Sept. 11, 2000

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - No. 23 Maryland looks to get back in the win column when it hosts local rival George Washington on Tuesday night at Ludwig Field. The game will be an emotional one for Maryland head coach Shannon Higgins-Cirovski as she goes against the school she coached at for seven years (1991-97). Last year, Higgins-Cirovski coached her first game as Maryland's head coach against her old school and defeated the Colonials, 2-0 on Aug. 29, 1999.

"I still have a place in my heart for George Washington," said Higgins-Cirovski, who is in her second year at Maryland. "But I'm converted over to Maryland now and I'm working hard with the team that I'm closest to, in order to win every game."

Higgins-Cirovski made her name as a college coach at George Washington, becoming the school's all-time leader in coaching wins with a 69-59-11 record. She was named the Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year in 1994 and 1996.

This year's meeting will have new twist as George Washington is guided by one of Higgins-Cirovski's biggest stars during her tenure at George Washington, Tanya Vogel, who is in her first year as the Colonials' head coach. Vogel was named Atlantic 10 Player of the Year in 1996 as she and Higgins-Cirovski led the Colonials to the school's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.

To make it even more intertwined, the Colonials faced Maryland in that NCAA Tournament game, a 2-0 Maryland win on Nov. 16, 1996 at Ludwig Field.

Game Facts and Coverage

Game 6: George Washington at No. 23 Maryland
Date: Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2000
Time: 7 p.m.
Site: Ludwig Field (4,500), College Park, Md.

2000 Records: Maryland: 3-2-0 (0-1-0 ACC), George Washington: 1-2-0 (0-0-0 Atlantic 10)

Series History: Series tied 6-6-2. Last Meeting: Aug. 29, 1999 - Maryland 2, George Washington 0.

The Coaches: Maryland: Shannon Higgins-Cirovski (83-71-12/.536 overall/9th yr., 14-12-1/.537 at Maryland/2nd yr.) George Washington: Tanya Vogel (1-2-0/.333 overall/1st yr., all at George Washington)

Radio Coverage: Maryland: WMUC (88.1 FM) or on the Internet at www.wmuc.umd.edu. (talent: Jonathan Miller and Rishi Barran)

The All-Time Series With GW

The Terps and Colonials have met 14 times overall and in every season since Maryland women's soccer first became a varsity sport in 1987. George Washington is one of three teams to have played Maryland every year since 1987, with the other two being North Carolina and Virginia.

The series is tied at 6-6-2 all-time, but Maryland has not lost in the last six meetings (5-0-1), dating to 1995. The Terps have won the last three games played in College Park.

In the only NCAA Tournament matchup between the teams, Maryland topped GW, 2-0 on Nov. 16, 1996 in the Colonials' first NCAA appearance.

The Last Six Maryland-George Washington Games (Home Team in Bold)
Aug. 29, 1999 Maryland 2, George Washington 0
Oct. 28, 1998 Maryland 3, George Washington 2 (OT)
Sept. 26, 1997 Maryland 2, George Washington 2
Nov. 16, 1996 Maryland 2, George Washington 0 (NCAA First Round)
Sept. 4, 1996 Maryland 5, George Washington 0
Oct. 25, 1995 Maryland 5, George Washington 1

Records & Rankings

Maryland enters the George Washington game with a 3-2-0 record after winning at Rutgers (1-0), upsetting No. 4 Penn State (3-1) and defeating Towson (1-0). The Terps' losses have come against No. 22 Duke (2-1) and Richmond (1-0) last Saturday. Last season, Maryland was 11-10-1 and 4-2-1 in the ACC as it finished the season ranked No. 23 in the final NSCAA poll. The Terps advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight year before losing to national semifinalists Penn State, 3-2 in the second round.

The Terps fell from No. 9 on Sept. 4 in the NSCAA poll to No. 23 in the Sept. 11 poll. In the polls of Sept. 4-5, the Terps were ranked No. 14 by SoccerTimes.com, No. 16 in the American Soccer Writers poll, No. 17 by Soccer Buzz, No. 19 by Soccer America.

George Washington is 1-2 this season after losing it first two games to Georgetown (1-0) and Princeton (6-0). First-year head coach Tanya Vogel picked up her first win as a college head coach with a 3-2 win at UMBC on Sept. 5. The Colonials are not ranked in any polls.

