s talent has improved with a year of intensity and hard work, but for Puzo, talent isn’t the most important factor for the RedHawks’ success.

“If it’s all about talent, everybody has talent,” Puzo said. “Character and leadership are the two things that are going to make a difference. What team is going to handle the momentums of the game better? What team is going to stay calm and push the accelerator?”

The group of talented, strong-willed RedHawks take to their field hockey pitch today at 2:30 p.m. against the Bobcats. This week provides Miami an opportunity to conclude an electric 2024 season on a high note with its sixth straight MAC championship.

younggm7@miamioh.edu