08/13/2020
Miami University has a great tradition in the sport of field hockey. While women have been representing Miami for almost 100 years in the sport, it was not until 1974-75 that the field hockey team was integrated into the Department of Athletics. It was one of the original sports so designated, and the program quickly rose to prominence. Theresa Check led the program in that first varsity year, before she gave way to Claudia Buttle, who guided the squad over the next two years. Lil Fesperman was named the full-time coach for the 1977 year, and under her guidance, the Red & White rose up to be one of the top programs in the midwest. Jill Reeve and Iñako Puzo continued the tradition, leading their squads to MAC glory and winning conference titles.
Over these 45 years, Miami teams and their student-athletes have distinguished themselves both on and off the field, becoming one of only 19 schools in the country to earn a win in both the NCAA and AIAW Division I post-season national tournaments. Along the way, Miami has hoisted a number of conference regular-season and tournament trophies and numerous student-athletes have earned recognition for their play, from All-American selections to MAC Player of the Year and All-Conference honors, among many other awards.
We have scoured the record books, dug through the files, and talked to coaches to learn more about these teams. We have read press releases, interviewed players, and spent hours in discussion. So even though the 2020 version of the Miami field hockey team will not be competing in the fall of 2020, we have an opportunity to have competition. Through this research, we have been able to select 16 of these 45 teams to compete in a virtual competition.
Over the next couple of weeks, teams from 16 seasons will be matched up and Miami fans will have the chance to read about these teams and the players, reminisce about the seasons, and ultimately determine which squad will be the fans' choice for the top field hockey team in Miami history. Through voting on social media (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram), the Miami fan base will watch as teams compete virtually and advance in the bracket by virtue of the fan responses. Different matchups will be posted over three-day windows, and we encourage fans to speak up and voice their support for their favorite season.
We are looking to open up the voting next Monday, to coincide with the start of classes here at Miami. In the meantime, we encourage you to look at the bracket: http://users.miamioh.edu/rogers28/Miami/Bracket-Team.html
Get the word out now to your teammates, your other friends, your family, and all the Miami fans you know to get them engaged for what plans to be an exciting competition. Join us as we revisit squads that earned state, regional, and national recognition, advanced to the post-season, and had multiple student-athletes honored while competing for Miami. Reach out to teammates and family as we remember players linked forever by jersey numbers, all of whom left their jersey in a better place than when they first put it on. Love and Honor to Miami!
