Field Hockey Team Wins ACC Title, Awaits NCAA Tournament Bid
6/21/1999 8:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
November 8, 1998
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Seventh-ranked Maryland (16-5) recorded a 1-0 sudden-death overtime victory over second-ranked Virginia in the ACC Tournament finals on Sunday to win its second ACC title and its first crown since 1992. The Terps advanced to the ACC title game by defeating North Carolina 2-1 in penalty strokes on Friday in the semifinals. With the victory, the Terps capped off a banner weekend in which senior back Jen Pratt (Greene, N.Y.) was named the ACC Tournament MVP, freshman back Autumn Welsh (Macungie, Pa.) was named the ACC Rookie of the Year and head coach Missy Meharg was named the ACC Coach of the Year. Maryland now awaits the NCAA Tournament selections, which will be announced Wednesday at noon. The Terps have been selected to the past three NCAA Tournaments.
Game Facts and Coverage
NCAA Tournament Selections
Date: Nov. 11, 1998
Time: Noon, EST
Teams: 12 teams will receive bids to the 1998 NCAA Field Hockey Tournament. The top four teams will receive first-round byes and host a quarterfinal game. The other eight teams will begin play in the first round. The first round is this Saturday and the quarterfinals are this Sunday. The NCAA semifinals and finals will be held in Philadelphia, Pa. Nov. 20-22.
MARYLAND DEFEATS VIRGINIA 1-0 IN OVERTIME TO WIN ACC CROWN
Sophomore Rachel Hiskins (Victoria, Australia) scored with 5:16 remaining in the first sudden-death overtime period, leading the Terps to a 1-0 victory in the ACC finals on Sunday. Hiskins goal was scored off a penalty corner and was assisted by freshman midfielder Caroline Walter (Reilingen, Germany). Maryland was outshot 11-3 but sophomore goalie Angela Platt (Coleraine, Northern Ireland) came up with five saves and several critical clears to keep the game scoreless. The victory extended Maryland's unbeaten streak to nine games and was the fourth overtime game it has won this season.
TERPS BEAT NORTH CAROLINA 2-1 IN PENALTY STROKES IN SEMIFINALS
Senior back Jen Pratt scored the winning goal in the penalty stroke series, leading Maryland to a 2-1 victory over North Carolina in the ACC Tournament semifinals on Friday. The Terps and Tar Heels were tied 1-1 after regulation and played though two scoreless 15-minute sudden-death overtime periods to force the penalty stroke series. In regulation, North Carolina got on the board first when freshman midfielder Abby Martin scored on a penalty stroke 4:55 into the first half. Maryland struck back when sophomore back Rachel Hiskins scored with 31 seconds remaining in the first half to time the game at 1-1. Freshman midfielder Caroline Walter assisted on Hiskins' goal. In the penalty stroke series, in which each team had five shots against the opposing team's goalie, the Terps and Tar Heels each converted on three of their first four attempts. In the fifth and final frame, North Carolina's Holly Hough's attempt was wide right and Pratt scored the clinching goal for Maryland.
PRATT NAMED ACC TOURNAMENT MVP
Senior back Jen Pratt was named the 1998 ACC Tournament MVP following Maryland's victory in the ACC finals. She led a Terp defense the surrendered only one goal in 180 minutes of play in the ACC Tournament and did not allow a goal for the final 175 minutes. Pratt is the fifth player in Maryland history to be named the ACC Tournament MVP. The last Terp to be named MVP was Lynsey McVicker, who shared the award with Kate Barber of North Carolina in 1995. Former Terp Jessica Wilk was named MVP in 1987, Boujke Vermuellen won the award in 1992 and Amy Schubert took home MVP honors in 1993.
WELSH NAMED ACC ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Freshman back Autumn Welsh was named the 1998 ACC Rookie of the Year following the ACC title game. In addition to scoring two goals and tallying an assist this season, she became on of the Terps' top defenders, holding three of the ACC's top scorers (Nancy Pelligreen of North Carolina, Neinke van Ruiten of Wake Forest and Corey Ceccolini of Duke) without a point in their meetings against Maryland. Welsh is the second straight Maryland player to be named the ACC Rookie of the Year. Last season, sophomore midfielder Carla Tagliente (Cortland, N.Y.) won the award. The only other Maryland player to be named the ACC Rookie of the Year was Lori Vile in 1993.
FINAL STX/NFHCA POLL Poll released Novmeber 3, 1998
1. Old Dominion (5) 100 2. Virginia 95 3. Princeton 89 4. North Carolina 84 5. Connecticut 82 6. Penn State 74 7. MARYLAND 69 8. Boston College 63 9. James Madison 58 10. Michigan 54 11. Northeastern 53 12. Boston U. 46 13. Duke 38 14. Ball State 32 15. Delaware 29 16. Iowa. 23 17. Syracuse 20 18. Rutgers 17 19. Kent State 8 20. Wake Forest 7
FINAL 1998 ACC STANDINGS
ACC Overall
Team W L W L
Virginia 4 0 15 3
MARYLAND 3 1 14 5
North Carolina 2 2 12 6
Wake Forest 1 3 10 8
Duke 0 4 10 9
MEHARG NAMED ACC COACH OF THE YEAR
Maryland head coach Missy Meharg was named the ACC Coach of the Year for the third time in her career. She also won the award in 1992 and 1995. With the Terps' 1-0 win over Virginia on Sunday, Meharg has now led Maryland to two ACC championships, with the first title coming in 1992. In 11 seasons at Maryland, she has compiled a record of 164-66-9 (.709) and has been named the NCAA Coach of the Year in 1991 and 1993. Meharg led the Terps to the 1993 NCAA title, the 1995 championship game and the 1991 semifinals. The Terps have advanced to the NCAA Tournament eight times under Meharg's guidance, including the last three in a row.