Up and Down Week For Biscoe

Maryland impact freshman Jen Biscoe (Baltimore, Md.) had a week of highs and lows as she scored her first collegiate goal against Towson, but was injured in the team's loss at Richmond.

Biscoe tallied her first goal to lift the Terps to a 1-0 win over local rival Towson on Sept. 6 at Ludwig Field. The goal came as Biscoe took a cross from sophomore Carly Viher (Mentor, Ohio) with deposited the ball into the lower left corner of the goal with her left foot at the 40:51 mark.

Against Richmond, Biscoe went down with a right knee injury in the 25th minute of the game and didn't return. After an MRI on Monday, it was determined Biscoe has a torn ACL and could miss the rest of the 2000 season.

Viher Veers Into Points Column

Sophomore Carly Viher is second on the team in points with four (one goal and two assists). As a freshman Viher started all 22 games, but did not record a point. In 2000, she has taken a more offensive role from the backline this season. She has recorded a point in three of Maryland's five games.

Viher registered her first college goal in the season-opening win over Rutgers on Aug. 25.

She continued the offense in her second game of 2000, as she picked up her first college assist on Sara Gustafson's first goal of the 3-1 win over Penn State. Viher fed a soft cross to Gustafson, who beat Penn State keeper Emily Oleksiuk in the low right corner.

Viher posted her second assist in the win over Towson on Sept. 6.

Serrins On The All-Time Lists

With a pair of shutouts this season against Rutgers and Towson, Riki-Ann Serrins (Mission Viejo, Calif.) raised her career total to 10 in three-plus seasons. She currently ranks tied for fourth all-time in career shutouts.

Teammate Ali Wolff (Richmond, Va.), who is redshirting in the 2000 season, ranks third all-time in career shutouts with 11.5.

On the 2000 season, Serrins has a sensational 0.80 goals against average and has dropped her career mark to 1.28 and is closing in on second place all-time in career goals against average.

Career Shutout Leaders
1. Heather Rowe (1988-91) 12
1t. Missy Price (1993-96) 12
3. Ali Wolff (1997-Present) 11.5
4t. Cailin Mullins (1990-93) 10
4t. Riki-Ann Serrins (1997-Present) 10

Career Goals Against Average
1. Kassie Knecht (1995-96) 1.07
2. Missy Price (1993-96) 1.22
3. Riki-Ann Serrins (1997-Present) 1.28
4. Ali Wolff (1997-Present) 1.84
5. Heather Rowe (1988-91) 2.21

Career Saves Leaders
1. Cailin Mullins (1990-93) 361
2. Heather Rowe (1988-91) 258
3. Missy Price (1993-96) 216
4. Ali Wolff (1997-Present) 189
5. Riki-Ann Serrins (1997-Present) 148

Home Sweet Home

Maryland has made a habit of winning at Ludwig Field. The Terps hold a 45-14-3 record all-time in games played at Ludwig, dating to its construction in 1995. They have won 75.0 percent of the games in College Park. Maryland has won five straight non-conference games at Ludwig and seven of the last nine, overall.

Ranking High The No. 9 ranking in the Sept. 4 NSCAA poll was the highest ranking Maryland has received in four seasons, dating back to a No. 7 ranking to start the 1997 season. Overall, Maryland has been ranked for all or part of the season for the last eight years. Maryland's highest ranking came when the Terps were No. 4 midway through the 1996 season after Maryland reeled off 14 consecutive victories to start the season. Maryland played four games as the No. 4 team spanning Oct. 1-13, 1996.

Maryland has only been ranked higher during two previous seasons in 1996 and 1997.

King Scores Early On

Sophomore Kim King (Media, Pa.) scored her first goal of the season in Maryland's third game against Duke on Sept. 1. It was King's fourth career goal with the Terps.

Three of her four goals have come during the Terps first three games of the season. Last season she opened her collegiate career scoring in her first two games at George Washington (Aug. 29, 1999) and against UMBC (Sept. 1, 1999). King's other collegiate goal came against William & Mary on Oct. 2, 1999.

Wins Against Ranked Teams

The Terps picked up their first-ever win against a team ranked in the top five when they beat No. 4 Penn State on Aug. 29, 3-1. Previously, Maryland's only favorable result against a top-five team was a tie against then-No. 4 Connecticut when it battled to a 2-2 tie on Oct. 11, 1998.

