October 17, 2026 -- EAST GRAND RAPIDS, MI To be the best, you have to beat the best! And the way to do that is through preparation and hard work. Since August 10, the EGR Field Hockey program has been preparing for the post-season. The two-a-days in the heat and humidity, the late nights with 8 PM practices, the days getting shorter and the season racing to the playoffs have all led the girls to the coming few weeks. On Monday, October 19, EGR, the 3-peat OK Conference Champs will take on their West Michigan rival Rockford Rams (at Rockford on the Upper Field with tip back at 5:30 PM). Having beaten Rockford in the regular season (2-1 & 2-0) could make the team complacent. Instead, the team has renewed their intensity and dedication to each other by waking up in the pre-dawn hours, flicking on the lights that then shimmer off the frost covering Mehney Field and putting in the work with a 90 minute workout to ensure they are sharp for their contest. Win or lose (and we certainly are geared up for a win), the girls will never doubt the results come from a lack of preparation. They even stayed another hour to coach the EGR Parks & Rec Youth Clinic with 62 K-5th graders helping to instill that same work ethic in the future of EGR Field Hockey. To see smiles that hurt the lips in 35 degree weather, and a gleeful exuberance at getting to be with friends even in the early hours shows the character of this group of girls. And to top it off, both Claire Haskell ('30) and Coach Ellie Huegli (EGR '21) had birthdays. It gave us a chance to collectively be the first to wish them congrats and celebrate with some donuts. Enjoying the morning light coming up over Reeds Lake and the mist hovering over the water added to the beauty of this group being together, enjoying playing together and working hard together with a greater goal in mind. ON TO ROCKFORD AND THE FIRST STEP FURTHER! GO EAST!!