Terps Face Wake Forest In Third Straight Semifinal Appearance

Nov. 14, 2001

Complete "Final Four" Notes in PDF Format (11/16/01)
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COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The ACC champion Maryland Terrapins (19-3) take on Wake Forest for the third time this season in the Semifinal Round of the 2001 NCAA Field Hockey Championships. The round of four will kick off on Friday, Nov. 16, when Princeton meets Michigan at 4:30 p.m. The Terps and Deacs clash at 7 p.m. in a rematch of the 2001 ACC title game.

The second-seeded Terrapins cruised through the NCAA First and Second Rounds, overwhelming Fairfield and Princeton by scores of 7-1 and 6-0. Senior forward Caroline Walter (Reilingen, Germany) totaled five goals in the first two games of the tournament, including her first hat trick of the year against the Orangewomen. Junior Carissa Messimer (Mountaintop, Pa.) scored a goal and dished out seven assists in the two games, a total that ties the all-time mark for assists by an individual in the entire tournament. Meanwhile, All-America defensive back Autumn Welsh (Macungie, Pa.), goalie Ashley Hohnstine (Oak Hill, Va.) and the Terp defense held opponents to one goal on four shots all weekend. The blanking of the Orangewomen was Maryland's 11th shutout of the season.

The Terrapins, ranked first in the NFHCA Coaches Poll, were seeded second by the NCAA and granted a home site for the first and second rounds of the tournament two days after capturing their fourth-consecutive ACC title over Wake Forest. Maryland's Honda Award hopeful Autumn Welsh keyed a tremendous defensive effort at the 19th annual conference championships in Chapel Hill, N.C., and came away with 2001 ACC Tournament MVP honors. Senior Caroline Walter and junior Carissa Messimer were also recipients of all-tournament accolades.

Welsh and Walter joined head coach Missy Meharg and two other teammates among the six Terrapins to receive 2001 All-ACC honors. Senior midfielders Dina Rizzo (Walpole, Mass.) and Rachel Hiskins were also selected to the all-conference team, while Welsh was named Co-Player of the Year and Meharg Coach of the Year for the fourth time in her career. Freshman Colleen Barbieri (Centereach, N.Y.), who ranks tied for first on the team and 11th in the nation in scoring, captured ACC Rookie of the Year honors.

Maryland enters the semifinals on an eight-match win streak. The Terps bounced back from a 1-0 OT loss to Old Dominion to beat UNC in extra time on Oct. 21, before downing Delaware (4-1 on Oct. 24), James Madison (5-0 on Oct. 26), Drexel (6-0 on Oct. 28) and Virginia, 4-1, in the semifinal round of the ACCs. Messimer scored a pair and Rizzo netted the game-winner against Wake as the Terps claimed their fifth ACC title in school history before Round 1's 7-1 win and the 6-0 victory in Round 2.

2001 NCAA Championship Dix Stadium, Kent, Ohio Nov. 16 * Semifinals Michigan vs. Princeton - 4:30 p.m. No. 2 Maryland vs. No. 3 Wake Forest - 7 p.m.

Nov. 18 * Championship Michigan/Princeton vs. Maryland/Wake Forest - 2 p.m.

Catch live stats of all the semifinal and championship games at planetfieldhockey.com and the official website of Kent State University Athletics.

And that's not all. Download the complete "Final Four" notes in PDF format above.

Terps Face Wake Forest In Third Straight Semifinal Appearance

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