No. 1 Terrapins Travel To Rutgers, VCU and No. 2 Old Dominion
10/9/2000 8:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Oct. 9, 2000
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The top ranked Maryland field hockey squad hits the road this week for the final away stretch of the 2000 regular season. The Terrapins (11-1, 2-1 ACC) first travel to Piscataway, N.J., to meet the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Wednesday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. Maryland then heads south to face Virginia Commonwealth on Saturday, Oct. 14 at noon before squaring off against national rival Old Dominion. The Terps and Monarchs clash for the second time this season, this time in Norfolk, on Sunday, Oct. 15 at 1 p.m.
Maryland enters this week's action on a four-game win streak after crushing Stanford, 8-1 on Oct. 6, and blanking Duke, 4-0, on Oct. 8. The Terrapins have posted three shut outs in four games since suffering their lone loss of the season at Wake Forest on Sept. 23. Maryland has outscored the last four opponents by a combined score of 19-1 with a 102-23 shot advantage.
Match Facts and Coverage
at Rutgers
Date, Time: Wednesday, Oct. 8, 7:00 p.m.
Location: Rutgers Stadium, Piscataway, N.J.
at Virginia Commonwealth
Date, Time: Saturday, Oct. 8, Noon
Location: Cary Street Field, Richmond, Va.
at No. 2 Old Dominion
Date, Time: Sunday, Oct. 15, 1:00 p.m.
Location: Foreman Field, Norfolk, Va.
Meharg: One Away From 200
With an 11-1 record on the season, the 2000 Terrapins have placed head coach Missy Meharg only one win away from the 200 career victory plateau. Entering her 13th season at Maryland with a 188-68-9 record, the Terps' mentor has improved her career slate to 199-69-9. With Maryland's shut out victory over Virginia on Oct. 1, Meharg moved into sixteenth place all-time in coaching victories, overtaking her former mentor Mary Ann Hitchens. Hitchens accumulated a 196-76-33 record at Meharg's alma mater, the University of Delaware. The next milestone mark belongs to fifteenth-ranked Judith Davidson. Davidson amassed a 206-67-23 record at Iowa from 1978-87.
Terps At A Glance
The No. 1 Terrapins once again used their trademark attacking style of hockey with smothering defense and solid goaltending to key victories over Stanford and conference-rival Duke. The Terp attack, led by All-Americans Carla Tagliente (Cortland, N.Y.), Rachel Hiskins (Victoria, Australia), Caroline Walter (Reilingen, Germany) and Keli Smith (Selinsgrove, Pa.) has overwhelmed opponents with 73 scores (5.97 gpg) on 338 shot attempts (28.2 spg), while Maryland's defense anchored by seniors Molly Kauffman (West Lawn, Pa.), Lindsay Gorewitz (Rockville, Md.) and juniors Autumn Welsh (Macungie, Pa.) and Kristy Palchinsky (Leonardtown, Md.) has limited the opposition to 15 goals (1.23 gpg) on 75 shots (6.3 spg).
In the cage, Maryland's junior goalie Ashley Hohnstine (Oak Hill, Va.) has been extremely tough, recording five shut outs on the season. The Terp keeper owns a 1.12 goals against average and a .739 save percentage.
Scouting Rutgers: Knight Notes
The Terrapins meet Rutgers to begin a three-game road trip on Wednesday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. The Scarlet Knights have won four out of their last six games to improve to a 7-5 record (2-1 BIG EAST), including overtime victories over Villanova on Sept. 27 and No. 18 Georgetown this past weekend. The 2-1 win over the Hoyas marked Rutgers' first victory over a ranked opponent in the 2000 season, having been defeated 11-0 by Old Dominion and 2-0 by Michigan earlier this season.
Two-time All-America forward Andschanna Mendes leads Rutgers' attack with nine goals and five assists for 23 points, while junior midfielder Adrienne Booth has four goals and an assist for nine points. Senior Lauren Whalen locks down the Scarlet backfield, which has helped the Knights to limit opponents to just over two goals per game. Senior keeper Abby Joseph has two shut outs and a 2.18 goals against average.
