Editor’s note: Optimist Staff Writer Lucy Kennard contributed to this report.
The Pioneer Field Hockey Varsity team successfully defended its State Champion title for the third year in a row Oct. 26 beating Saline 3-1.
Lily Soldan, a senior and one of the team captains, said the win is a testament to how hard every girl on the team is willing to work. “Everyone on the team works so hard and puts in so much effort outside of practice to help us succeed and reach our goals,” she said.
Soldan, who will play field hockey at Duke University in the fall, has been a part of Pioneer Field Hockey all four years of high school, and thus has had three state championships. Soldan says she is super impressed with her team’s performance and the wins are not only a personal achievement but a team achievement. “Winning three state championships is a huge accomplishment, and I am really proud of the team’s performance,” Soldan said. “Everybody brought it, did their role, and that is how we succeeded.”
Anne McGowan, a junior and a key player for the team, said the squad is happily celebrating yet another statewide victory. Going into the state finals, McGowan said, “If we win the state championship that would make me really happy!”
Skyline High School had been among the Pioneers’ toughest opponents recently, but this season Pioneer easily beat them 7-0 on Sept. 9 and 5-1 on Sept. 25.
Earlier in the season the team suffered a surprise loss against Chelsea High School on Sept. 11 when they got beaten 2-1.
McGowan said she and the team weren’t too concerned about that loss, though. “I think it makes us better,” she said.
In 2021, when the Pioneer field hockey team was unbeaten during the playoffs, they lost the State Championship final in a heart breaker. They roared back and won the state title in 2022 and 2023.
Even though many players were excited before the playoffs, Coach Jane Nixon said she always encourages them to focus on the present in order to have a successful season.
“If you start thinking about outcomes of the future, it kind of takes away from what you’re doing right here, right now,” she said.
The team also got to celebrate a win at the Huskie Invitational tournament in Chicago Sept. 18 where they beat three others and won the tournament. Later, on Oct. 23, they beat cross-town rival Huron 4-0 in a semi-final game on their home field, setting themselves up for the state finals game against Saline on Saturday. The Pioneers had previously tied Saline 2-2 on Sept. 30 in regular season play.
To prepare for games or tournaments like that one, the team does multiple different activities. They have their important daily practice where they prepare for upcoming games and tournaments.
Nixon said there are always a few things they are working on. “We need to make sure that we have our individual skill sets down and we have a big picture of offense-defensive skills working,” she said.
In order to have successful games, Nixon focuses on what they can change.
“Control the controllables, take care of the moment, stay positive, stay strong and let the outcome take care of itself,” she said.
In addition to practice they also focus on many team building activities.
Senior, and captain Grace Grabowski has loved her time with Pioneer Field Hockey and the bonds created through the program. “My favorite part of the season, besides winning the state championship, is just becoming closer with everyone on the team,” Grabowski says.
Grabowski, who is going on to play field hockey next year at Michigan State University, says the fight given by the team each game took a lot of hard work and focus but everyone on the team pushes not only themselves but also each other to be their best. “We battled in every game, giving it our all, we played our game, worked hard in practice, and we always pushed one another to be our best,” Grabowski said. “And the outcome was winning a state championship, something we worked so hard for all year.”
McGowan, too, values the friendships within the team that she says make playing a lot more fun. “It’s the strongest bond that I think I’ve ever had,” she said.
Long-time coach Nixon says she continues to enjoy watching the girls grow and develop as players.
“I just love the energy, the enthusiasm, the excitement, the passion, passion for our team, passion for the sport, passion for hard work,” she said.
Nixon said she still gets inspired by the young athletes. “I have all the respect for all of our athletes, all of our teams, families, and it’s an inspiration to look out on the field. You’re watching people just put effort into it and fall down and get up,” she said. “I’m the luckiest person in the world.”
Now the team gets to celebrate another State Championship win.