Sept. 12, 2000

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The reigning national champion Maryland field hockey squad travels up I-95 this week to take on local rival Towson before returning to College Park for a two-game weekend homestand. The recently-named NFHCA No. 1 Terps are riding a school record 26 game win streak as they ride north to meet the Tigers on Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. Then, as part of a three-team weekend of field hockey action at the Artificial Turf Facility, Maryland faces No. 12 Massachusetts on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 1 p.m. before squaring off against Radford on Sunday, Sept. 17 at 2 p.m.

The Terrapins (4-0) added another victory to their streak with a convincing 8-0 win over the Delaware Blue Hens on Sept. 8. The contest saw nearly flawless play from the reigning champs on both ends of the field. Maryland's offense nearly matched a season-high as they pelted Delaware's goalkeeper tandem with 33 shots while the stifling Terp defense did not allow the Hens one shot attempt.

Match Facts and Coverage
at Towson
Date, Time: Wednesday, Sept. 13, 7:00 p.m.
Location: Minnegan Stadium, Towson, Md.

vs. Massachusetts
Date, Time: Saturday, Sept. 16, 1:00 p.m.
Location: Artificial Turf Facility, College Park, Md.

vs. Radford
Date, Time: Sunday, Sept. 17, 2:00 p.m.
Location: Artificial Turf Facility, College Park, Md.

We're No. 1
The first official STX/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) poll of the season was released on Sept. 12, with the reigning national champion Terrapins the unanimous No. 1 selection. The 4-0 Terps garnered all 25 first-place votes. Four of the five field hockey playing ACC schools were in the Top 10, with North Carolina (5-0) taking the No. 2 spot, Wake Forest (5-0) claiming No. 6 and Virginia (3-1) ranking No. 7. So far in the 2000 season, the Terps have dispatched No. 3 Old Dominion, 5-4 (2 ot) and No. 8 Uconn, 9-1. No. 12 Massachusetts comes to College Park this weekend.

2000 STX/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll

This is a listing of the top 20 teams in the 2000 STX/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll, as voted upon by NFHCA member coaches, with records through September 10, 2000 and total points (first-place votes are in parentheses).

 Institution (record)	                Points
1.  University of Maryland (4-0)	500 (25)
2.  University of North Carolina (5-0)	462
3.  Old Dominion University (4-1)	452
4.  University of Michigan (5-1)	400
5.  Penn State University (3-2)	        379
6.  Wake Forest University (5-0)	375
7.  University of Virginia (3-1)	299
8.  University of Connecticut (4-1)	275
9.  James Madison University (4-1)	265
10. Northeastern University (3-1)	239
11. College of William & Mary (6-0)	228
12. University of Massachusetts (5-1)	224
13. Princeton University (1-0)	        185
14. Boston College (4-1)	        180
15. Ohio State University (4-2)	        137
16. Boston University (2-1)	        88
17. University of Louisville (3-2)	83
18. Michigan State University (4-2)	79
19. Drexel University (5-1)	        58
20. Syracuse University (4-1)	        55

Still Streaking
Maryland's pounding of Delaware on Sept. 8 extended the Terps' current school-record win streak to 26 games. The Terps have not been beaten since Sept. 6, 1999, in a 5-3 decision vs. Old Dominion. The previous record streak, and now second-longest, came during a 13-game tear in the Terrapins' 1993 national championship season.

Terps, Tagliente Honored By Sports Illustrated For Women
The Maryland athletic program, 2000 field hockey Terrapins and three-time All-American Carla Tagliente (Cortland, N.Y.) were all nationally recognized in the fall sports preview issue of Sports Illustrated For Women. For the second consecutive year, Maryland was picked as one of the Top 10 colleges in the nation for women athletes. As a squad, Maryland was named the No. 1 team in the nation for the 2000 field hockey season, marking the second such nomination from a national media outlet. Maryland was also tabbed No. 1 by ESPN.com last month.

In addition, SI For Women cited tri-captain Tagliente as 2000's preseason player of the year. The magazine said of the senior midfielder, "During the off-season, Maryland's Carla Tagliente accumulated a wealth of experience as a starter for the national team. This fall she'll put that experience to good use as the dominant player for the dominant team in the country."

Scouting Towson: Tiger Beat
Maryland takes on local competitor Towson (3-4) on Wednesday, Sept. 13. The Tigers and Terps meet at Towson's Minnegan Stadium at 7 p.m. The Tigers are currently riding a two-game skid, falling to Temple 2-0 Sept. 9 and losing a 2-0 decision to Iowa on Sept. 10 after opening the season 3-2.

Midfielder Joann Engestrom paces the Tigers with 12 points on six goals. The junior's highlights include a hat trick vs. Quinnipiac on Sept. 1. Sophomore Tiffanie Gelvin has amassed six points on two goals and two assists. Senior Laura Kilmon leads Towson with five helpers. In the cage, senior Betsy Crossman has a 1.80 goals against average and a .776 save percentage.

In her fifth season, Towson mentor Lynette Mitzel owns a 21-33 record with the Tigers. The 1992 graduate of Penn State University has led her team to a 3-2 record at home in the newly constructed artificial turf facility in Minnegean Stadium.

The Terrapins have dominated the series with Towson, holding a 23-0 advantage. In the last meeting, the Terps won a 4-0 decision in College Park.

