Oct. 31, 2001
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
The Maryland field hockey squad (15-3, 3-1 ACC) attempts to win its fourth consecutive conference tournament and fifth in the history of the program, traveling this week to Chapel Hill, N.C., for the 19th Annual ACC Championships. The event runs from Nov. 1-4 at the University of North Carolina's Francis E. Henry Stadium. Maryland, the top-seed in the tournament, faces the winner of No. 4 Virginia/No. 5 Duke on Friday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m., and the championship game, scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 4 at 1 p.m., will air live in the Baltimore-Washington D.C. area on Comcast SportsNet.
The Terrapins, currently tied for first in the NFHCA Coaches Poll, captured the ACC Championship once in 1992 before stringing together three titles in a row -- 1998, 1999 and 2000. Last season, All-America defensive back Autumn Welsh (Macungie, Pa.) took tournament MVP honors, keying host Maryland to a 3-1 semifinal victory over Wake Forest and a 3-0 championship shutout against Virginia.
Incredible parity exists among the teams in the ACC, arguably the strongest and most exciting field hockey conference in the nation. Top-ranked Maryland owns a 3-1 ACC record, with three of those matches decided in overtime. The fifth seed, Duke, finished 0-4 in conference play but three of those games required extra sessions to decide a winner as well. Maryland, Wake Forest and North Carolina all rank in the top 5 of both the NFHCA Coaches and NCAA polls. Virginia is listed in the top 10, and Duke in the top 15.
2001 ACC Standings
Overall ACC
Team W L T W L T
MARYLAND 15 3 0 3 1 0
Wake Forest 13 3 0 3 1 0
North Carolina 14 4 0 2 2 0
Virginia 12 6 0 2 2 0
Duke 9 8 0 0 4 0
Maryland enters the tournament on a four-match win streak. After a hard-fought, 1-0 overtime loss to Old Dominion in College Park on Oct. 14, the Terps bounced back to down North Carolina in an identical extra-session match in Chapel Hill six days later. Down the home stretch, the Terrapins beat Delaware 4-1 before blanking No. 17 James Madison and unranked Drexel on Senior Day.
Championship Schedule
First Round * Thursday, Nov. 1
4 p.m. - No. 4 Virginia vs. No. 5 Duke
Second Round * Friday, Nov. 2
4 p.m. - No. 2 Wake Forest vs. No. 3 North Carolina
7 p.m. - No. 1 Maryland vs. No. 4 Virginia/No. 5 Duke
Championship * Sunday, Nov. 4
1 p.m. - Live on Comcast SportsNet, Fox Sports South and Sunshine Network
Still The One
Currently riding a four-game win streak into the 2001 ACC Championships, the Maryland field hockey squad maintained the No. 1 position in the STX/National Field Hockey Coaches Association Poll. Old Dominion also earned 565 points in the voting to tie the Terps in the top spot.
The NCAA National Rankings, on which the seedings for the NCAA Championships are based, were released on Tuesday, Oct. 23. The Terrapins moved up to No. 2 after being ranked fourth in Oct. 10's poll.
Maryland totals four victories over teams in the coaches' top 10 and boasts an 8-3 record against the top 20. The Terps have taken the No. 1 spot in five of the seven coaches polls this season after spending 11 straight votes on top, from Oct. 26, 1999, to Oct. 17, 2000. The Terrapins have been ranked in the top 5 in every NFHCA Poll in each of the last three seasons.
With one of the toughest schedules in the nation, Maryland played a total of 11 regular season matches against teams listed in this week's top 20. Every team in this weekend's ACC Tournament is ranked in the top 15 in the NFHCA and NCAA Polls.
STX/NFHCA Coaches Poll * Oct. 30, 2001
Rnk. Institution (record) Pts. Prev.