SMITH, PRATT NAMED TO ALL-ACC TEAM
Senior back Jen Pratt and sophomore forward Keli Smith (Selinsgrove, Pa.) were named to the 1998 All-ACC team in a vote taken by the conference coaches last week. Pratt, who made her second straight appearance on the team, leads the Terps with 18 assists this season. She is a two-time All-America selection, having earned third-team honors in 1996 and second-team honors last season. Smith, who made her first appearance on the team, is second on the Terps with 10 goals this season. She was a Mid Atlantic Region All-America selection last season and was an alternate to the U.S. World Cup team this past summer.
FOUR TERPS NAMED TO ALL-ACC TOURNAMENT TEAM
Senior back Jen Pratt, sophomore goalie Angela Platt, freshman back Autumn Welsh and freshman midfielder Caroline Walter were named to the 1998 All-ACC Tournament team following the Terps' win in the finals on Sunday. Pratt scored the winning penalty stroke against North Carolina in the semifinals. She and Welsh paced a defense that allowed only one goal in 180 minutes of play this past weekend. Platt turned in a seven-save performance against the Tar Heels on Friday and a five-save shutout against Virginia on Sunday. Walter assisted on the game-tying goal against the Tar Heels on Friday and on the championship-winning goal against Virginia on Sunday.
A STAT WORTH NOTING
Including this season, Maryland has finished a regular season unbeaten at home four times in its history and all four years, it has gone on to win a championship. The Terps finished with a 9-0 home record in 1987 and a 10-0 home record in 1993. Both years, they went on to win the NCAA title. In 1992, Maryland finished with a home record of 8-0-1 and went on to win the ACC Tournament. This season, the Terps went 11-0 at home and won the ACC title this past weekend.
WORKING OVERTIME
Maryland won all four of its games this season that have gone into sudden-death overtime. In addition to the ACC Tournament games, the Terps won two regular-season overtime contests, both of which were decided on goals by sophomore forward Carla Tagliente. On Sept. 5, at the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, the Terps defeated then No. 11 Michigan 2-1 in double overtime. On Oct. 18, they defeated then No. 18 Boston University 5-4 in single overtime. Maryland's four sudden-death overtime victories this season breaks the program record for the most overtime wins in a season. In 1982, 1985 and 1993, the Terps won two overtime games.
DEJA VU
The last time Maryland won the ACC championship, it also defeated North Carolina in penalty strokes on Nov. 8, 1992 in the finals. Counting last Friday's win, Maryland has won three consecutive games against North Carolina that have gone into penalty strokes. On Nov. 21, 1993, the Terps won the NCAA championship with a 2-1 penalty stroke win over the Tar Heels.
MORE DEJA VU
Senior back Jen Pratt has now converted the winning goal in Maryland's last two games that have been decided by penalty strokes. On Oct. 2, 1997, she scored the winning goal in Maryland's 3-2 penalty stroke upset of then top-ranked Old Dominion. Heading into that game, both the Terps and Monarchs had identical 10-0 records.
PLENTY OF NOTHING
With its 1-0 win over Virginia on Sunday, Maryland has recorded nine shutouts this season. The school record for most shutouts in a single season was set by the 1991 squad, which shut out 12 opponents.
TERPS BY THE NUMBERS IN THE ACC TOURNAMENT
2
The Terps have now won two ACC championships. Their other title came in 1992.
2
A Maryland player has been named the ACC Rookie of the Year the past two seasons. Freshman back Autumn Welsh won this year's award in sophomore midfielder Carla Tagliente won the award last year.
3
Head coach Missy Meharg has now been named the ACC Coach of the Year three times. She also won the award in 1992 and 1995.
5
With senior back Jen Pratt having earned this year's ACC Tournament MVP honors, The Terps have now had five players receive the award. In 1987, Jessica Wilk was the first Maryland player to win the award. Boujke Vermeulen and Amy Schubert took MVP honors in 1992 and 1993 respectively. Lynsey McVicker was the most recent Terp to be named MVP, as she shared the honor with Kate Barber of North Carolina in 1995.
6
Maryland has now played in six ACC Tournament games that have been decided in overtime and has a record of 4-2 in such games. Prior to this year's ACC Tournament, its most recent overtime victory was a 2-1 semifinal win over Duke on Nov. 7, 1991. The Terps' most recent defeat was its 3-2 double-overtime setback by North Carolina in the semifinals on Nov. 8, 1992.
8
With their 1-0 win over Virginia on Sunday, the Terps now have eight shutouts in ACC Tournament action. Their most previous effort was a 1-0 win over Virginia in the 1995 semifinals.
11
Counting this season, Maryland has advanced to the ACC finals 11 times. Its most recent finals appearance came in 1996.
175
Maryland did not allow a goal during the last 175 minutes they played in the ACC Tournament last week.
