Nov. 6, 2000

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The 2000 ACC and reigning national champion Maryland field hockey team (17-3, 2-2 ACC) will be logged on to the NCAA Championship selection show at www.ncaachampionships.com on Tuesday, Nov. 7 at 8 p.m. EST. For the first time in NCAA history, the seedings and sites will be webcast and can be viewed by clicking on "Field Hockey" on the left side of the home page, which will take you to an option to access the Internet selection show. Fans and media wishing to view the webcast will need to download a free Real Player. The show will be archived for four days after the live broadcast.

Maryland awaits the bid after claiming its fourth overall and third consecutive ACC Championship, held Nov. 2-5 in College Park. The third-seeded Terrapins played some of their best field hockey all season in a rematch with No. 2 Wake Forest, handing the Demon Deacons a 3-1 semifinal loss. The Terps went on to meet the 2000 Championship's "Cinderella" team, the fourth-seeded Virginia Cavaliers, who had knocked off top-ranked North Carolina in the second round of penalty strokes in their semifinal match-up. Sophomore forward Carissa Messimer (Mountaintop, Pa.) netted a pair of goals and the Terp defense, led by the 2000 ACC Tournament MVP Autumn Welsh (Macungie, Pa.), stifled the speedy Cavaliers, allowing only four shots. Junior goalie Ashley Hohnstine (Oak Hill, Va.) made two saves in the Terps' 3-0 championship victory for her ninth season shutout.

The championship game will be replayed this evening at 7 p.m. on FOX Sports Net.

Records And Rankings
The Terrapins enter this week with an overall record of 17-3 and a national ranking of three, according to the Oct. 31 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Poll. This weekly poll, however, does not count toward regional seedings for the NCAA Tournament. In the most recent NCAA Poll (released Oct. 16), the Terrapins are fourth nationally behind Old Dominion, North Carolina and Wake Forest. This week's NCAA Poll will be used to determine the seedings and sites for the 2000 Championship First and Second Rounds.

Terps At A Glance
With an incredibly potent attack, suffocating defense and solid goalkeeping in earning their third consecutive ACC Championship, the Terrapins displayed the caliber of hockey that has come to be well known in College Park. The Terp attack, led by All-Americans Carla Tagliente (Cortland, N.Y.), Rachel Hiskins (Victoria, Australia), Caroline Walter and Keli Smith, has overwhelmed opponents all season long with 101 scores (4.99 gpg) on 488 shot attempts (24.1 spg), while Maryland's backfield anchored by seniors Molly Kauffman (West Lawn, Pa.) and Lindsay Gorewitz (Rockville, Md.) and juniors Autumn Welsh and Kristy Palchinsky (Leonardtown, Md.) has limited the opposition to 22 goals (1.09 gpg) on 129 shots (6.4 spg).

In the cage, Maryland's junior keeper Ashley Hohnstine has been tough, posting nine shutouts on the season including five against ranked teams. The Terp keeper boasts a season-low 1.00 goals against average and a .783 save percentage. She made a career-high nine saves vs. No. 2 Old Dominion on Oct. 15.

Maryland In The NCAAs
The Terrapins will play in their sixth consecutive NCAA tournament and 12th overall in 2000. Maryland owns a 17-9 NCAA tournament record and is currently riding a four game NCAA win streak from last season's championship. With a pair of victories to claim this season's ACC title, the Terps extended their postseason win streak to eight games, which began with the Terps' ACC title run in 1999.

Contact: Mark Fratto
301-314-7064 (Phone)
301-314-9094 (FAX)
301-314-TERP (Fan Phone)
fratto@wam.umd.edu