Terp Defense Shines At Delaware
The suffocating Maryland defense, comprised of senior tri-captain Molly Kauffman (West Lawn, Pa.), fellow upperclassman Lindsay Gorewitz (Rockville, Md.) and juniors Autumn Welsh (Macungie, Pa.), Carol Senkler (Hockessin, Del.) and Kristy Palchinsky (Leonardtown, Md.) put in a stellar performance against Delaware, not allowing the Blue Hens one shot attempt. The Terp backfield helped the Maryland offense bury the Blue Hens with eight goals on 33 shots, while holding Delaware to zero on zero. The last time the Maryland defense did not allow an opponent a shot was in the Terps 2-0 victory over Virginia in round one of the 1999 ACC Tournament in Winston-Salem, N.C.

In the cage, junior keeper Ashley Hohnstine (Oak Hill, Va.) collected the 2000 season's first shut out.

International Appeal
Maryland's international duo of All-Americans, senior Rachel Hiskins (Victoria, Australia) and junior Caroline Walter (Reilingen, Germany), has opened the 2000 season with displays of offensive prowess.

Hiskins has scored in all four of the Terps' games in the 2000 season and leads Maryland with nine goals and 20 points. She also ranks fourth with two assists. Hiskins has posted two hat trick performances on the season -- a four goal, one assist match vs. Ohio and a three goal effort that helped the Terps beat Old Dominion in double-overtime. The midfielder from "down under" set the single season point scoring record a season ago with 67 in 25 games.

Walter continued to terrorize opponent goalkeepers with a two-goal performance against Delaware. The junior, affectionately referred to by her teammates as "Arnie," has scored at least two points in each of the 2000 Terrapins' four matches. Walter scored a goal and tallied an assist against UConn, posted a pair of goals vs. Ohio, dished out two assists in the Terps' double-overtime victory over Old Dominion and scored two and assisted on a goal vs. Delaware. The midfielder leads the Terps with four assists on the season and ranks third with five goals and 14 total points. Walter is also tied for first with two game-winning goals after leading the 1999 squad in that category with five.

Terps Come Out Of Their Shells At Delaware
Maryland's victory over Delaware was a "coming out" party for some Terps, old and new.

Two-time All-America senior Keli Smith (Selinsgrove, Pa.) had played an extremely solid first three games of the 2000 season, but had not found the net until unleashing a two-goal flurry at the expense of the Blue Hens. The senior's first score came after she stole possession from a Blue Hen near the top of the circle. Smith rifled a low shot from that distance past the UDel keeper for her first tally of the season. The tri-captain notched another unassisted goal later in the match, driving and faking along the goal line for the score. Smith ranks second on the season with three assists (and fourth all-time with a career total of 20) and fifth on the squad with seven points in 2000.

Redshirt freshman Dawn Christensen (Columbia, Md.) saw her first minutes of playing time in the Delaware match and immediately made an impact. After spending last season as a redshirt on the practice squad, the midfielder capped Maryland's victory with a goal from senior Carla Tagliente. Cristensen's career statistics: one game, one shot, one goal (1.000 shot percentage), two points. In her first start of the year, junior defender Carol Senkler was part of a Terp defense that did not allow Delaware one shot attempt.

True freshman goalkeeper Erica Bicksler (Palmyra, Pa.) also saw her first minutes of action vs. the Blue Hens. Bicksler took over in the cage for junior Ashley Hohnstine midway through the second half. The freshman did not have to make any saves.

Refocusing In 2000
The Terrapins captured the third NCAA and third ACC tournament title in program history last season. Their 24-1 record established a school-best mark for wins, and the national championship was the second (1993 and 1999) under head coach Missy Meharg's tenure. Only three other head coaches in NCAA field hockey history have won multiple national titles. Having experienced such success a season ago, head coach Meharg has the squad focused on new objectives for 2000: "Repeat," states the coach, "will not be the word of choice... Reloading our energies toward our goals and creating a style of play yet to be seen in NCAA field hockey -- that's what this team will be all about."

Meharg Approaching Milestone
Maryland added a victory to Terp head coach Missy Meharg's career record as the Terps routed their mentor's alma mater. With a career slate of 192-68-9, Meharg is only eight victories away from the 200 win plateau. The Terps' mentor is currently 17th all-time in collegiate field hockey in wins, and would move into 16th place with five more victories, passing her college coach at Delaware, Mary Ann Hitchens, who amassed a 196-76-33 career record. The Terps have won more than 15 games each season since 1990.

TERPS BY THE NUMBERS

0
Shot attempts allowed Delaware by Maryland's defense on Sept. 8.

No. 1
National ranking of the Terps according to the STX/NFHCA Coaches Poll, Sports Illustrated For Women and several Internet field hockey sites. The first official NFHCA coaches poll is was released Sept. 12.

1.51
Goals against average of Terp junior keeper Ashley Hohnstine after two games. Opposing goalies possess a 7.32 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).

4
Number of helpers dished out by 2000 season assist leader, All-American Caroline Walter.

4
Single-game career-high number of goals scored by Rachel Hiskins vs. Ohio.

"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.

9-1
The identical final score of the Terps' first two victories. Maryland devastated Connecticut (Aug. 26) and Ohio (Aug. 28) to open the 2000 season.

26
The current school-record win streak established by the Terrapins since Sept. 6, 1999.

24-1
Maryland's school-best record in 1999.

2000 ACC Standings
	             Overall	               ACC
Team	        W	L	T	W	L	T
Maryland	4	0	0	0	0	0
North Carolina	5	0	0	0	0	0
Wake Forest	5	0	0	0	0	0
Virginia	3	1	0	0	0	0
Duke	        0	4	0	0	0	0

E-mail Straight To You
If you would like the latest Maryland field hockey news e-mailed directly to you as soon as it breaks, e-mail field hockey contact Mark Fratto at fratto@wam.umd.edu with the message "Hockey E-mail" as the subject and you will receive every update released about the team.

*** Next Hockey Action: Wed., Sept. 13 at 4 p.m. at Towson ***

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