Field Hockey Hosts Terrapin Invitational In College Park
9/7/2001 8:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Sept. 7, 2001
The University of Maryland field hockey squad hosts its first home event of the 2001 season, the Terrapin Invitational, from Sept. 7-9 in College Park. The fifth-ever field hockey invitational at the Terps' Artificial Turf Facility is back this season after a one-year hiatus in 2000 for the Terrapin Doubleheader.
This season the Terrapins open the event on Friday with a 6 p.m. meeting against the Northwestern Wildcats. Guest teams Kent State and James Madison square off in the nightcap at 8 p.m. After taking a break on Saturday for the football Terrapins' gridiron clash with Eastern Michigan, JMU takes on Northwestern on Sunday at noon, followed by the Terrapins first-ever meeting with the 2001 NCAA Championship host Golden Flashes.
Since the first Terrapin Invitational in 1996, Maryland has established an 8-0 record. The Terps' perfect slate earned them the championship of their home event all four times it has been played -- in 1996, 97, 98 and 99.
This year's Terrapin Invitational champion will be decided as it has been in the past. A win earns a team three points, a tie earns one point, and a loss earns zero points. Criteria such as goal differential and goals scored will be applied if necessary.
Promotions And Giveaways At the Terrapin Invitational
Poster Giveaway: Be sure to stop by the Maryland Sports Marketing table to pick up the 2001 Maryland Field Hockey schedule card and poster. The marketing table is located just inside the main entrance of the Artificial Turf Facility.
Meet The Terps: Fans will have an opportunity to meet selected Terps after each home game during the 2001 season. Shortly following each contest, field hockey enthusiasts of all ages will have a chance to say "hello" and collect the autographs of some of their favorite Terrapins. Seniors Rachel Hiskins (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), Dina Rizzo (Walpole, Mass.) and Autumn Welsh (Macungie, Pa.) will be signing posters and greeting Terp fans following Friday's game against Northwestern, and Caroline Walter (Reilingen, Germany), Ashley Hohnstine (Oak Hill, Va.) and Carissa Messimer (Mountaintop, Pa.) will be available after Sunday's match against Kent State.
Ball Day: Field hockey balls with different Terps' signatures will be given away to the first 50 fans that sign up for the Terrapin field hockey e-mail list at Sunday's game against Kent State. Head to the marketing table to sign up, claim your autographed prize, and receive news and features about the Terps all season long.
Terp Halftime Dribble N' Shoot: The wild halftime contest from the 2000 season is back for 2001, with a few new twists and surprises. Show off your field hockey skills at halftime and walk away a winner! Sign up to be a Dribble N' Shoot contestant at the marketing table and then listen for your name to be called during the first half.
Movin' On Up
Now two weeks into the 2001 season, the 3-1 Terrapins remain among the elite NCAA field hockey progams, holding at No. 2 in the HockeyPoint! Coaches Poll dated Sept. 5. Maryland was ranked third in the preseason poll and jumped to the second position in the survey dated Aug. 17.
The Fall '01 issue of Sports Illustrated for Women hit newstands this past weekend, with the Terrapins listed among the Top 5 "Teams to Watch" 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! Coaches Poll September 5, 2001 Rnk Team Pts. Rec. 1. North Carolina(10) 100 3-0 2. Maryland 77 3-1 3.(tie) Michigan 72 3-1 3.(tie) Old Dominion 72 2-2 5. Wake Forest 67 3-1 6. Michigan State 48 3-1 7. Princeton 23 0-0 8. Penn State 20 0-2 9. Duke 18 3-1 10 Virginia 13 1-1
Also receiving votes (Points, Record): Connecticut (11, 2-1), James Madison (8, 1-2), Ohio State (8, 2-0), Stanford (7, 2-2), Iowa (4, 3-0), William & Mary (2, 2-1)
Game Captains
Eight fourth-year players, nine newcomers, and seven in between. All will need to be ready to contribute for the Terps in 2001, and consistent with that theme, each member of the Maryland squad will experience captaincy at different points during the season.
Rather than having team captains in 2001, the coaching staff has decided to rotate different Game Captains for each contest. Megan Kelly (Gaithersburg, Md.) and Amber McQuillan (Coopersburg, Pa.) will be the captain and vice captain, respectively, for the Terps' match against Northwestern, while Beth Hafer (Sinking Spring, Pa.) and Laura Blongiewicz (Gaithersburg, Md.) will be in those roles against Kent State.
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 (Wapwallopen, Pa.) was a 1999 first team selection at Crestwood in Pennsylvania. True freshmen Colleen Barbieri (Centereach, N.Y.), Emily Boyer (Oak Park, Ill.) and Kristin Harris (Lititz, Pa.) were All-Americans as high school seniors in 2000.
Northwestern Wildcats
The Wildcats are off to a 1-3 start in 2001, entering the Terrapin Invitational after a narrow overtime loss to Ball State on Sept. 2. Northwestern has already played in two extra-session games this season, having defeated SW Missouri State 3-2 in OT.
Northwestern posted a 6-13 record a season ago, finishing 5th in the competative Big Ten.
Head coach Marisa Didio is in her sixth season at the helm of the Wildcats' program.
The Terrapins and Wildcats are tied, 4-4, in an all-time series that dates back to 1985. Maryland has defeated Northwestern four straight times after suffering defeat in from 1985-88.
Kent State Golden Flashes
Kent State enters the weekend 1-1 after opening their season with a pair of games at Ohio State University. After being defeated by the host Buckeyes, 3-2, the Golden Flashes split with a 4-2 win over SW Missouri State.
The host institution of the 2001 NCAA Field Hockey Championship, Kent State made its third straight appearance in the national tournament last season with a 19-4 record and third-consecutive Mid-American Conference title.
Kerry DeVries is in her fifth year on the Golden Flashes' sideline. Second-team All-American Arlette van Cleeff and MAC All-Tournament selection Kristen Clayton lead the way for Kent with two goals apiece.
The 2001 Terrapin Invitational marks the first meeting for the Terps and Golden Flashes, but both squads hope for invitations to Kent's Dix Field in Mid-November.
James Madison Dukes
The James Madison Dukes, members of the always competitive Colonial Athletic Association, begins its season with a 1-2 record. After blanking Towson, 3-0, JMU fell to ACC opponents Duke and Wake Forest. The Dukes are currently receiving votes in HockeyPoint's Coaches Poll.
The Dukes finished the 2000 season with a 12-9 record under first-year head coach and former Terp All-America goalkeeper Irene Horvat. JMU's 3-2 CAA record was third in the conference.
Horvat is listed in all of Maryland's career and single-season goalie record books, and is most notably the career leader in shutouts with 42.5. Her single-season save percentage of .909 during Maryland's 1993 season is the best ever by a Terrapin.
Horvat's first year assistant coach, Sally Northcroft, was the Honda Award winner for field hockey at Ball State in 1999.
The Dukes and Terrapins do not meet this weekend, but will face each other in Harrisonburg, Va., on Oct. 26.
