Conqu'ring Heroes: Pankratz Talks About Long 2020, Short Offseason, 'Unfinished Business'
8/26/2021 9:00:00 AM | Field Hockey, Features
In this week's edition of the "Conqu'ring Heroes" podcast, Jon Jansen catches up with field hockey head coach Marcia Pankratz to discuss the quick turnaround from last season to this season, Friday's national championship game rematch against North Carolina, her deep and talented roster, and her impressions on the Big Ten as a whole.
By Brian Boesch
Friday (Aug. 26) marks the beginning of the regular season for Michigan field hockey, though it may feel like a continuation of last season. After all, the Wolverines will square off with the team they played in their final game -- and the final game in the sport -- last season. Michigan dropped a heartbreaker to North Carolina in a national championship game that took place on May 9, 2021. In a normal academic year, field hockey's title game would be in November.
As a result, Michigan experienced as short of an offseason as you can have, considering they reached the title game last season before resuming a fall schedule this season. The Wolverines did not start preparing for the season until the late stages of June, which was not ideal from a preparation standpoint, but essential from a mental standpoint.
"They needed time off," head coach Marcia Pankratz said on this week's edition of the "Conqu'ring Heroes" podcast. "It's important, especially with how difficult it was to train and play last year with all the restrictions with COVID. It was really hard on the players. I commend them for the resilience."
Pankratz admitted that the team's offense and set pieces -- two critical areas to develop during the offseason -- may not be finished products early in the season. However, the Wolverines were able to maximize their offseason work because of the depth of the roster. The Wolverines return 23 players, including three All-Americans and all but two starters.
"Since we're so deep and so versatile, we basically have two full teams of Division I players that can hold their own and play at a high level," Pankratz said. "We're not as sharp as we are going to be, as we get going, for a lot of reasons, but they'll get it going."
It is easy to look at the symmetrical aspect of Michigan's schedule, starting with the team that ended the Maize and Blue's season just five-and-a-half months ago. However, Michigan is focused on the potential symmetry at the end of this season. Ocker Field, the home of the Wolverines, will host the NCAA Field Hockey Final Four this November.
"It's certainly unfinished business," Pankratz said. "I think our team knows we're capable of winning the national championship and winning the Big Ten championship again this year, and that certainly is the goal. It has been said out loud, but that's an outcome goal, so sometimes you're not in control of that outcome. We can control the process."
According to Pankratz, this year's team has embodied that approach to this point, but they still have the belief that the aforementioned unfinished business will indeed be finished -- and here in Ann Arbor, no less.
"I think every single person on our team is expecting to be here in Ann Arbor competing in November."
• MGoBlue Podcasts
