Nine Field Hockey Terps Take Regional All-America Honors
11/13/2000 7:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Nov. 13, 2000
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - With more selections than any other program in the nation, nine Maryland Terrapin field hockey student-athletes were named 2000 AstroTurf/NFHCA Division I Regional All-Americans. The Mid-Atlantic All-Region honors come as the 1999 national and 2000 ACC champion Terrapins (19-3) prepare to travel to Norfolk, Va., for the 2000 NCAA Field Hockey Championship semifinal round.
Four key members of the nationally second-rated Terrapin attack were selected to the first team. Senior Rachel Hiskins (Victoria, Australia), the Terps' leader in goals, assists and points this season, was honored a first-teamer for the second time in her career. Now four-time All-Region honorees, fellow seniors Carla Tagliente (Cortland, N.Y.) and Keli Smith (Selinsgrove, Pa.) also garnered first team honors, along with a two-time first squad selection in junior Caroline Walter (Reilingen, Germany). Walter ranks third on the Maryland team in goals, assists and points.
Ranked eighth nationally, the Terps' tenacious defense was also well represented on the first team. Senior back Molly Kauffman (West Lawn, Pa.) and junior Autumn Welsh (Macungie, Pa.) became two-time first squad honorees. Maryland's backfield has allowed only 24 season goals (1.08 goals against) on 142 shots (6.5 spg), and transitions to a Terp offense that has netted 113 scores (5.08 gpg) while totaling 546 shots (24.8 spg).
Senior Lindsay Gorewitz (Rockville, Md.), junior Dina Rizzo (Walpole, Mass.) and sophomore Carissa Messimer (Mountaintop, Pa.) garnered Mid-Atlantic second team honors. Gorewitz, a two-time second squad selection, is another key piece to Maryland's defensive effort. At the left and right forward positions, Rizzo and Messimer are consistent producers on offense and have combined for eight goals in four games (ACC and NCAA) this postseason.
The third-seeded Maryland squad faces the No. 2 seed, North Carolina, in the NCAA Semifinal round on Friday, Nov. 17 at 6:30 p.m. at Old Dominion University. Seven Tar Heels earned Regional All-America honors in a talented South Region that features top-seeded Old Dominion and fourth-seeded Wake Forest. The Monarchs and Demon Deacons, who clash on Nov. 17 at 4 p.m. in the other semifinal match, garnered four and five All-Region selections, respectively. The national championship game is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 19, at 2 p.m.
Contact: Mark Fratto
301-314-7064 (phone)
301-314-9094 (fax)
301-314-TERP
fratto@wam.umd.edu
