Oct. 18, 1999

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Fresh off an exciting 2-1 overtime victory over No. 9 Clemson on Sunday, the Maryland women?s soccer team faces a pair of ranked ACC rivals this weekend as the Terps close out their 1999 regular-season home schedule. The Terps are riding a season-high four-game winning streak, over which Maryland has outscored its opponents 7-1. Maryland has also evened its record at 7-7-1 and stands fourth in the ACC with a 2-1-1 record.

Maryland will host No. 11 Wake Forest (10-4-1, 3-1 ACC) on Friday night at Ludwig Field. The Terps will continue their weekend action on Sunday as they welcome No. 3 North Carolina (12-2-0, 3-0 ACC) to College Park for a 1 p.m. kickoff.

Maryland Moves To No. 5 In Mid-Atlantic Region

With Sunday's win over Clemson the Terps have moved back to .500 and are ranked fifth in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Maryland must maintain a .500 record to qualify for its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.

That was our goal, to get back to .500 and be ranked in the region, said head coach Shannon Higgins-Cirovski. We have a lot ahead of us starting with the two games this weekend. But it's great to be in the poll.

NSCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Poll (Oct. 18)

Game Facts and Coverage

Game 16: No. 11 Wake Forest at Maryland
Date: Friday, Oct. 22, 1999
Time: 7:00 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)

Game 17: No. 3 North Carolina at Maryland
Date: Sunday, Oct. 24, 1999
Time: 1:00 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)

Higgins-Cirovski Faces Alma Mater, Former Coach

Sunday's game will be an interesting one as Maryland head coach Shannon Higgins-Cirovski goes head-to-head with her college coach Anson Dorrance, North Carolina's legendary mentor. Higgins-Cirovski was a four-year star for the Tar Heels from 1986-89, when North Carolina compiled an astonishing 89-0-6 record on its way to four consecutive national championships. Higgins-Cirovski was also named national Player of the Year by Soccer America in 1988 and 1989. As a coach, she has faced her alma mater twice as the coach of George Washington. In 1993, the Tar Heels topped the Colonials, 4-0 and in 1994, UNC defeated GW, 2-0.

Dorrance speaks very highly of Higgins-Cirovski, as a player and a coach. Of all the players I have coached, no one is more suited to be a coach, said Dorrance. She is a brilliant field organizer and tactical genius. The cliche 'coach on the field' certainly always applied to her during her playing career. Every team she presents will be well-organized and difficult to play.

The Series With Wake Forest

Maryland holds a 4-2 series lead against Wake Forest, dating back to the first meeting in 1994. The Demon Deacons won their first two games against the Terps last season, topping them 3-2 in overtime during the regular season on Oct. 25, 1998 and 2-1 in the first round of the ACC Tournament on Nov. 6 in Orlando, Fla.

In the Oct. 25 match, Maryland sent the game to overtime as Emily Janss (Brandon, Fla.) scored off an assist from goalie Riki-Ann Serrins (Mission Viejo, Calif.) with 7:03 left in regulation. But Wake's Anne Shropshire scored with 3:54 left in the second overtime to give the Deacons the win. In the ACC Tournament, Shropshire struck again, as she scored with five seconds left in regulation to advance Wake to the second round, 2-1. All-time leading scorer Keri Sarver scored Maryland's goal in the game.

Prior to last season, Maryland had outscored Wake Forest 17-0 in four meetings, winning 6-0 in 1994, 3-0 in 1995, 4-0 in 1996 and 4-0 in 1997. The Terps are a perfect 2-0 against Wake in College Park, winning matches in 1995 and 1997. Lindsay Basalyga (Cincinnati, Ohio) scored her third career goal in the 1997 victory at College Park.

The Series With North Carolina

The 14-time NCAA champion North Carolina Tar Heels hold a 17-0 lead in the series against Maryland dating to the first game between the teams in 1987, when the Terps' varsity program started.

Last season, the Terps allowed their fewest goals to a North Carolina team, falling 2-0 on Oct. 23.

In the last meeting between the teams in College Park, a Ludwig Field facility record 4,380 fans packed the facility to watch North Carolina post a 4-0 win on Oct. 10, 1997.