1. MARYLAND (15-3) 565 (15) 1
Old Dominion (15-4) 565 (14) 2
3. Wake Forest (13-3) 520 3
4. North Carolina (14-5) 490 4
5. Michigan (13-4) 452 5
6. Michigan State (15-4) 431 6
7. Princeton (13-2) 385 7
8. Virginia (12-6) 364 8
9. Ohio State (12-4) 359 9
10. Ohio (14-4) 296 10
11. William & Mary (14-4) 272 11
12. Kent State (12-6) 263 12
13. Penn State (12-6) 258 13
14. Louisville (15-4) 217 14
15. Duke (9-8) 159 15
16. Iowa (11-4) 151 16
17. James Madison (11-8) 117 17
18. Syracuse (13-3) 80 18
19. Northeastern (13-6) 64 19
20. Cal-Berkeley (10-4) 45 20
Also Receiving Votes: Dartmouth (14), Stanford (8),
Boston Univ. (4), Delaware (4), Boston College (3),
Harvard (3), Villanova (1).
Terrapin opponents are bolded.
Terps At A Glance
The Maryland Terrapins own both the top scoring offense and scoring defense in the ACC and the nation. The Terps' secret? An intercepting defense, solid goalkeeping, aggressive transition and incredibly balanced attack.
The Maryland offense, led by rookie forward Colleen Barbieri (Centereach, N.Y.), senior midfielder Dina Rizzo (Walpole, Mass.), newcomer Lucy Morris (Ascot Vale, Victoria, Australia) and veteran Carissa Messimer (Mountaintop, Pa.), pace the NCAA with 4.36 goals per game on 25.7 shots per game. Meanwhile, All-American Autumn Welsh anchors a Terp defense made up of young players who have absolutely risen to the challenge this season. The Maryland backfield, composed of redshirt freshman Sara Silvetti (Wapwallopen, Pa.), junior Kateri Simon (Fallston, Md.), true freshman Kristin Harris (Lititz, Pa.) and Welsh, have limited opposition to a stingy 0.75 goals per game on 5.2 shots per game.
Senior goalkeeper Ashley Hohnstine (Oak Hill, Va.) has turned in another stellar regular season, pacing the ACC and the nation with a 0.78 GAA. She and rookie cager Kerry Hearsey (Leicester, England), who has both learned from and challenged the veteran this season, have combined for 10 shutouts in 2001. The senior has not allowed a goal since Oct. 14 against Old Dominion, keeping opponents off the scoreboard for 216:26 minutes, while the rookie earned the Terrapins's hard fought, 6-5 overtime win at Duke.
A Team Of Many Weapons
No team in the nation has as balanced an offense as Maryland. Fourteen Terps have scored goals in 2001, led by rookie forward Colleen Barbieri's 14 and senior midfielder Dina Rizzo's 12. Nine Terrapins tally five goals or more on the season, and eight different Maryland players have netted game-winning scores.
Thirteen Terrapins have combined for an ACC second-ranked 48 assists. Two-time All-America senior Rachel Hiskins (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), one of Maryland's all-time assist leaders, leads the Terps with 11 on the season. All-America defensive back Autumn Welsh follows closely with 10.
Maryland's ranking as the top scoring offense in the nation (4.34 goals per game) is directly related to the squad's options on the offensive end.
Awesome Autumn!
All-American Autumn Welsh is the backbone of the toughest backfield in the NCAA. Her leadership this season as the anchor of the Terp defense has helped the young, but extremely talented unit, lead the nation in scoring defense.
A rare honor came for Welsh on Oct. 22, 2001, after the No. 1 Terps' overtime victory against conference-rival North Carolina. Keying the Terrapin effort by allowing the then-No. 2 scoring offense in the nation zero goals on only six shots in 76:26 minutes with a defensive save, Welsh was subsequently named ACC Player of the Week, without scoring a point. The 2001 U.S. National Team player adds the accolade to ACC Rookie of the Year and 2000 ACC Tournament MVP honors, among many others.
Welsh is a hopeful candidate for the Honda Award, given to the "most outstanding player" in 15 women's collegiate sports. She is also the co-author of "Inside the Circle," a weekly behind-the-scenes look at Maryland field hockey.
Strong Island Off To Strong Start
Long Island native Colleen Barbieri exploded onto the college field hockey scene in the first half of the season. One of the most heralded high school prospects in the country, Barbieri has lived up to the hype, leading the Terrapins' top-ranked scoring attack for most of 2001.
