Oct. 11, 1999

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The Maryland women's soccer team posted three consecutive shutouts over a five-day span ending with a 2-0 blanking of Navy on Sunday night at Ludwig Field. The trio of victories was especially important as they all came against Mid-Atlantic region opponents as the Terps continue to make a late-season push for their fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.

Maryland will get back into ACC action on Sunday, Oct. 17 as the Terps welcome Clemson (ranked No. 9 by the NSCAA) to Ludwig Field for a 2 p.m. match. It is the first of four straight ACC matches to close out the regular season, of which, the first of three are at home.

The match is very important for Maryland according to head coach Shannon Higgins-Cirovski. "We have built a lot of confidence with the wins against the regional opponents," said Higgins-Cirovski, who won her 75th game as a coach with the win over Navy. "Now we have to focus on the ACC with four games remaining against those teams. We have put it together in the region and now we have to get a big ACC win in our next three games (against ranked teams Clemson, Wake Forest and North Carolina)."

Game Facts and Coverage

Game 15: No. 9 Clemson at Maryland
Date: Sunday, Oct. 17, 1999
Time: 2:00 p.m. (ET)
Site: Ludwig Field (4,000), College Park, Md.
Radio: WMUC (88.1 FM and 650 AM) Rob Jemella (play-by-play), Mike Medina (color), John Forsythe (color)

Call On Mynarski For Game-Winners
Senior midfielder Jackie Mynarski (Somers, N.Y.) recorded the game-winning goal in all three shutout wins last week, all of which were the first goal of the game. Overall, Mynarski has six game-winning goals in her career, three this season and three as a junior in 1998.

Interestingly, her three game-winning goals last season came over a span of four games in a seven-day span. This season, the three clinchers have come in a five-day stretch.

Overall, Mynarski is Maryland's leading scorer this season, with 15 points on seven goals and one assist. With seven goals this season, Mynarski now has 20 career goals to rank in a tie, with Kelly Amonte (1992-95), for sixth all-time in career goals as a Terp.

With her three-goal week, Mynarski has moved up the charts at a fast pace. She is also now seventh on the all-time point list.

Maryland Career Points Leaders

1.  Keri Sarver (1995-98)       155
2.  Emmy Harbo (1995-98)        140
3.  Robin McCullough (1995-98)   66
4t. Michelle Deville (1994-97)   63
4t. Randi Goldblatt (1991-94)    63
6.  Kelly Amonte (1992-95)       54
7.  Jackie Mynarski (1996-Pres.) 49

Maryland Career Goals Leaders

1.  Keri Sarver (1995-98)        61
2.  Emmy Harbo (1995-98)         56
3.  Randi Goldblatt (1991-94)    28
4.  Michelle Deville (1994-97)   25
5.  Robin McCullough (1995-98)   21
6t. Kelly Amonte (1992-95)       20
6t. Jackie Mynarski (1996-Pres.) 20

The Series Against Clemson
The Terps and Tigers are tied 3-3 in the all-time series dating back to 1994. Each team has won its three games on its home turf.

The Terps have recorded 2-0 shutouts of Clemson in all three meetings in College Park, winning 2-0 in the 1995 regular season, in the 1995 ACC

Tournament played at Maryland and in 1997. In the three matches in Clemson, the Tigers have topped the Terps 3-0 in 1994, 2-1 in 1996 and 2-1 last season.

In the last meeting on Sept. 6, 1998, Clemson jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a goal by Alison Burpee but Maryland evened the score at 1-1 as Emmy Harbo scored off assists from Keri Sarver and Carrie Klotz (Cortland, N.Y.). For Klotz it was her first college point. Clemson won the game as Beth Keller scored with 5:05 left in regulation as she knocked in a rebound of a shot by Libby King.

MARYLAND (6-7-1, 1-1-1 ACC)

A29  at George Washington (RV/-)  W, 2-0
S1   UMBC                 (RV/-)  W, 6-1

USC/FILA Challenge
S4   at USC               (RV/24) L, 0-3
S6   vs. UCLA             (RV/16) L, 0-1

Maryland FILA Tournament
S10  Baylor               (-/24)  L, 0-4
S12  Penn                 (-/-)   L, 1-2

