Aug. 19, 2000

The Maryland field hockey team, one of the elite programs in the history of the sport, enters the 2000 season in a very enviable position. All of the Terps' 11 starters, and a majority of the first and second string reserves, return from a team that won the NCAA Division I championship with a 24-1 record. The Terps return nearly 100 percent of their offensive firepower and every player from a tenacious defense that ranked No. 1 in the nation last season.

How do you top winning the third national championship in the history of the program and the second Atlantic Coast Conference tournament title in two years? How do you top a school-record 24 victories and a school-record 22 consecutive wins to close the season? How do you top the nation's No. 1 ranking for five weeks during the 1999 season?

"Repeat," says 1999 NFHCA coach of the year Missy Meharg, "will not be the word of choice. The words and actions are more like reloading and ensuring that everyone's individual greatness plays a vital role in our team success, and creating a style of play yet to be seen in NCAA field hockey. Repeating, no. Reloading our energies toward our goals is what this team will be all about."

Maryland's incredibly talented group of veterans will be led by a quartet of All-Americans: seniors Rachel Hiskins, Keli Smith and Carla Tagliente and junior Caroline Walter. The four return as Maryland's top scorers and most durable players. They combined for 73 goals and 78 assists and each started all 25 games during the Terps' national championship run last season. Hiskins from the back, Smith and Tagliente from the midfield and Walter from the forward position will continue to compose one of the top foundations in hockey this season.

Hiskins, who will once again play an integral role on Maryland's set pieces, will be the center of both Maryland's attack and its defense. From her position in the center of the field, the Terps will run a lot of their offense through Hiskins to get the ball from one side of the field to another. She scored a career-high 18 goals and recorded a career-high 31 assists for a school record and ACC-leading 67 total points as a junior.

Smith and Tagliente, two of the nation's best players and one of the most formidable goal-scoring duos in college field hockey a year ago, will be paired again in the midfield. Smith, a two-time All-America second team selection, scored a career-high 13 goals and totaled a career-high 43 points. Tagliente, a three-time All-America selection who will certainly contend for national honors this season, enters her senior season with 54 career goals. She needs only 17 goals to become the school's all-time leader in that category.

Walter, the ACC Player of the Year last season, is one of the most technically sound players in the nation. She is outstanding when play moves inside of the circle and has one of the hardest shots in hockey. Walter scored a team-high 24 goals with five game-winners in 1999 and will be counted on for similar production this season.

"We have a tremendous core of seasoned athletes returning to our team," says Meharg. "When I say seasoned, I mean that they have been Terps for a long time. I cannot say enough about Rachel, Keli, Carla and Caroline. Those women are absolutely tremendous field hockey players and tremendous leaders in their own ways. They lead by example and that is a wonderful way to be leaders."

The Terps' group of veterans runs deep. Backs Molly Kauffman, Lindsay Gorewitz and Sarah Rappolt round out a senior class that has become accustomed to success. During their careers, the six seniors have captured one NCAA championship, two ACC titles, played in three NCAA Tournaments and won an average of nearly 20 games each season.

Kauffman, who will be a starter for the third consecutive season, anchors the backfield. Despite missing five games with a leg injury in 1999, she returned for postseason play and helped the Terps win three games in overtime as the defense allowed only six goals in six games. She is a two-time Mid-Atlantic Regional All-America first team selection who will be a team captain for the second consecutive season.

"Molly's individual skills, tackling ability and attacking abilities are tremendous," said Meharg. "We are going to look for Molly to attack from the back this season and continue to anchor the defense as she has in the past."

Junior Autumn Welsh, who along with Smith, Tagliente and junior Dina Rizzo, played for the U.S. Under-21 team this past spring, will be a major contributor on defense for the third consecutive season. She has a tremendously quick hit from the back and will play as a fullback in the Terps' defensive structure. Welsh was the 1998 ACC Rookie of the Year and earned Mid-Atlantic Regional All-America first team honors last season as the backbone of the Terps' defense.

Another senior who became a starter in 1999 is Gorewitz. Last season, Gorewitz displayed her durability as a starter with 23 starting assignments and 24 appearances. Meharg views her as one of the best one-on-one tacklers in Division I hockey who will have to maintain a high level of play for the Terps to continue their overwhelming success.

Rizzo, who uses her physical tools as well as any player in the nation according to Meharg, is another player who will be a major contributor for the third consecutive season. Rizzo was a Mid-Atlantic Regional second team All-American in 1999 and was a member of the U.S. Under-21 team that competed in the 2000 Pan American games and qualified for the Junior World Cup. Rizzo assisted on the game-winning goal in the Terps' national championship victory over Michigan last season.

"Dina is a tremendous scorer who will do anything in her power to gain attack opportunities for our team attack," said Meharg. "She can play any of the attacking positions and has grown to be a very good defender. She is really the combustion of the team both on and off the field."

Sophomore Carissa Messimer, who was one of the top freshmen in the nation last season, will play alongside Walter on Maryland's forward line. Messimer scored the game-winning goal in the national championship game and scored 14 goals in the 24 games she played during her "rookie" collegiate season. She will be a key to Maryland's attack, which established a school record with 127 goals last season.

