The pressure is on for Pioneer High School’s field hockey program. After beating Saline 3-1 in last year’s State Championship game, Pioneer holds three back-to-back State Championship titles—meaning all eyes are on this year’s team. Four Community High School student athletes play on the Pioneer varsity team: senior, Maggie Lamb, and juniors, Zoe Shuchman, Avery Mayer, and Lucy Lowenschuss.
Pioneer kicked off their first round of playoffs on Monday, Oct. 13, with an 8-0 mercy win against Father Gabriel Richard. Senior Maggie Lamb scored the final mercy goal, ending the game and sending the Pioneers into the next round of playoffs.
“I was really proud to have scored that final mercy goal. I wanted to score so badly and when I looked back up on the clock, there was only one more goal until the game would end,” Lamb said. “I knew when I touched the field that I wanted to be the one to get that last goal in.”
The regional semifinals took place the following Friday, where Pioneer earned another 8-0 mercy win, this time against Greenhills. Lamb scored another goal in Friday’s game. After the win, Pioneer advanced into the regional championship game vs. Skyline High School on Monday, Oct. 20. Zoe Shuchman said she’s been working hard these last few weeks to prepare herself for going into the end of the tournament.
“I’ve been focusing on doing a lot of visualization and getting myself into the right mental headspace,” Shuchman said. “It’s really important for me to visualize my skills so that I can continue to execute them under pressure in important games.”
Pioneer had a competitive and well-fought game against Skyline, ultimately emerging with a 4-0 victory. As the Region two champions, the Pioneers advance to the 2025 State Semifinals vs Chelsea High School, the victors of Region four. Lamb once again scored a goal in Pioneer’s match vs Skyline, her third consecutive playoff game where she scored. Lamb finds it to be so much more meaningful to have such an impact on the team during her final year as a senior.
“I’ve been experiencing so many different emotions as we get closer and closer to the end of the season,” Lamb said. “It’s bittersweet to think about leaving Pioneer field hockey, but it also motivates me to keep pushing until the very end.”
The state semifinal game will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 22 against Chelsea High School. If the Pioneers win this game, they will advance to the final game of the season, the state championship. For many girls on the team it’s hard to believe that their season is coming so close to an end. Lucy Lowenschuss said she’s been focusing on appreciating the moment and enjoying her final days of the season.
“This season has been so much fun and I’ve gotten so much closer with all of my teammates and it’s so sad that you can feel the end of the season coming up,” Lowenschuss said. “But I’m so excited to finish out the season strong and soak in the time left with this team.”
This year’s team carries not only its impressive record but also a determination built over the course of a challenging season. As Pioneer prepares for the state semifinals against Chelsea, the team stands just two wins away from securing a fourth consecutive state title, a victory that would further cement its legacy as one of the most dominant programs in Michigan high school field hockey.