1999 ACC STANDINGS

Teams           Overall  Pct. ACC    Pct. 
North Carolina  12-2-0  .857  3-0-0 1.000 
Virginia        11-4-0  .733  4-1-0  .800 
Wake Forest     10-3-0  .769  3-1-0  .750 
Maryland         7-7-1  .500  2-1-1  .625 
Clemson         10-4-1  .700  2-3-0  .400 
NC State         6-6-1  .500  1-3-1  .300 
Duke             9-6-0  .600  1-3-0  .150 
Florida State    8-7-0  .533  0-4-0  .000 

Last Week's Action:

This Week's Action:

Soccer America Honors Mynarski

Senior tri-captain Jackie Mynarski (Somers, N.Y.) was named to the Soccer America Women's Team of the Week for the week ending Oct. 10. The midfielder recorded the game-winning goal in all three shutout wins last week, all of which were the first goal of the game. Maryland defeated George Mason 1-0 on Oct. 6, Rutgers 2-0 on Oct. 8, and Navy 2-0 on Oct. 10.

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.

This season, Mynarski is Maryland's leading scorer with 16 points on seven goals and two assists. With seven goals this season, Mynarski now has 20 career goals to tie 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.

Mynarski is the second Terp to be honored by Soccer America this year, fellow senior tri-captain Emily Janss was named to the Aug. 29 Team of the Week.

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. 18. The ACC features five teams ranked in the top 25, led by No. 3 North Carolina. Also ranked from the conference are No. 9 Virginia, No. 11 Wake Forest, No. 14 Clemson and No. 21 Duke. Maryland's 1999 schedule features four non-conference foes that are ranked. USC is No. 7, UCLA is No. 15, William & Mary is No. 17t and Baylor is No. 25. James Madison is third among teams also receiving votes.

No. 9 Is Nice For Terps

Maryland recorded its two biggest wins against teams that were ranked No. 9 in the NSCAA poll when the Terps played them.

The Terps upset then-No. 9 Duke on Sept. 19 in overtime, 4-3, as Sara Gustafson scored two goals including the game-winner in overtime. Maryland also stopped then-No.9 Clemson in overtime on Emily Janss' pair of goals including the winner with 1:14 left in the first overtime on Oct. 17.

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

Mynarski, Janss On The Charts

Senior tri-captains Jackie Mynarski and Emily Janss are both ranked on Maryland's career top-10 lists in points and goals.

With a team-high seven goals and 16 points this season, Mynarski has 20 career goals and 50 points over her four-year career.

Janss broke into the top 10 on both lists with her two-goal performance against Clemson. With five goals and 13 points this season, she has 14 career goals and 36 points.

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.) 50 
8.  Audra Weber (1991-94)        46 
9.  Stephanie Magro (1991-94)    39 
10. Emily Janss (1996-Pres.)     36 

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 
8.   Audra Weber (1991-94)         19 
9.   Stephanie Magro (1991-94)     16 
10t. Emily Janss (1996-Pres.)      14 
10t. Tricia Taliaferro (1992-95)   14

Mynarski also ranks 10th on the career assists list with 10.

Maryland Career Assists Leaders

1.  Keri Sarver (1995-98)        33 
2.  Emmy Harbo (1995-98)         28 
3.  Robin McCullough (1995-98)   24 
4.  Michelle Salmon (1994-97)    19 
5.  Leslie Kehrin (1992-94)      15 
6.  Kelly Amonte (1992-95)       14 
7.  Michelle Deville (1994-97)   13 
8t. Tania Sheremeta (1990-93)    12 
8t. Terri Rich (1992-95)         12 
10. Jackie Mynarski (1996-Pres.) 10 

Janss, Mynarski On Games List

Maryland captains Emily Janss and Jackie Mynarski have moved into the top 10 career lists for most games played in a Maryland career. The pair which has played on defense and midfield over their four-year tenures at Maryland and have been two of the most stable elements of the Terps' lineup for the past few years.

By playing in all 15 games this season, all starts, Janss has played in 88 games in the red, black and white while Mynarski has seen action in 86 matches.

Maryland Career Games Played Leaders

1.  Robin McCullough (1995-98)      97 
2t. Keri Sarver (1995-98)           94 
2t. Emmy Harbo (1995-98)            94 
4t. Emily Janss (1996-present)      88 
4t  Maureen McDonough (1993-96)     88 
4t. Michelle Salmon (1994-97)       88 
6t. Erin Taylor (1993-96)           87 
6t. Michelle Deville (1994-97)      87 
8.  Jackie Mynarski (1996-present)  86 

Givens Continues To Assist

Lindsay Givens

leads Maryland in assists this season with five. The freshman is four off the class record of assists, set by Emmy Harbo (9) in 1995.

Givens picked up her fifth assist on a perfect throw-in to Emily Janss in the box to give Maryland a 1-0 lead against Clemson on Sunday.

The Downingtown, Pa., native has picked up all five helpers in the last eight games including a stretch of three in four games.

