Field Hockey Opens 2001 Season With West Coast Swing
8/24/2001 8:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Aug. 24, 2001
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The University of Maryland field hockey squad begins its 2001 campaign this week, as the Terrapins travel to Northern California for three matches at the home of the Stanford Cardinal. The Terps open the season against the Cal Bears on Saturday, Aug. 25, at 1 p.m. PT before meeting Pacific on Sunday at 1 p.m. as well. Maryland's West Coast swing concludes when the Terps take on host Stanford on Tuesday, Aug. 28 at 1 p.m.
* Covering over 2,800 miles, the Terrapins' series at Stanford marks the furthest road trip in Maryland field hockey history. The Terps' most regular long trip is their bi-annual visit to the campus of ACC-rival Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C., which spans roughly 350 miles. Maryland claimed its third national championship in 1999 at the campus of Northeastern University in Boston, Mass., about 430 miles away from College Park.
* Fans and alumni in the Northern California area are invited to come out and support the Terrapins, free of charge, as they make their first-ever appearance on the West Coast. In addition, Maryland's match vs. Stanford will be broadcast by Silicon Valley Community Communications (SVCC) via tape-delay. For those in the Palo Alto area, SVCC will air the Terps/Cardinal matchup on AT&T Channel 6 on Aug. 31 at 8 p.m. and on Sept. 2 at 8:30 p.m. San Mateo area viewers can watch it on Sept. 1's Game of the Week on cable channel 26 at 7:30 p.m.
Postcards From Cali
* Postcards from Cali, an interactive feature on www.umterps.com, is the best way to follow the three-time reigning ACC champion Terrapins on their first road trip of the season. Be a part of the action as the Terps open 2001 whether you travel to Stanford or log in from home. If you can't join the Terrapins in California, The official website of Maryland Athletics is the place to be.
* Log in to www.umterps.com every night to check out all of the sights and scenes from northern California in our daily photo gallery. Also, experience the Terps' travels from the student-athletes' point of view in the nightly journal. Send an e-mail message to your favorite Terps by clicking on the link at the bottom of the page. * Finding Postcards from Cali is simple. Locate www.umterps.com on your browser, and then select field hockey from the "Choose Sport" pulldown menu. Click on the Postcards from Cali button on the right side of the page to be a part of the action. Or join the field hockey e-mail list by sending a message to fratto@wam.umd.edu and you won't miss a thing.
Preseason Recognition
* With seven starters returning and the addition of one of the most talented recruiting classes in Maryland history, the 2001 Terrapins are drawing early recognition as a team with the ability to battle for the national title. The Terps, coming off their sixth NCAA semifinal appearance and third-straight ACC championship, are viewed by head coaches and media alike as legitimate contenders for a trip to Kent, Ohio, in November.
* ESPN.com and Sports Illustrated for Women publish preseason Top 5 polls, which will be released just before the start of the season. Field hockey websites Top of the Circle and HockeyPoint! have given the Terrapins preseason recognition as an elite program in 2001.
* The official field hockey rankings are published through the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Weekly Poll. The first poll is released Sept. 11 and continues every Tuesday throughout the season.
HockeyPoint! Preseason Coaches PollRnk Team Pts. 2000 Rec. 1. Old Dominion (5-1/2) 91-1/2 25-1 2. North Carolina (3-1/2) 90-1/2 19-4 3. Maryland (1) 74 20-4 4. Michigan 65-1/2 19-4 5. Princeton 56 14-4 6. Wake Forest 53-1/2 18-4 7. Penn State 29 17-6 8. Connecticut 25 17-7 9. Virginia 17 14-8 10. Duke 12 7-12
Also receiving votes (Points, 2000 Record): Kent State (11, 19-4), James Madison (7, 12-9), Massachusetts (5, 19-4), Ohio State (4, 12-8), Michigan State (3, 11-9), Boston Univ. (2, 16-8), William & Mary (2, 12-8), Harvard (1, 12-6), Louisville (1, 14-8).