Eighteen games into the season, Barbieri paces the No. 1 Terps and the nation's top field hockey offense in scoring with 33 points. Fourteen goals ranks Barbieri tied for second in the ACC and makes her a prime candidate for "Rookie of the Year" honors.
Barbieri's "Strong Island" mentality and knack for the goal cage has earned her ACC Player of the Week accolades twice already this season: on Aug. 27 after two goals and one assist in the Terps' first two games and on Sept. 24 after three goals combined against No. 6 Michigan State and No. 7 Wake Forest.
The freshman, who suffered a high ankle sprain in the game vs. Rutgers, came back with three goals and two assists across the last three games of the season.
Among The ACC Leaders
One of the elite teams in the top conference in the nation, the Terrapins can be found among team and individual conference leaders.
As a team, Maryland leads the ACC in points scored (210), goals (81), goals against average (0.75) and shutouts (10).
Senior goalkeeper Ashley Hohnstine leads the conference, and the nation, with a 0.78 GAA.
The leading scorer in the Terps' balanced attack, freshman Colleen Barbieri, is tied with Duke rookie Johanna Bischoff for third in points scored (33) and goals (14).
Senior All-Americans Rachel Hiskins and Autumn Welsh rank third and fourth among conference leaders in assists, with 11 and 10 respectively.
Bringing Home The Hardware
The Terrapins attempt to capture their fourth consecutive ACC Tournament championship this season, and third overall, having taken home the conference hardware in 1992, 1998, 1999 and 2000.
The 1999 national champions also own three national titles, and head coach Missy Meharg is one of only four coaches to have won multiple NCAA championships (1993 and 1999).
In the conference, North Carolina boasts 14 ACC Championships, followed by the Terrapins with four. The Terps and Tar Heels have met in 11 ACC Tournament finals. Maryland got the better of UNC in the 1992 championship game, downed Virginia in 1998 and 2000, and beat Wake Forest in double overtime in 1999.
All-Time All-ACC Team
Twenty-five Terrapins have been selected to the ACC All-Tournament team in the 18-year history of the event. In addition, seven different Maryland student-athletes have been tabbed tournament MVP, including senior Autumn Welsh (2000), student-assistant coach Carla Tagliente (1999) and current Virginia head coach and Terp alum Jessica Wilk (1986).
Year * Tournament Round Achieved
1986 Finals
Jessica Wilk - MVP
1990 Semifinals
Lisa Buente
Sabrina Salam
1991 Finals
Elissa Beckman
Lisa Rowe
Amy Schubert
Mandy Stevenson
Boukje Vermuelen
1992 Finals * ACC Champions
Irene Horvat
Lisa Rowe
Sabrina Salam
Amy Schubert
Boujke Vermuelen - MVP
1993 Finals
Josephine Blaw
Kate Kauffman
Shannon Petrick
Sabrina Salam
Maureen Scott
Amy Schubert - MVP
1994 Finals
Christine DeBow
Kate Kauffman
Irene Horvat
1995 Finals
Christine DeBow
Sara Salam
Lynsey McVicker - Co-MVP
1996 Finals
Christine DeBow
Sarah Forbes
Kate Kauffman
1997 Semifinals
Christine DeBow
Carolyn Schwartz
1998 Finals * ACC Champions
Caroline Walter
Angela Platt
Jen Pratt - MVP
1999 Finals * ACC Champions
Keli Smith
Caroline Walter
Carla Tagliente - MVP
2000 Finals * ACC Champions
Caroline Walter
Autumn Welsh - MVP
Can You Stop Carissa?
You can tell it's the postseason when Carissa Messimer begins to seriously heat up. The junior has a history of lighting up the scoreboard as the leaves turn, totalling eight goals in 11 postseason games played.
The most famous of Messimer's postseason goals, of course, was her game-winner in the first half of the 1999 NCAA Championship game that helped the Terps sink Michigan, 2-1. But her two goals in the first half of last year's ACC title contest were key as well, resulting in Maryland's 3-0 victory over Virginia.
Messimer began to approach the postseason with three goals and one assist in the Terps' last four games of the season. Her game-winner in overtime against North Carolina boosted Maryland to a 3-1 ACC record and sealed up the top seed in this weekend's ACC Tournament.
