Earlier this week, junior defender Jeff Quihano brought a sombrero to practice and choreographed a "Mexican Hat Dance."

As a defender who takes very few shots, Quihano wanted a special way to celebrate his next goal and intended to reveal the "Hat Dance" whenever the opportunity presented itself. Little did he know that he would need his hat in his next game — during Wednesday’s 2-0 victory at Cincinnati.

In the game's 20th minute, the Wolverines already led 1-0. Quihano found freshman midfielder Hamoody Saad on the flank and vacated his left-back position to streak up the field. Saad chipped the ball over Bearcat defenders back to Quihano, who faced a near-impossible angle on the baseline. The defender blasted a shot over the keeper into the roof of the goal. Without his sombrero, he needed to improvise.

“After I scored, one of my teammates, (senior defenseman) Julian Robles, told me, ‘Go ahead and do the 'Stanky Leg,’ ” Quihano said. “So I put my finger on my nose, made it seem like it was a smelly scene, and just did the 'Stanky Leg.' ”

The goal and the dance provided the Wolverines with the momentum to secure a much-needed victory despite a strong Cincinnati performance in the second half. The Bearcats (8-6) relied heavily on the long ball and were more intent on pushing the ball into the opposing half than keeping possession. They outshot Michigan 26-10 and won nine corners in the second half.

Cincinnati’s aggressive play kept Michigan (1-2 Big Ten, 9-3-1 overall) on the defensive for much of the final stanza, but the Wolverines responded. Robles led the resistance, heading numerous balls out of the box. Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Chris Blais made six saves in the winning effort and earned his fifth shutout of the season.

“Our overall management of the game was superb — the best of the season to date,” Michigan coach Steve Burns said. “Our team showed their class in the first 20 minutes and really opened up Cincinnati through some great possession and play in the flanks.

"The two goals we scored in that time were deserved, and we weren't far off delivering the knockout punch with a third goal. To Cincinnati's credit, they were up for the challenge and we showed a lot of poise in weathering their direct play the rest of the way."

In securing the victory against the physical Bearcats, Michigan proved that it can win by employing many different styles of play. Such versatility will be needed as Michigan prepares for its final stretch of the season against Akron, Michigan State, Northwestern, and Ohio State. These games will be much easier if the Wolverines continue to receive scoring contributions from unlikely players like Quihano.

And someone had better remind him to bring his sombrero to the game next time.