OXFORD — Iñako Puzo stood with his arms crossed, sort of by himself away from all the festivities.
He was watching the Miami University field hockey team reap the rewards of hard work and a constant push to want to be the best.
There was a confident vibe — one that matched the 3-0 blanking the RedHawks put on James Madison on Saturday to win their seventh straight Mid-American Conference championship. This happened a week after they secured their eighth regular season MAC title in a row.
And as Puzo continued to watch, Miami celebrated a moment that has now turned into an expectation.
“It’s a lot of pressure, you know,” said Puzo, who in his 14th season as MU’s field hockey coach. “The pressure is a benefit.
“That pressure is hard to handle sometimes.”
It really doesn’t seem like it, though — at least from a number’s standpoint.
Puza holds Miami records for NCAA Tournament wins (5), MAC regular season titles (10) and MAC tournament titles (9). He’s the winningest postseason coach in program history, holding an 18-10 record in postseason play.
“It means the same as the last one,” Puzo said. “It’s always very special. It’s very difficult to be in this position. The competition is hard. The competition every year is better. So, we try to keep it real.
“We try to enjoy every single one — because you don’t know which one is going to be your last one.“So, for me, it’s the same level of satisfaction. Very proud of the team, and very proud to be in this position.”
The RedHawks have also seen major NCAA accomplishments under Puzo.
Miami has advanced to nine NCAA Tournaments, including a win over No. 22 Boston University in 2018. The RedHawks hosted their first NCAA Tournament game in 2021, beating Maine.
“It takes a lot of people — a lot of people, a lot of work,” said Puzo, a five-time MAC Coach of the Year who has helped mentor 69 All-MAC performers, eight MAC Player of the Year award winners and four MAC Freshmen of the Year honorees.
“We see our players here. We see the coaches,” Puzo said. “But there is a lot of people behind this and working very hard to hold a program No. 1, to hold a program these days in Division I to be competitive at the national level. So, it takes a lot of effort … to keep this program alive, in the top of the rankings, to keep bringing championships to Miami.”
Now, sights are set on the NCAA Tournament. Miami (13-7) received an automatic bid and will find face Vermont on Wednesday at 3 p.m. in Evanston, Ill.
Experience has gotten the RedHawks this far, touted veteran standout Claudia Negrete Garcia — the MAC Tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
“I think we are a really mature team,” Negrete Garcia said. “We’re really relaxed when we go on the field. We know what it is like to be in the finals. So, we know how to play. We were relaxed.
“Coming here, when they first put me on the field is that you have to do it,” Negrete Garcia added. “You just have to help the team and do better — leave the upcoming seniors in a better place. There’s a lot of people who have come to this field that always want to push you to do better, and we don’t want to fail the people behind us.
“We practice a lot. Other teams might do the same, but there’s a standard that no one gives up here on the team. We don’t want regression — to regret after the game. So, we have to go to the field, leave everything. This was the last game of the season here, give our all and do the best.”
Four RedHawks took spots on the All-Tournament Team, including Negrete Garcia, Berta Mata, Becca Lawn and Paula Navarro.
“We are going to keep doing what we have been doing forever,” Puzo said. “We’re not going to change. Today, we won by playing our game, our DNA. There’s no reason to change, and it would be a big mistake. We have to stay loyal to what we believe we can play and try to face whatever challenge is in front of us.
“It always feels good. I always say for me, a trophy is a way to say thank you to everybody that has supported the team — everybody who works for the team.
“For me, this is the most beautiful moment — because it’s a thank you note in the shape of a trophy.”
