Coming Down The Home Stretch: Terps Face Rutgers, NC State

Complete Weekly Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

Oct. 23, 2001

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -

A critical week is on tap for the Maryland women's soccer team as the Terps face a regional rival in Rutgers and a conference foe in NC State. Maryland (7-4-2 overall) takes on Rutgers (11-5-1) this Wednesday night at Ludwig Field. The match is a key Mid-Atlantic region match-up as the Terps are ranked No. 6 in the region just behind No. 5 Rutgers. The game will have a lot of meaning when it comes to the NCAA Tournament selections in early November.

NSCAA MID-ATLANTIC
Rk. School W-L-T
1 Penn State 12-2-1
2 Virginia 11-2-1
3 Princeton 10-1-1
4 West Virginia 11-3-1
5 Rutgers 11-5-1
6 Maryland 7-4-2
7 Villanova 10-4-3
8 Pennsylvania 10-1-1
9 Georgetown 8-6-1
10 James Madison 7-6-2

On Sunday, the Terps face ACC rival, NC State with revenge on the mind. Last season, the Wolfpack upset Maryland, 1-0 on Oct. 1 at Ludwig Field. Maryland is 2-3 in the ACC with a clutch win over then--No. 8 Clemson on Oct. 13. NC State is still seeking its first conference win at 0-4 in the league. Overall, the Wolfpack is 7-6.

Maryland Picks Up Key Regional Win At William & Mary

The Terps scored an important regional win at William & Mary this past Sunday with a 2-1 win at Barksdale Field. The win knocked the Tribe below .500 and moved the Terps to three games above .500. Jen Biscoe (Baltimore, Md.) scored the game-winner as she headed home a header pass from Jenny Boyd (Herndon, Va.) on a played started with a Lindsay Givens (Downingtown, Pa.) in the 59th minute. The Terps had taken a 1-0 lead in a goal by Courtney Beirne (Westminster, Md.) in the 17th minute. Boyd and Givens also assisted on that tally.

The win was Maryland's first over William & Mary since 1995 and first-ever in Williamsburg.

Senior keeper Ali Wolff (Richmond, Va.) made four saves for the win, her seventh of the year -- but the first not via a shutout. Wolff's goals against average stands at a sparkling 0.58 -- second in the ACC.

Senior Day Set For Oct. 30

Senior Day will take place at the Terps' regular-season home finale on Oct. 30 against Mount St. Mary's. Maryland will recognize and honor seniors Courtney Beirne (Westminster, Md.), Jenny Boyd (Herndon, Va.), Sara Gustafson (Reisterstown, Md.), Debbie Lieberman (Commack, N.Y.) and Ali Wolff (Richmond, Va.).

The Maryland-Rutgers Series

The Terps have blanked the Scarlet Knights in the last two meetings in the series that was re-started in 1999. All-time, Maryland holds a 2-1 lead in the series that began with a game in 1989. Rutgers topped the Terps 6-1 on Oct. 7, 1989 at the WAGS Tournament held in Fort Belvoir, Va.)

In the first meeting in 10 years -- and the only other one at Ludwig Field, Maryland defeated Rutgers, 2-0 on Oct. 8, 1999 as Jackie Mynarski and Julie Nelson scored for Maryland. 2001 co-captain Lindsay Givens assisted Nelson's goal in the 55th minute. The Terps' other captain Ali Wolff split the shutout with Riki-Ann Serrins.

Last year, the teams met in the 2000 season opener on Aug. 25 in New Jersey. Maryland once again blanked Rutgers 1-0 as Carly Viher (Mentor, Ohio) scored on a header off a pass from Dana Jarzyniecki (Rochester, N.Y.) in the 6th minute.

Winning By Shutout

Maryland has won six of its seven games in 2001 via the shutout route. They won their first six by blanking their opponents, prior to the 2-1 win at William & Mary on Oct. 21.

Senior captain Ali Wolff (Richmond, Va.) has recorded whitewashes in those six wins and one in a scoreless tie vs. James Madison. She has recording a stellar 0.58 goals against average.

Wolff's seven shutouts set a personal career high for her, besting her mark of five shutouts in a season set in 1997 and tied in 1999.

The seven shutouts in a season also stands third all-time for most single-season shutouts, all-time. Only Missy Price in 1996 and Heather Rowe in 1988 recorded more in a season, with nine.

With six shutouts through the first 11 games, Maryland equaled last season's total of six shutouts and surpassed it with a shutout in game No. 12, a scoreless tie with James Madison.

The school record for shutouts in a season is 13, set in 1996 with Price recording nine of them.