S18 *at NC State          (-/-)   T, 0-0 ot
S19 *at Duke              (-/9)   W, 4-3 ot
S26  James Madison        (-/-)   L, 1-2
S29 *at Virginia          (-/10)  L, 0-5
O2   at William & Mary    (-/23)  L, 2-3 ot
O6   at George Mason      (-/-)   W, 1-0
O8   Rutgers              (-/-)   W, 2-0
O10  Navy                 (-/-)   W, 2-0
O17 *Clemson              (-/9)  2:00 p.m.
O22 *Wake Forest                 7:00 p.m.
O25 *North Carolina              1:00 p.m.
O31 *at Florida State            2:00 p.m.
N4-7 ACC Tournament at North Carolina
N10  NCAA Tournament Begins

* ACC game, home games bolded, all times Eastern
NSCAA Rankings in parenthesis (Md./Opponent)

1999 ACC STANDINGS

Teams           Overall  Pct.  ACC    Pct.
North Carolina  11-2-0  .846   2-0-0  1.000
Wake Forest      8-2-0  .800   3-0-0  1.000
Virginia         9-4-0  .692   3-1-0   .750
Maryland         6-7-1  .464   1-1-1   .500
Clemson          9-3-1  .731   2-2-0   .500
NC State         5-5-1  .500   0-2-1   .167
Duke             8-5-0  .615   0-2-0   .000
Florida State    8-5-0  .615   0-3-0   .000

Last Week's Action:

Oct. 5:
Wake Forest 2, UNC Greensboro 0
Clemson 1, Davidson 0
William & Mary 1, Virginia 0

Oct. 6:
Florida State 4, Jacksonville 1
Maryland 1, George Mason 0
NC State 2, Virginia Tech 1

Oct. 8:
Maryland 2, Rutgers 0
North Carolina 7, Hartford 1
Duke 2, Davidson 1
Clemson 4, South Carolina 0
Virginia 2, Florida 1

Oct. 9:
NC State 1, Wofford 0, OT

Oct. 10:
N. Carolina 1, Dartmouth 0, OT
Florida State 3, Wright State 0
Virginia 3, George Mason 2
Maryland 2, Navy 0

This Week's Action:

Oct. 12:
Duke at NC State, 4 p.m.
UNC Greensboro at Clemson, 7 p.m.
UNC Charlotte at Wake Forest, 7 p.m.

Oct. 15:
NC State at North Carolina, 7 p.m.
Wake Forest at Duke, 7 p.m.
Florida State at Virginia, 7 p.m.

Oct. 17:
North Carolina at Duke, 1 p.m.
Brown at Wake Forest, 1 p.m.
Oakland at Virginia, 1 p.m.
Clemson at Maryland, 2 p.m.
Florida State at Texas A&M, 7 p.m.

Terps Dominate Navy, Win 2-0

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The Maryland women's soccer team dominated Navy on the way to its third straight shutout, 2-0, on Sunday night at Ludwig Field. All three victories have come against regional opponents (George Mason, Rutgers and Navy) as the Terps continue to push for their fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. The Terps recorded three consecutive shutouts for the first time since September of the 1997 season.

"We are playing very inspired soccer," said head coach Shannon Higgins-Cirovski. "We are incredibly focused on defense. The forwards and midfielders are also playing with a lot of confidence. We have really got it together in the last three games as we look to playing four straight ACC matches beginning with Clemson"

The Terps jumped out to a 1-0 lead as senior midfielder Jackie Mynarski scored her third consecutive game-winning goal 18:37 into the match as her chip shot from 25 yards out beat Navy goalie Sarah Wilson (Moon Township, Pa.). For Mynarski, the goal was her team-high seventh of the season and 20th of her four-year career. She has moved into a tie for sixth on Maryland's all-time career goal-scoring list with 20, as she passed Audra Weber (1991-94) and tied Kelly Amonte (1992-95). She also stands seventh on the all-time scoring list with 49 points.

Maryland built the lead to 2-0 as sophomore forward Sara Gustafson (Reisterstown, Md.) scored her third goal of the season and first at home as she headed home Emily Janss' (Brandon, Fla.) cross from the right side with 14:50 left in the second half.

The Terps (6-7-1) outshot Navy, 19-3, including 12-2 in the first half. Both teams took three corner kicks and were called for five offsides. Navy's goalie, Wilson made 10 saves, while Maryland's Ali Wolff (Richmond, Va.) and Riki-Ann Serrins (Mission Viejo, Calif.) combined for their third straight shutout. The Midshipmen fell to 10-4.

The Terps continue their five-game homestand as they host ACC rival Clemson next Sunday at 2 p.m at Ludwig Field.