"Carissa is a Wayne Gretzky-type of player," said Meharg. "She has developed into an elite athlete and has one of the fastest releases I have ever seen. She also has the attitude and the passion to be great at the sport of hockey."

Maryland's overall team success can be credited to a number of intangibles, but none is more important than the Terps' deep bench that is made up of tremendous athletes all having the potential to earn roles as starters on this year's team. Last year's reserve players had a huge impact on the Terps' winning the national championship and contributed 24 goals during the season.

Senior Sarah Rappolt will see playing time for the 2000 Terps. She has played critical roles on the Terps' defense and on the attack in the last two seasons. Rappolt played in 21 games and displayed her offensive skills with one goal and one assist.

"Sarah brings an energy and a passion for competition that is contagious," said Meharg. "She will continue her leadership through the 2000 season."

Junior Megan Kelly will assume a very important role on this year's team. Described simply by Meharg as Maryland's "utility infielder," Kelly will be asked to utilize her tremendous speed to help the Terps on offense and defense. During her career she has played both a right midfield position on offense and a right halfback position on defense. She will be asked to play much more of an attacking position in 2000 as the coaching staff looks to take advantage of her speed, both with and without the ball.

Sophomore Angie Klingerman will contribute to the overall success of the Terps' offense on the forward line. Klingerman scored 11 goals last season including four against Georgetown and the game-winner against American in only her second career game. Dawn Christensen, a redshirt freshman, is a strong attacker who will look for her first action this fall. She spent her first season at Maryland on the practice squad while developing into a dangerous scorer. Kateri Simon will look for extended playing time after appearing in 10 games as a freshman. The sophomore has battled numerous knee surgeries throughout her career that have limited her playing time. A now-healthy Simon is ready to significantly contribute to the Terps' effort in 2000.

"Kateri is an incredibly versatile player who possesses tremendous physical tools ," said Meharg. "She can power up against any opponent."

Kristy Palchinsky and Carol Senkler, a pair of junior defenders, must play important roles this season if the Terps are to be once again successful in the national arena. Palchinsky contributed nine goals last season including two in Maryland's victory over Old Dominion on Oct. 17. She is also one of Maryland's top corner hitters. Senkler has developed into both a strong player and pivotal team leader. She has improved much and will earn significant playing time while playing a critical role in the development of the team this season.

Redshirt freshman Emily Greway and sophomore Carli Harris will both be critical in terms of the overall team concept. Greway, who sat out last season as a redshirt, is a sound player who understands the nuances of the game as well as any player on the team. She is a tremendous one-on-one defender who is very strong and very athletic. Harris is in her third year in the program and has been successful as both a defender and attacking midfielder. Her athletic attributes will be utilized in many positions on the field throughout the season.

"Carli is a true team player who can contribute in many positions," said Meharg.

The Terps will be solid in the goal with a stable of strong netminders. Junior Ashley Hohnstine, a Mid-Atlantic Regional All-American and NCAA Tournament selection, returns as the incumbent starter. Junior Jackie Reilly and freshman Erica Bicksler will challenge her for playing time.

Hohnstine led the nation with a 0.66 goals against average and ranked 11th in the nation in save percentage at .826. She became the Terps' starting goalie shortly after the 1999 season began and was a perfect 19-0 as a starter. Hohnstine started the final 16 games of the season including all seven of the Terps' postseason victories. Reilly appeared in one game during her first season as a member of the program while Bicksler represents the newcomers in goal.

"Ashley Hohnstine enjoyed a fantastic season last year. She is a strong and flexible athlete who clearly matured during her first season in the program," said Meharg. "Jackie had a tremendous spring season and has developed into a good Division I goaltender, and Erica is a quick, smart, hardworking student-athlete. I am very comfortable with our situation in the cage as the 2000 season begins."

Maryland's outstanding freshman class contains a pair of All-America first team selections, two of the top players from the state of Maryland and one of the top transitional players in the nation.

All-Americans Sara Silvetti and Catherine Rogers will join forces with Maryland all-state selections Courtney Thornton and Kristin Kelly from the state of Maryland and Beth Hafer and goalie Bicksler from Pennsylvania. All six newcomers will add athleticism and depth.

"Our freshman class is phenomenal," said Meharg. "For a team that didn't lose a tremendous number of players [goalie Zoe Ehrlich and forward Emily Ward], we were able to attract six outstanding players. This class deserves to be honored for its high athletic and academic background."

Maryland annually plays one of the toughest schedules in the nation and the 2000 slate is no different. The non-conference portion of the schedule includes a home-and-home series with Old Dominion and games against Connecticut (a 1999 national semifinalist) and NCAA Tournament participants James Madison and Massachusetts. In addition, Maryland will host Stanford and Ohio University for the first time in school history. The Terps' conference schedule includes games against Virginia, North Carolina, Duke and Wake Forest, all of which played in last season's NCAA Tournament.

"We have a tremendous schedule," said Meharg. "We have added some new teams and engaged in some back-to-back competition to prepare us for the postseason. I think this schedule is very fitting for this very high-performance team."

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