In her 23rd season at the helm of the Scarlet Knights, head coach Ann Petracco owns the ninth-winningest record in collegiate field hockey history at 240-197-40. During her tenure, Rutgers has made four EAIAW and two NCAA Tournament appearances, and captured the ECAC title once. The 1970 Trenton State (now the college of New Jersey) grad has coached at the A, B and C camps for U.S. Field Hockey.
The Terrapins lead in the all-time series with an 18-3-1 record against the Knights. Maryland defeated Rutgers in College Park, 4-1, on Oct. 9 of last year after dropping a 4-3 decision in Piscataway in 1998. Three-time All-American Carla Tagliente recorded a three-goal performance against the Knights last season.
Scouting VCU: Ram Round-Up
The Terps face Virginia Commonwealth on Saturday, Oct. 14 at noon. The Rams have posted a 2-9 record in 2000, most recently suffering a 1-0 defeat to Richmond after beating Radford by the same margin. Other common opponents for the Terps and Rams include: Rutgers who defeated VCU 2-1, Wake Forest who beat VCU 7-0, James Madison who won 6-0, Duke who was victorious 3-0, Old Dominion who won 13-0 and Virginia, who defeated VCU 6-0.
In her fourth season with the Rams, head coach Dawn Hill has helped VCU to steady improvements. The 1987 Old Dominion graduate boasts four NCAA title game appearances as a player to go along with experience as a reserve on the national team. Hill was an assistant coach at ODU and Maryland before taking her current position, and helped the Terps to a 1991 national semifinal appearance while Missy Meharg was with the U.S. National Team.
The Terrapins defeated the Rams by the largest goal-total and margin of victory in school history, 13-0 to open the 1999 season on August 29 (the Terps tied the single-game goal total in a 13-1 victory over Georgetown on Sept. 18, 1999). The only other meeting between the two schools was a 3-0 Maryland victory in 1983.
Scouting ODU: Eye On The Monarchs
In a No. 1 vs. No. 2 battle of national significance, the Terrapins meet the Old Dominion Monarchs on Sunday, Oct. 15 in Norfolk, Va. ODU faces Richmond on Oct. 14 before meeting the Terps.
The Monarchs have posted a 13-1 record -- their only loss of the 2000 season was a 5-4 double-overtime decision at the hands of the Terps. The Monarchs' most recent win was a 2-1 OT victory at home vs. No. 8 Princeton, who Maryland defeated 2-0 on Sept. 29 in New Jersey.
Monarch senior Marina DiGiacomo leads ODU and the nation with 30 goals and 15 assists for 75 points, but did not score a goal against the Tigers. Sophomore Marjolijn van der Sommen has eight goals and 12 assists for 28 points, followed by freshman Angie Loy and junior Adrienne Yoder with 21 and 20 points, respectively. Sophomore goalie Marybeth Freeman is one of the finest in the nation with a 1.11 goals against average.
Head coach Beth Anders is in her 19th season at ODU, and with a 378-55-7 career record is the winningest coach in collegiate field hockey history. She had led the Monarchs to eight national titles, the most recent coming in 1998.
The Monarchs have a 15-9-1 series advantage over the Terrapins, but the Terps took three out of the last four meetings. In 1999 Maryland fell in a 5-3 decision in Norfolk on Sept. 6 before bouncing back to defeat ODU 2-0 on Oct. 17 in College Park and eliminating the Monarchs in a 3-2 overtime contest in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Hiskins Atop The Leaders
Senior All-American Rachel Hiskins, who set a school-record in 1999 with 67 points in 25 games, remains atop the season statistical charts. With a goal and two assists in games against Stanford and Duke, the defensive midfielder has a team leading 40 points, 15 goals and a .484 shot percentage, a team-high tying three game-winning goals and a second-ranking 10 assists.
Tagliente In Range Of Goals Mark
With three assists in two games last week, Maryland Honda Award hopeful and three-time All-American Carla Tagliente is tied for second on the Terp squad with 35 season points and has increased her career total to an all-time leading 174. The senior remains only two goals away from tying Lisa Buente's (1987-90) career goals mark of 70 and three away from becoming the all-time leader in that category.
