Aug. 31, 1998
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Maryland opens its 1998 season this weekend as it travels to play at Penn State (Fri., 7:00 p.m.) and at Clemson (Sun., 2:00 p.m.). The Terps are looking to win their fourth consecutive season opener and third consecutive under head coach Alan Kirkup. The season opener against Penn State marks the fourth consecutive season the Terps play their first game against a non-conference opponent.
TERPS IN SEASON OPENERS
Maryland has won three consecutive season openers to mark the longest streak in program history. The Terps are 5-6 all-time in season- opening games but are 5-3 in season openers against non-conference opponents. Maryland won its first-ever varsity game, 8-0, over Catholic to begin the 1987 season. The Terps are 2-0 in season openers under head coach Alan Kirkup, having defeated St. Marys (Calif.), 2-0, to open the 1996 season, and Wright State, 3-1, to open the 1997 season.
TERPS IN THE SOCCER AMERICA POLL
Maryland is ranked No. 13 in the preseason poll by Soccer America Magazine. It marks the fourth consecutive season that the Terps are ranked in the preseason. Maryland was ranked No. 7 to begin both the 1996 and 1997 seasons and was tabbed No. 15 to begin the 1995 season. The Terps will face no less than seven teams ranked in the preseason top 20 this season, including defending national champion North Carolina.
KIRKUP IN SEASON OPENERS
Head coach Alan Kirkup holds a 9-3 record in his 12 previous season openers. He held as 7-3 record during his 10 years at Southern Methodist and is 2-0 at Maryland. He has won each of his last three season openers and nine of his last 11 dating back to the 1987 season.
KIRKUP AMONG THE NATIONS ELITE COACHES
Head coach Alan Kirkup enters the 1998 season as the seventh all-time winningest active coach in Division I womens soccer. He has a career record of 179-67-12 for a winning percentage of 71.7. He will be looking to become only the seventh coach in Division I history to win 180 games as the Terps open the 1998 season.
TERPS PLAY HOST TO MARYLAND/PUMA TOURNAMENT
Maryland will play host to the second annual Maryland/Puma Tournament on Sept. 11 and 13. The Terps will entertain Towson University, Texas Tech and Southern California in the two-day event.
TERPS LOOKING TO PLAY IN FOURTH CONSECUTIVE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Maryland opens the 1998 season looking to participate in its school record fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament. The Terps were the No. 8 seed in last years tournament and advanced to the quarterfinals during both the 1995 and 1996 tournaments. Maryland has an all-time record of 3-3 and has outscored its opponents 10-5 in the NCAA Tournament.
SEASON OPENING NEWS AND NOTES
Maryland averages 3.3 goals per game in each of its last three season openers ... the Terps have allowed only one goal in the last three season openers, an average of 0.3 goals per game ... senior Keri Sarver has four goals in three season openers including a hat-trick against Wright State in 1997 ... senior Emmy Harbo scored one goal in the 1995 season opener against Virginia Tech while junior Emily Janss scored the game winning goal against St. Marys in the 1996 opener ... seniors Abby Bausman (Glen Arm, Md.) and Keri Sarver (Massillon, Ohio) and Janss (Brandon, Fla.) will serve as team tri-captains this season.
THE MARYLAND-PENN STATE SERIES
Maryland opens its season as it travels to Penn State Friday for a 7 p.m. start time. It marks the third time these two schools have met. Maryland leads the series, 2-0, with the Terps gaining 3-1 decisions during the 1996 and 1997 seasons. Friday nights game at State College, Pa., marks the first trip to Happy Valley for the Terps. The 1996 Terp victory was at George Mason University and the 1997 victory was at Maryland.
THE MARYLAND-CLEMSON SERIES
Maryland opens its ACC season as it travels to Clemson Sunday for a 2 p.m. start time. It marks the sixth time these two schools have met. Maryland leads the series, 3-2, with the No. 19 Terps gaining a 2-0 victory over the No. 9 Lady Tigers in College Park last season.
