Hannah Nielsen Shifting Mindset After Michigan's Fast Start

Momentum was swiftly shifting in Michigan’s favor during the first half against Denver on Saturday.

The Wolverines never trailed, and the goals came quickly with a series of perfectly executed free position shots and crafty drives through the eight-meter. Then-No. 13 Michigan appeared to be firmly in control when midfielder Julia Schwabe leaped off the eight-meter arc, sending a ball past Denver goalkeeper Emelia Bohi to make it 6-2 in the second quarter.

Michigan’s attack literally sprung into action after Schwabe’s tally, jumping and hugging each other. But it wasn’t all about the scoreboard.

“We were huddling, and [Julia] looks at me and says, ‘This is so fun,’” attacker Kaylee Dyer said. “We play so much better when we’re having fun and playing loose instead of being stressed and worried about the next play. [We’re] just focusing on what’s happening right now, being there for each other and having fun with it.”

As far as “fun” lacrosse goes, Saturday certainly fit the bill for Michigan. The Wolverines hung on in a defense-first battle in the second half to defeat the then-No. 4 Pioneers 8-4 — their highest ranked win in program history.

It was sweet for coach Hannah Nielsen, especially after three straight losses against Denver, all by a margin of three goals or less.

“I think I finally let my guard down with about 30 seconds left,” Nielsen said. “I broke into a smile. The whole game was intense. We’ve been in positions with them where we’ve been up by a few goals, and they’ve come back and beaten us. For the whole game, it was high heart rates and a bit stressful.”

Michigan struck first less than two minutes into the first quarter, but Denver quickly fired back to make it 2-1 just two minutes later. Then came a barrage of Wolverine goals as Michigan jumped out to a 6-3 lead by the half.

Both offenses slowed in the second half. Goalkeeper Erin O’Grady was key to preventing a Denver comeback, posting seven saves in the first half alone. Nielsen said O’Grady had a “career day” and credited the defense around her for forcing weak shots.

As the clock ticked down in the fourth quarter, Dyer said her teammates had one big goal.

“Everybody could not wait to hug Erin O’Grady,” Dyer said. “She really kept us in that game — made a bunch of big stops, the defense in general forced a ton of tough shots. It was exciting. We all ran and dog piled. It was just a huge win.”

The win came on the heels of a busy first week for Michigan that featured road trips to Jacksonville and Cincinnati in the span of four days before the team returned home to play Denver. It also came amid a busy time for school. Dyer had four exams this week.

Nielsen said she was happy about her team’s fitness level coming out of the three-game stretch, especially after playing many of her starters for 60 minutes against Denver. Among Nielsen’s biggest takeaways from the first few matchups: the Wolverines’ resilience and will to win.

She also walked away from the Denver game with a few ideas of what to work on — including how to shift from the mindset of an underdog to the No. 8 team in the country.

Dyer said Michigan likes being the underdog because it can claw its way up. For now, her focus is on building confidence ahead of Big Ten games and ensuring her teammates know that those big wins are possible.

Confidence is an emphasis for Nielsen, too.

“What we need now is to have the belief that we are a team to beat,” Nielsen said. “Playing with a lead is something that’s new to us. … We know who we are and what we can achieve. That’s certainly new for us in the history that I’ve been here. The girls understand that [the Denver win] was fun, but they have to get better from [that] performance to the next one.”