Wolff Moving Up All-Time Keeper Charts

Maryland senior goalkeeper Ali Wolff continues to re-write the record book when it comes to Maryland goalkeeping.

She added to her Maryland school record for career shutouts as she moved her career total to 18.5 with seven saves vs. James Madison in a 0-0 tie on Oct. 17.

Wolff set the school record when she made one save as the Terps blanked East Carolina, 1-0 on Sept. 9. Wolff broke the tie she had been in with former teammate Riki-Ann Serrins, who had 13.5 from 1997-2000.

She now has seven shutouts (vs. Towson, Duke, East Carolina, George Washington, Loyola, Clemson and James Madison) and a 0.58 goals against average on the season.

Wolff was named ACC Player of the Week (Aug. 31-Sept.3) after recording her first two shutouts of the season including a 2-0 upset over No. 17 Duke on Sept. 2, 2001.

She ranks in the top four in every one of Maryland's all-time goalkeeper stats.

With her start vs. Virginia, Wolff moved into second place all along for total goalkeeper games played and now has 62.

Wolff passed Riki-Ann Serrins for third all-time in career saves with two saves vs. North Carolina and now has 239.

Also with her start vs. the Tar Heels she moved into second all-time in goalie games started with 53 passing Missy Price, who started 52 from 1993-96. She has now started 57 games between the pipes.

Wolff passed Price for goalie minutes played in the 22nd minute of the North Carolina game. Price played 4,483 minutes second to only Cailin Mullins' 6,098. Wolff has now played in 4,963 minutes with the Terps Category Rank Total Record
Shutouts First 18.5 18.5 (Ali Wolff)
Minutes Played Second 4,963 6,098 (Cailin Mullins)
Games Played Second 62 70 (Cailin Mullins)
Games Started Second 57 66 (Cailin Mullins)
Saves Third 239 361 (Cailin Mullins)
GAA Fourth 1.52 1.07 (Kassie Knecht)

Maryland Picks Up Ninth Win All-Time Vs. Top-10 Team

Maryland's win over No. 8 Clemson on Oct. 13, was its ninth all-time against a team ranked in the Top 10 of the NSCAA poll. The last time, Maryland upset a top-10 team came on Aug. 29, 2000, when Maryland shocked No. 4 Penn State, 3-1 at Ludwig Field.

The win was also Maryland's 31st all-time against a team ranked in the Top 25.

Maryland has now upset Clemson in each of its of its last three visits to Ludwig Field, when the Tigers were ranked in the NSCAA Top 10. The Terps beat then-No. 9 Clemson, 2-0 on Oct. 12, 1997 and also beat then-No. 9 Clemson on Oct. 17, 1999 in overtime.

The win over Clemson in 1999 was also Maryland's last home overtime game prior to last Saturday's shocker.

Maryland's first-ever win over a Top-10 team came when the Terps shocked No. 8 William & Mary, 2-1 on Oct. 8, 1993.

Poulin Named ACC Player Of Week after Memorable Week

Audra Poulin (Silver Spring, Md.) was named ACC Co-Player of the Week after scoring the game-winning goal to beat No. 8 Clemson on Oct. 13. She shared the honor with Virginia senior midfielder Laura Gaworecki. It was Poulin's first player of the week honor.

She was also named Maryland Female Student-Athlete of the Week for her achievement.

Poulin scored the game-winner against Clemson on at the 110:53 mark as she took a pass down the center of the field from fellow sophomore Jen Biscoe (Baltimore, Md.) and beat Clemson keeper Katie Carson to the left side from about five yards out.

The goal came on the 63rd shot of Poulin's two year-career, ending a scoreless drought spanning her 30 collegiate games at Maryland.

"This is just one of the greatest moments of my life," said an overwhelmed Poulin after the game. "After having gone so long with so many shots and not scoring I'm so happy that my first goal is such a great one. Jen Biscoe really set it up for me, she laid a perfect drive for me and I thought to myself, I'm going to hit this ball as hard as I can -- and it went in!"

Media Information

WMUC Radio: Maryland's student radio station WMUC (88.1 FM) will broadcast up to 10 Maryland women's soccer games in 2001. 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. Heather Schwartz will handle play-by-play.

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.

Mediateamlink.com: Releases, statistics and other sports information from all ACC schools as well as other conferences and institutions around the country are available by accessing www.mediateamlink.com. MediaTeamlink is FREE to all accredited media. Log on to www.mediateamlink.com if you do not already have an account, and click the "Sign Up Here" button and complete the short form.

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.

Coming Down The Home Stretch: Terps Face Rutgers, NC State

Related News

Related Videos

Footer