Nov. 4, 1999

COLLEGE PARK, Md - Sophomore forward Caroline Walter (Reilingen, Germany), who has helped lead the Maryland field hockey team to the nation's No. 1 ranking and the top seed in this weekend's Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament, has been selected as the ACC PLAYER OF THE YEAR in a vote by the league's five head coaches. Walter was also named as a member of the All-ACC team.

Walter has scored a career-high 22 goals and added seven assists for a career-high 51 total points this season. She is Maryland's second-leading scorer. In addition, she is tied for seventh in the nation in total points (51) and ninth in points per game (2.68). Walter is one of only six players in the nation who has scored 20 or more goals this season and has scored at least one goal in 14 of Maryland's 19 games.

Walter, who was an All-ACC Tournament team selection in 1998, is the fourth Maryland field hockey player to earn the award. Lisa Buente (1990), Boukje Vermuelen (1992) and Amy Schubert (1993) are all Terps who have previously won the award.

"It's a great honor to have gotten this award," said Walter. "A year ago when they were recognizing the All-ACC team I wasn't sure what it was all about. This mean's a lot to me especially having come from another country before playing in the ACC."

Teammates Rachel Hiskins (Victoria, Australia), Keli Smith (Selinsgrove, Pa.), Carla Tagliente (Cortland, N.Y.) and Autumn Welsh (Macungie, Pa.) join Walter on the All-ACC team. Maryland's five selections to the All-ACC team ties the school record which was first set in 1995.

Hiskins ranks third in the nation in total points (60), fifth in points per game (3.16), second in assists (30) and second in assists per game (1.6). She was credited with a career-high and program-tying four assists against Towson (Sept. 15) and Princeton (Oct. 15) this season and is one of only two players in school history with four assists in multiple games during her career.

Smith is a two-time All-ACC selection and a 1998 All-America second-team selection. She has totaled 36 points (10 goals and 16 assists) this season as compared to her 40 points (17 goals and six assists) during her first two seasons combined. In addition, she is tied for 19th nationally in total points (36), tied for 10th in assists (16) and 15th in assists per game (0.83).

Tagliente was an All-America first-team selection in 1998 and an All-America third-team selection in 1997. She was also named the ACC Rookie of the Year in 1997. She ranks third in total points (48), third in goals (15) and second in assists (18) on the Terps.

Welsh is a leader on Maryland's defense which is ranked eighth in the nation. Welsh has started all 19 games and recorded three crucial defensive saves in Maryland's 2-1 double-overtime victory over No. 5 North Carolina on Oct. 23

Maryland plays Virginia in the ACC Tournament semifinals at 7 p.m. Friday night at Wake Forest University. North Carolina faces Wake Forest in the first semifinal at 4 p.m. The winners meet for the ACC championship on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.