HARBO AND SARVER LOOK TO ADD TO SCHOOL RECORD TOTALS
Senior forwards Emmy Harbo (Baton Rouge, La./The Runnels School) and Keri Sarver (Massillon, Ohio/Jackson) are the highest scoring duo in school history. Harbo enters the 1998 season as the all-time school leader in career goals with 44 while Sarver enters the season as the all-time school leader in total points with 106. Sarver ranks second to Harbo with 40 career goals while Harbo ranks second to Sarver with 104 total points.
Career Points Career Goals Scored
1. 106 Keri Sarver (1995-Pres.) 1. 44 Emmy Harbo (1995-Pres.)
2. 104 Emmy Harbo (1995-Pres.) 2. 40 Keri Sarver (1995-Pres.)
McCULLOUGH IS ONE OF ONLY TWO IN MARYLAND HISTORY
Senior midfielder Robin McCullough (Covington, Ga./Newton County), a 1997 second team All-ACC selection, is one of only two players in school history to have earned all-conference honors more than once during her career. McCullough was also a second team All-ACC pick in 1996. She joins only former Terp All-America Erin Taylor as multiple All-ACC selections. Taylor, a current assistant coach at Ohio State, was a first team All-ACC selection in 1996 and a second team All-ACC choice in 1995.
KEYES RETURNS AS A TOP DEFENDER
Senior defender Tiffany Keyes (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin East) returns to the playing field this season after missing the entire 1997 season as a medical redshirt. Keyes returns to the field after missing the last 39 Terps games. She was injured in the 11th game of the 1996 season and was forced to miss the remainder of that season and the entire 1997 season. Her return will bolster the already strong Terp defense.
WOLFF ON TERPS ALL-TIME LIST AFTER ONLY ONE SEASON
Sophomore goalkeeper Ali Wolff (Richmond, Va./Godwin) ranks fifth in career shutouts (five) and fifth in career saves (65) after only one season in a Maryland uniform. She needs only two shutouts and 11 saves to move into sole possession of fourth place in both categories. She recorded a career-high 14 saves against James Madison in her first career appearance last season.
SIX CURRENT TERPS NAMED TO 1997-98 ACC HONOR ROLL
Six current members of the womens soccer team were among 149 University of Maryland student-athletes recently named to the Atlantic Coast Conference academic honor roll. The ACC honor roll consists of those student-athletes who maintained at least a 3.0 GPA during the entire 1997-98 academic year. The members of the womens soccer team who were honored were: Abby Bausman (Glen Arm, Md./Dulaney/accounting), Robin McCullough (Covington, Ga./Newton County/English), Jackie Mynarski (Somers, N.Y./Somers/government and politics), Keri Sarver (Massillon, Ohio/Jackson/computer science), Riki-Ann Serrins (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita/letters and sciences), Laura Varela (Aurora, Colo./Overland/criminal justice and sociology). In addition, three members of the 1997 NCAA Tournament team were also selected, bringing the number to nine honorees from the womens soccer team.
TERPS 1997 SCHEDULE RATED AS NATIONS TOUGHEST
Marylands 1997 schedule was rated as the nations toughest by the Sagarin ranking computer. The Terps schedule ranked just ahead of North Carolina and Clemson. During the 1997 season, the Terps defeated four teams ranked among the final top 32 and played seven games against teams ranked in the final top 16.
TERPS TO PLAY AT LUDWIG FIELD FOR THE FOURTH SEASON
Maryland will play its home games at Ludwig Field for the fourth consecutive season. The Terps were 8-2-0 last season and have an all-time 30-5-2 record in the facility. The Terps have never lost more than two games in any season and are 2-1-0 in NCAA Tournament games there. Of the five losses the Terps have incurred while playing at Ludwig, three have come at the hands of North Carolina.