All-time, Maryland has recorded 27 wins in program history against teams ranked in the Top 25, including four last season.

In 1999, then-unranked Maryland upset No. 9 Duke on Sept. 18 (4-3 in OT), No. 9 Clemson on Oct. 17 (2-1 in OT), No. 11 Wake Forest on Oct. 22 (1-0) and No. 21 Duke in the ACC Quarterfinals on Nov. 4 (2-1).

Over the past five years, dating to 1995, Maryland has picked up 23 wins against top 25 teams.

Prior to the win over Penn State, the highest ranked team that Maryland has ever upset was then-No. 7 Duke, when the Terps topped the Blue Devils, 2-1 in College Park on Oct. 1, 1995. Maryland has picked up seven other wins against top-10 teams and that tie against UConn in 1998.

Wins/Ties Against Top 10 Teams
Oct. 8, 1993 Maryland 2, No. 8 William & Mary 1
Oct. 1, 1995 No. 12 Maryland 2, No. 7 Duke 1
Oct. 12, 1997 No. 19 Maryland 2, No. 9 Clemson 0
Nov. 7, 1997 No. 18 Maryland 2, No. 8 Duke 1
Sept. 18, 1998 Maryland 3, No. 9 Duke 1
Oct. 11, 1998 No. 24 Maryland 2, No. 4 Connecticut 2
Sept. 19, 1999 Maryland 4, No. 9 Duke, 3 (OT)

Oct. 17, 1999 Maryland 2, No. 9 Clemson 1 (OT)
Aug. 29, 2000 No. 23 Maryland 3, No. 4 Penn State 1

Gus Gets Honors For Hat Trick

Maryland junior forward Sara Gustafson (Reisterstown, Md.) was named to the Soccer America Women's Team of the Week for the week ending Sept. 5 after scoring her first career hat trick in Maryland's 3-1 upset of No. 4 Penn State on Tuesday, Aug. 29. It was the first time Gustafson has been honored by Soccer America.

She was also named Maryland's female student-athlete of the week, an honor she shared with her male soccer counterpart Nick Downing.

Gustafson leads the No. 9 Terps in scoring with three goals and six points.

Jarzyniecki Posts Two Assists

Sophomore Dana Jarzyniecki (Rochester, N.Y.) is also playing a more important part of the offense this season, as she has recorded assists in both Maryland wins.

She assisted on Carly Viher's goal in the Rutgers win and on the first goal in the victory over Penn State.

McClellan Joins Terps

Joining the team as a walk-on is sophomore midfielder Sarah McClellan (Bowie, Md.). Playing at Division III Bridgewater College in Virginia last season, McClellan played and started in 17 games. She finished second on the team scoring with eight goals and five assists for 21 points.

"What's Up With Women's Soccer"

Maryland junior Debbie Lieberman (Commack, N.Y.) has been keeping a weekly journal about the women's soccer team called "What's Up With Women's Soccer." It is posted on Maryland's website www.umterps.com under the features section on the home page and on the women's soccer page.

In her most recent entry, Lieberman wrote about the Terps game at Richmond.

WMUC Broadcast Information Maryland's student radio station WMUC (88.1 FM) will broadcast eight Maryland women's soccer games in 2000. A pregame show will air approximately 30 minutes prior to kickoff. WMUC's broadcasts can be heard live on the Internet at wmuc.umd.edu.

Remaining 2000 WMUC Broadcast Schedule
Tue., Sept. 12 George Washington 7:00 p.m.
Wed., Sept. 27 George Mason 7:30 p.m.
Sun., Oct. 1 NC State 1:00 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 6 Virginia 7:00 p.m.
Wed., Oct. 11 Howard 5:00 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 20 Florida State 7:00 p.m.
Sun., Oct. 22 William & Mary Noon

Terrapin Fan Phone

For up-to-date reports, comments from coaches, and other Maryland athletic department information, phone the Terrapin Fan Phone at (301) 314-TERP.

Terps on the Web

For the latest game stories, statistics, schedules and results, and other Maryland athletic department information, please locate www. umterps.com on the Internet.

Email Straight To You If you would like the latest Maryland women's soccer news emailed directly to you as soon as it breaks, email women's soccer contact Jason Yellin at jyellin@wam.umd.edu with the message "Women's Soccer Email" as the subject and you will receive every update distributed about the team.

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