Dina Delivers In November
Dina Rizzo has a tendency to come on strong during postseason play as well. The junior notched the game-winning goal in Maryland's 3-1 ACC semifinal victory over Wake Forest last season, netted two in the NCAA First Round against New Hampshire, and punched one in in the Second Round vs. Princeton.
Rizzo also scored a pair and added a helper in the Terps' 1999 First Round win over Lafayette and assisted on Carissa Messimer's game-winner as the Terps took the national championship with a 2-1 win over Michigan.
Rizzo has been one of the Terrapins who has really stepped up as a senior in 2001. Her 12 goals and 30 points are already single-season highs for the feisty midfielder, and her three game-winners tied the mark she set in 2000. Last season Rizzo scored the first Terp goal in ACC Championship play, batting in a first-half tally to help the Terps exact revenge on Wake Forest in the semifinal round.
"Arnie" In The Postseason
Maryland All-American Caroline Walter (Reilingen, Germany) has been a terror in ACC and NCAA Championship play, scoring three goals and racking up four assists in ten postseason games played in 1999 and 2000.
The forward, known affectionately to her teammates as "Arnie" for her European accent (similar to Austrian-born actor Arnold Schwarzenegger) and her playful attitude toward conditioning, scored the game winner a year ago in Maryland's 3-1 ACC Semifinal victory over Wake Forest.
Walter assisted on Dina Rizzo's goal in the 2000 NCAA Second Round game vs. Princeton. She also dealt the pass for Rachel Hiskins' game winner in the Terps' First Round victory over Lafayette in 1999. She went on to beat Old Dominion with an overtime game-winner in round two, before assisting on Hiskins' GWG again in a 2-1 OT thriller over Iowa.
Game Captains
Eight fourth-year players, nine newcomers, and seven in between. All are ready to contribute for the Terps in 2001, and consistent with that theme, each member of the Maryland squad experiences captaincy at some point during the season.
Rather than having team captains in 2001, the coaching staff has decided to rotate different "Game Captains" for each contest. Autumn Welsh and Kristin Harris will serve as captain and vice captain, respectively, for the Terps' first-round ACC match.
SI For Women Tabs Terps
Sports Illustated for Women released their fall issue this September, making preseason predictions for the champion of every women's college sport. For field hockey and women's lacrosse, their reports point to Maryland.
Here's what SI had to say about Missy Meharg's Terps: "The Winner: University of Maryland. The Terrapins, four-time ACC champs, have eight seniors welcoming nine talented freshmen, including junior national teammates Colleen Barbieri and Emily Boyer. Senior midfielder Rachel Hiskins, who slammed in 22 goals last year, will lead the newbies by example."
Team All-America
Returning three nationally honored players, six regional award winners and adding three freshmen that merited high school accolades, Maryland could be referred to as "Team All-America."
A pair of international Terrapins, seniors Rachel Hiskins and Caroline Walter are two-time All-Americans. Hiskins was a first team selection in 2000 after earning second team honors in 1999. Walter captured second team honors last season after a first team nod in 1999.
Senior back Autumn Welsh returns to the Maryland defense after a stellar 2000 as the anchor of the backfield.
Five Mid-Atlantic Regional All-Americans form the core of the 2001 Terps, including Hiskins, Walter, Welsh, junior Carissa Messimer and senior Dina Rizzo.
Including redshirts, four freshmen high school All-Americans play key roles on the 2001 Terp squad. Redshirt freshman Sara Silvetti was a 1999 first team selection at Crestwood in Pennsylvania. True freshmen Colleen Barbieri, Emily Boyer (Oak Park, Ill.) and Kristin Harris were All-Americans as high school seniors in 2000.
"Inside The Circle"
Fans can follow the Terps behind the scenes this postseason by logging on to the Official Home of Maryland Athletics, www.umterps.com.
"Inside The Circle," a weekly journal co-authored by junior Kateri Simon and senior Autumn Welsh, give fans the "inside perspective" on Maryland hockey. Check out the entry every week for your chance to go outside the lines with the Terps.
