Following a daunting road trip that saw the Michigan field hockey team post only two goals in four games, the excitement as the Wolverines stepped onto Ocker Field for the first time this season to take on the James Madison Dukes was tangible.

It had been a rough start to the season for the Wolverines, playing three of the top six ranked teams in a span of nine days, all on the road.

With high expectations and senior leadership, Michigan hoped to compete for a Big Ten Championship this season, but the team encountered an obstacle when it lost to North Carolina, the nations No. 1 team and defending National Champion, 3-0. The trip did not get much better. A 5-1 loss to No. 6 Wake Forest, followed by a 2-1 loss to Maine and then a 2-0 defeat by No. 5 Connecticut left the Wolverines searching for answers.

Michigan returned home to face a pair of non-conference foes, starting with No. 14 James Madison.

As soon as the game started, it seemed like it couldn’t end quickly enough. The Dukes climbed to a 3-0 lead going into the half.

But it was a different Wolverine squad coming out in the second half.

Freshman Rachel Mack had a potentially season-changing second-half performance that turned the tide for Michigan. Three minutes and seven seconds into the second half, Mack seemed to don the red cape with a large “S” on it, scoring on two penalty corners, the first two goals of her career. Senior captain Zara Saydjari evened it up at 3-3 with 22:32 left to play.

“In the first four games, I hit the post five times, which was very frustrating … It just felt really good to get it in such a tight game as well,” Mack said.

As the game went into overtime, it was just a matter of momentum for the Wolverines to take over the game. A brilliantly designed corner by Michigan coach Marcia Pankratz led to an extra pass and a wide open shot for senior captain Meredith Way. With that thud in the back of the net a pile of Michigan players jumped on Way in celebration.

“They are a strong, strong team from a strong region…we did not want to shy away from a challenge,” Pankratz said after the JMU game.

On Sunday, Central Michigan came to Ann Arbor. The Wolverines wouldn’t overlook their opponent after a 1-0 loss to the Chippewas last season. This game ended quite differently though. With two goals from Vanessa Sekhon the Wolverines captured a 4-0 shutout.

Though the season may have started a little slow for Michigan, the team has tallied eight goals in their last three halves, compared to just two in the previous nine.

Up next is Albany, a team that just slipped into the Top 20. Pankratz is already looking ahead to next weekend’s battle.

“They are going to be polished and quick, we will have our hands full for sure,” Pankratz said.

It’s all about building experience for Pankratz and her staff.

“Its good to get the younger players in the match today, we have some players that aren’t feeling well right now…a little under the weather, hopefully we can get our lineup solid and ready to roll for Big Tens.”

Encouraging signs from the young Wolverines helped Michigan get through the weekend. The bright stars of the future included freshman Rachel Mack, who scored three goals, and goalkeeper Haley Jones, who posted her first career shutout in her first start as a freshman. The seniors have also produced, with captains Zara Saydjari and Meredith Way scoring two goals over the weekend, while fellow seniors Bryn Bain and Vanessa Sekhon tallied three total.

The Wolverines ride a two-game winning streak into a two-game home stretch next weekend against Albany and Quinnipiac. They hope this can keep the momentum going as they approach the heart of their schedule in the next few weeks.

“More goals are just going to keep coming,” said Mack after Sunday’s victory.