Box Score

Navy (10-4)      0 0 -- 0
Maryland (6-7-1) 1 1 -- 2

Scoring: Navy - none. Maryland - Jackie Mynarski (unassisted) 18:37, Sara Gustafson (Emily Janss) 75:10.
Goalies: Navy - Sarah Wilson (90 minutes, 10 save, 2 goals allowed). Maryland - Ali Wolff (45 minutes, 0 saves, 0 goals allowed), Riki-Ann Serrins (45 minutes, 1 saves, 0 goals allowed).
Yellow Cards: Navy - none. Maryland - Gustafson at 70:06.
Team Stats: Navy - Shots 3, Corner Kicks 3, Saves 10, Fouls 5, Offsides 5. Maryland - Shots 19, Corner Kicks 3, Saves 1, Fouls 8, Offsides 5.
Attendance: 683.

Defense Keys Win Over Rutgers

The Maryland women's soccer team recorded its second consecutive shutout in an important regional match as the Terps blanked Rutgers 2-0 at Ludwig Field on Friday night. Maryland's defense was solid throughout the game.

Maryland (5-7-1) jumped out to a 1-0 lead as senior tri-captain Jackie Mynarski scored on a rebound off the left post just 6:39 into the match.

The Terps secured a 2-0 lead as senior forward Julie Nelson (McLean, Va.) scored off a pass from freshman defender Lindsay Givens (Downingtown, Pa.) nine minutes into the second half.

In nets, Maryland's goalies split a shutout for the second straight game, Ali Wolff started and played the first half, but did not make a save. Riki-Ann Serrins made three saves in the second half to share the whitewash. All-time, Wolff (9.5) and Serrins (6.5) now ranked fourth and fifth, respectively on Maryland's all-time career shutout list.

Box Score

Rutgers (6-6)    0 0 -- 0
Maryland (5-7-1) 1 1 -- 2

Scoring: Rutgers - none. Maryland - Jackie Mynarski (unassisted) 6:39, Julie Nelson (Lindsay Givens) 54:04.
Goalies: Rutgers - Angel Hadaway (90 minutes, 1 save, 2 goals allowed). Maryland - Ali Wolff (45 minutes, 0 saves, 0 goals allowed), Riki-Ann Serrins (45 minutes, 3 saves, 0 goals allowed).
Yellow Cards: Rutgers - none. Maryland - none.
Team Stats: Rutgers - Shots 9, Corner Kicks 5, Saves 1, Fouls 11, Offsides 6. Maryland - Shots 12, Corner Kicks 2, Saves 3, Fouls 8, Offsides 0.
Attendance: 838.

Terps Play Ranked Teams
Maryland faces one of the nation's toughest schedules this season, taking on 10 teams that are ranked or receiving votes in the NSCAA women's soccer poll of Oct. 11. The ACC features five teams ranked in the top 25 led by No. 3 North Carolina. Also ranked from the conference are No. 8 Virginia, No. 9 Clemson, No. 13 Wake Forest and No. 22 Duke. Maryland's 1999 schedule features four non-conference foes that are ranked. UCLA is No. 7, USC is No. 12, while William & Mary is No. 15 and Baylor is No. 24. James Madison is sixth among teams also receiving votes.

Maryland recorded its biggest win of the year upsetting then-No. 9 Duke on Sept. 19 in overtime, 4-3 as Sara Gustafson scored two goals including the game-winner in overtime.

Of Maryland's seven losses, five have come against teams currently ranked in the top 25 (USC, UCLA, Baylor, Virginia and William & Mary).

Janss, Mynarski On Games List
Maryland captains Emily Janss and Jackie Mynarski have moved into the top ten career lists for most games played in a Maryland career. The pair which have both played on defense at midfield over their four-year tenures at Maryland have two of the most stable elements of the Terps' lineup for the past few years.

By playing in all 14 games this season, all starts, Janss has played in 87 games in the red, black and white while Mynarski has seen action in 85 matches.

Maryland Career Games Played Leaders

1.  Robin McCullough (1995-98)     97
2t. Keri Sarver (1995-98)          94
    Emmy Harbo (1995-98)           94
4t. Maureen McDonough (1993-96)    88
    Michelle Salmon (1994-97)      88
6t. Erin Taylor (1993-96)          87
    Michelle Deville (1994-97)     87
    Emily Janss (1996-present)     87
9.  Jackie Mynarski (1996-present) 85

Freshmen Draw Starting Nods
Shannon Higgins-Cirovski has depended heavily on freshmen and sophomore-transfer Sara Gustafson (Reisterstown, Md.) this season. Six different first-year players have started for the Terps in 1999. In fact, over the Terps' 14 games, 53 percent of the starting positions have been held by freshmen or Gustafson.