Goalies On Charts

Ali Wolff and Riki-Ann Serrins are among the all-time leaders in goalie stats at Maryland. Both players rank in the top six in career saves, goals against average, shutouts and games played.

Maryland Career Saves Leaders

1. Cailin Mullins (1990-93)      354 
2. Heather Rowe (1993-96)        258 
3. Missy Price (1993-96)         216 
4. Ali Wolff (1997-Pres.)        180 
5. Riki-Ann Serrins (1997-Pres.) 107 

Maryland Career Goals Against Avg. Leaders

1. Kassie Knecht (1995-96)       1.07 
2. Missy Price (1993-96)         1.22 
3. Riki-Ann Serrins (1997-Pres.) 1.31 
4. Ali Wolff (1997-Pres.         1.96 

Maryland Career Shutout Leaders

1.  Missy Price (1993-96)        13 
2.  Heather Rowe (1988-91)       12 
3t.
Ali Wolff (1997-Pres.)       10 
3t. Cailin Mullins (1990-93)     10 
5.  Riki-Ann Serrins (1997-Pres.) 7 

Maryland Career Games Played Leaders

1. Cailin Mullins (1990-93)      70 
2. Missy Price (1993-96)         56 
3. Heather Rowe (1988-91)        49 
4. Ali Wolff (1997-Pres.)        43 
5. Kassie Knecht (1995-96)       34 
6. Riki-Ann Serrins (1997-Pres.) 32 

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' 15 games, 50 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 15 games this season.

Up front, Gustafson has started all 15 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.

Outshooting Opponents

Maryland has outshot its opponents eight times this year and has recorded a 5-3-0 record in those games. The Terps have outshot their foes in five of the last seven games.

Overall, this season, Maryland has outshot its opponents 194-158, 89-70 in the first half and 94-77 in the second half.

King Notches Three Off Bench

Kim King has added offense to the Maryland lineup when she enters the game off the bench. For the third time this year King scored after entering the game on a substitution, when she scored at with 2:50 left in the first half of the William & Mary game.

This season, King ranks tied for third on the team in goals scored with three and fifth for in points with six.

Winning At Ludwig

With three consecutive wins at Ludwig Field, Maryland improved to 4-3-0 this season at home. Since the facility was constructed in 1995, Maryland has dominated opponents at home, compiling a 41-12-3 record for a 75.9 win percentage.

Women's Soccer On WMUC Radio

All of Maryland's remaining home games are scheduled to be broadcast live on WMUC radio (88.1 FM and 650 AM). The games can also be accessed over the Internet by going to wmuc.umd.edu. WMUC is also scheduled 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 handles the color commentary.

WMUC Broadcast Schedule
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

3 Jackie Mynarski scored three game-winning goals for Maryland in three shutout wins from Oct. 6-10.

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

5th Maryland's Mid-Atlantic regional ranking after beating Clemson, 2-1 in overtime.

9 The ranking Duke and Clemson had when Maryland upset them on Sept. 19 and Oct. 17, respectively.

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.

17-0 Maryland outscored Wake Forest 17-0 over the first four meetings between the teams from 1994-97.

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

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

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

NSCAA Poll ofOct. 18

     Teams         1999 Rec. Pts  Last Wk. 
1.   Santa Clara    15-0-0   300  1 
2.   Florida        14-1-0   286  2 
3.   North Carolina 12-2-0   274  3 
4.   Nebraska       14-1-1   268  4 
5.   Penn State     12-2-1   251  5 
6.   Notre Dame     11-3-1   238  6 
7.   USC            11-3-0   216  12 
8.   Connecticut    11-4-0   205  11 
9.   Virginia       11-4-0   202  8 
10.  Stanford       11-3-0   179  16 
11.  Wake Forest    10-3-0   166  13 
12.  Texas A&M      12-4-0   157  21 
13.  Kentucky       12-2-1   136  19 
14.  Clemson        10-4-1   131  9 
15.  UCLA           11-2-1   129  7 
16.  Harvard        10-1-1   123  17 
17t. William & Mary 11-3-0   113  15 
17t. Missouri       11-4-0   113  18 
19.  Michigan       11-4-1   69   14 
20.  San Diego      11-2-0   64   25 
21.  Duke            9-6-0   58   22 
22.  Hartford        8-3-2   54   NR 
23.  SMU            10-5-0   49   10 
24.  Fresno State   12-3-0   36   NR 
25.  Baylor         11-5-0   32   24 
Received votes: BYU, California, James Madison, Loyola Maymount,
Iowa, South Carolina, Syracuse, Minnesota, Iowa St.