Aug. 21, 1998

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- 1998 marks the 25th season that the Maryland field hockey program has been a part of the Universitys Intercollegiate Athletic Department. Since 1974, the Terps have won two NCAA Championships (1987 and 1993), advanced to the NCAA final four times and have qualified for the NCAA Tournament 10 times. Maryland also won the ACC Tournament in 1992 and advanced to the AIAW semifinals in 1979.

TERPS START PRESEASON PRACTICE, PREPARE FOR OPENING DAY: Head Coach Missy Meharg welcomed back two returning All-Americans and a promising group of newcomers as the team started preseason camp this week. The Terps will continue two-a-day practices through the end of next week. They open up their regular season on Wednesday, September 2 when they host Richmond at 7:30 p.m at the Astro Turf Facility.

PRATT RETURNS TO PROVIDE SENIOR LEADERSHIP FOR TERPS: Senior All-America back Jen Pratt (Greene, N.Y.) is the most experienced veteran on the 1998 squad. She was a third team All-America selection in 1996 and a second team selection last season. Pratt holds the Maryland records for most assists in a game (4, set twice in 1997), season (33, set in 1997) and career (53). Should Pratt earn All-America honors this season, she would become just the fifth Maryland player to be named All-America three times during their college career. Former Terp Kim Turner is Marylands only four-time All-America selection (1985-88) while Jessica Wilk (1986-88), Amy Schubert (1991-93) and Christine DeBow (1995-97) were named All-America three times.

TRADING PLACES: Last year, sophomores Carla Tagliente (Cortland, N.Y.) and Keli Smith (Selinsgrove, Pa.) flourished at the center-forward and midfield positions respectively. Tagliente scored 19 goals and tallied 5 assists en route to being named the ACC Rookie of the Year and third team All-America. Smith netted seven goals and had three assists and was a Mid-Atlantic Region All-America selection. This year, Tagliente switches to the midfield line for what Meharg cites as her "exceptional vision of the field and passing skills." Smith, meanwhile, takes over the center-forward position where Meharg says "her work ethic and aggressiveness will be contagious throughout the team."

TWO HIGH SCHOOL ALL-AMERICANS AMONG TERP NEWCOMERS: Freshmen Dina Rizzo (Walpole, Mass.) and Autumn Welsh (Allentown, Pa.) both join the Terps after earning high school All-America honors during their senior seasons. Both players also been on the U.S. Under-19 team the past two years. At Maryland, Rizzo will bolster the forward line while Welsh will shore up the backfield.

PRESEASON POLL TO BE RELEASED AUGUST 25.: The first NCAA Division I field hockey poll of 1998 will be released on Tuesday, August 25. Last year, the Terps were ranked in the top five throughout the season. They peaked at the No. 3 position in the poll released on October 12, 1997.