Leading the way for the freshmen starters have been defensive stalwarts Lindsay Givens, Carly Viher (Mentor, Ohio) and Sally Harrison (Virginia Beach, Va.). The trio has started all 14 games this season.

Up front, Gustafson has started all 14 games along with midfielder Valerie Lawrence (Silver Spring, Md.). Kim King and Dana Jarzyniecki have each started four games also this season.

King started her Maryland career on fire scoring in her first two games. King is the first Maryland freshman to score in her first two college games since Emmy Harbo scored in each of her two games in the 1995 season against Virginia Tech and George Mason.

It's A Family Affair
With the hiring of Shannon Higgins-Cirovski on Jan. 13, 1999, Maryland became the only major Division I school in the nation to have a husband-and-wife tandem coaching soccer at the same institution. Maryland men's coach Sasho Cirovski, who has coached the Terps since 1993, has taken the men's program to new heights with last season's appearance in the national semifinals, its first since 1969.

Higgins-Cirovski came to Maryland after coaching the United States Under-18 team, a team which she led to an undefeated record in 1998. Prior to her stint with the national team, Higgins-Cirovski coached George Washington for seven seasons, leading the Colonials to a 69-59-11 (.539) record during her tenure. She led GW to its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 1996, while earning Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year. She also earned the honor in 1994.

Including her 14 games at Maryland, Higgins-Cirovski has a career record of 75-66-12 (.527) in 150 career games coached. Higgins-Cirovski had a decorated career as a player at North Carolina, graduating in 1990. She was named Soccer America's National Player of the Year in 1988 and 1989 and consensus national Player of the Year in 1989. Over her four-year career at Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels won four national titles compiling an 89-0-6 record.

Women's Soccer On WMUC Radio
All three of Maryland's remaining home games are scheduled to be broadcast live on WMUC radio (88.1 FM and 650 AM). The games cane also be accessed over the internet by going to wmuc.umd.edu. WMUC is also schedule to broadcast all of the Terps games from the ACC Tournament being held in Chapel Hill, N.C. from Nov. 4-7.

Rob Jemella calls play-by-play which Mike Medina and John Forsythe handle the color commentary.

WMUC Broadcast Schedule

Oct. 17 Maryland vs. Clemson, 2 p.m.
Oct. 22 Maryland vs. Wake Forest, 7 p.m.
Oct. 24 Maryland vs. North Carolina, 1 p.m.
Nov. 4-7 ACC Tournament at Chapel Hill, N.C.

Terps By The Numbers

2-0
The score Maryland has defeated Clemson by in all three meetings between the teams in College Park.

3
Jackie Mynarski has scored the game-winning goal for Maryland in each of its last three shuout victories.

3
Maryland has strung together three straight shutouts for the first time since September of the 1997 season.

4
The number of consecutive NCAA tournament appearances for the Terps.

10
Ali Wolff's career shutout total to rank tied for third all-time at Maryland.

13
This is Maryland's 13th season of college soccer.

20
Jackie Mynarski's career goal total, ranking sixth all-time.

49
Jackie Mynarski's career point total, ranking seventh all-time.

75
Shannon Higgins-Cirovski's all-time coaching win total at Maryland and George Washington.

1999 NSCAA Poll of Oct. 11

    Teams           1999 Rec.  Points  Last Wk.
 1. Santa Clara     13-0-0     300      1
 2. Florida         12-1-0     284      2
 3. North Carolina  11-2-0     272      3
 4. Nebraska        12-1-1     269      4
 5. Penn State       9-2-1     250      5
 6. Notre Dame      11-2-0     241      6
 7. UCLA            10-2-0     228      8
 8. Virginia         9-4-0     198     12
 9. Clemson          9-3-1     190     10
10. SMU             10-3-0     180     15
11. Connecticut      9-4-0     170     17
12. USC              9-3-0     168     14
13. Wake Forest      8-2-0     155     13
14. Michigan        10-3-1     148     16
15. William & Mary  10-2-0     128     19
16. Stanford         9-3-0     121     20
17. Harvard          6-1-1     113     23
18. Missouri        10-3-0      98     22
19. Kentucky        10-2-1      72     24
20. BYU             13-2-1      71      9
21. Texas A&M       10-4-0      61      7
22. Duke             8-5-0      51     21
23. Syracuse         9-4-1      28     --
24. Baylor           9-5-0      27     RV
25. San Diego       10-2-0      26     18

Received votes: Hartford, Illinois, Caliornia, Loyola Marymount, Georgia, James Madison, Colorado, Minnesota