Tagliente is currently tied for first on the Terp squad with three game-winning goals and is second with 14 goals scored.
Hats Off To Messimer
Sophomore forward Carissa Messimer (Mountaintop, Pa.) put in a tremendous effort on the offensive end for the Terrapins last week, scoring four goals in the two games vs. Stanford and Duke. After capping the Terps' 8-1 victory over the Cardinal with the final goal of the game, the 1999 All-Region selection buried Duke with a three-goal performance. Messimer scored the game winner in the shut out win before a two-goal flurry to end the contest. Messimer recorded two hat tricks as a freshman in 1999, scoring three goals apiece vs. Towson (Sept. 15) and Georgetown (Sept. 18).
"Arnie" Flexes Offensive Muscles
Junior All-American Caroline Walter put on mighty offensive displays in the games vs. Stanford and Duke, totalling three goals and an assist. The forward, referred to affectionately by her teammates as "Arnie," has netted nine goals and three assists in the last eight games. Walter is tied for second on the squad with 35 points and 14 goals, is outright in second with a pair of game-winners and is third with seven season assists.
Smith Dishing Out Helpers
Senior All-American Keli Smith was an integral part of the Terp victories over Stanford and Duke, dishing out four assists in the two contests. The forward was credited with a career-high three helpers vs. the Cardinal, and fed Carissa Messimer for one of her three goals against the Blue Devils. Smith leads the Terps with 11 assists on the season and is fifth in points with 17.
Dina Delivers
Forward Dina Rizzo marked her first multi-goal game of the 2000 season against Stanford, punching in a pair of goals. The two scores tied her single-game high, first set against Lafayette on Nov. 13 of last season. The junior now has three goals and an assist on the season for a total of seven points.
Backs Stepping Forward
The stifling Maryland defense has also been displaying their offensive prowess of late, with Molly Kauffman, Autumn Welsh and Kristy Palchinsky making their way onto the scoring charts. Kauffman netted her first goal of the year against Stanford, tipping one in late in the first half. Welsh has proven to be a scoring threat especially on penalty strokes, burying one apiece in games against Stanford and Virginia (Oct. 1). Palchinsky has proven to be an excellent option on penalty corners, ripping in a goal in Maryland's 11-2 devastation of Radford (Sept. 17).
TERPS BY THE NUMBERS
0
Shot attempts allowed Delaware by Maryland's defense on Sept. 8.
1
Victories needed by Missy Meharg to reach 200 career wins.
No. 1
Maryland's ranking according to the official NFHCA coaches poll of the 2000 season, released Oct. 3. SI For Women also picked the Terps as the top team in the nation in its fall preview issue.
1.12
Goals against average of Terp junior keeper Ashley Hohnstine after eight games. Opposing goalies possess a 5.97 GAA.
3
National championships won by the University of Maryland's field hockey program (1987, 1993, 1999).
3
ACC Tournament titles won by the University of Maryland's field hockey program (1992, 1998, 1999).
5
Shut outs recorded by savior Ashley Hohnstine and the Terps' tenacious defense. Three of those blankings have come against NFHCA Top 20 teams.
"Top 5"
Maryland is among the "Top Five Field Hockey Teams to Watch" in 2000, according to ESPN.com.
8
Career hat-trick performances by senior captain and three-time All-American Carla Tagliente. Tagliente began the 2000 season with a pair of three-goal efforts.
11
Number of helpers dished out by 2000 season assist leader, All-American Keli Smith.
15 and 40
Goals and points recorded by team leader, Rachel Hiskins.
73-15
Goal margin put forth by the Terps in the twelve matches of the 2000 season.
338-75
Shot advantage enjoyed by the Terps in their twelve matches.
2000 ACC Standings
Overall ACC
Team W L T W L T
No. 3 UNC 12 1 0 2 0 0
No. 1 UMd 11 1 0 2 1 0
No. 4 WFU 11 1 0 2 1 0
No. 10 UVa 7 4 0 0 1 0
Duke 5 9 0 0 3 0
Contact: Mark Fratto
301-314-7064 (phone)
301-314-9094 (FAX)
301-314-TERP (Fan Phone)
fratto@wam.umd.edu
