ORONO – All week, you heard the rumbling: Michigan is coming. The Wolverines, the No. 1 field hockey team in the land, are loaded.

And in the University of Maine camp, one word kept coming up.

Run? Hide?

Nope: Confidence.

Before, during and after the game, coach Terry Kix used the word in turn to inspire, to rally, to remind.

And after the Black Bears had dropped a 2-0 decision in a mutual season-opener contested in front of a crowd estimated at 1,200, the Bears were still using the word.

“It was definitely a game where we had confidence the whole game,” sophomore center midfielder Jen Johnstone said. “We never gave up. We stayed with them the entire game. It’s something to be proud of.”

Kix, who had privately admitted that the high-octane Michigan attack had the ability to blow the game wide open, was pleased with the performance.

“I don’t think our team played intimidated at all,” she said. “I really think they went after ’em. And I’ll tell you: I’m pretty proud of that factor.”

The Wolverines dominated territorial play early and turned that edge into 10 shots, eight penalty corners, and a pair of goals before intermission.

But Michigan coach Marcia Pankratz said UMaine was succeeding disrupting her team’s attack.

“It was difficult for us to get into our game and get into our rhythm today because of their aggressive play,” Pankratz said.

“We need to work better as a team. We were disjointed today and everyone was playing as individuals,” she said.

Senior star Kelli Gannon made it 1-0 when she converted a penalty stroke with 22:28 left in the period.

The stroke was awarded after a Michigan shot on the previous penalty corner struck a Maine defender’s leg.

Maine goalie Danielle Burke was unable to stop Gannon, who tallied 17 goals and eight assists a year ago.

“I just tried to react, and that was a great stroke,” Burke said. “It’s pretty much 50-50 – goalie or stroker – depending on the time, day, and your reaction. Unfortunately, I didn’t have it today.”

The Wolverines struck again 15 minutes later when a Black Bear defender got caught upfield while trying to generate an attacking opportunity.

The result was a two-on-one breakaway for Michigan. Burke stopped the first shot – a blast by April Fronzoni, but Molly Powers calmly flicked the rebound into the cage from a few yards out to make it 2-0 with 7:35 to play in the half.

But after that, the Black Bears made a few adjustments – including shifting center midfielder Johnstone to right back in order to shore up the defense – things improved drastically.

“In the second half I thought we really took it to them a little bit,” Kix said. “Especially in the second half.”

The numbers support her argument: Maine allowed just three shots and three penalty corners after intermission.

Burke said she did huddle with the defense at halftime about limiting the opportunities they were giving Michigan.