Messimer, Barbieri and Palmer Named To All-ACC Field Hockey Team
11/7/2002 7:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Nov. 7, 2002
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland field hockey players Carissa Messimer (Mountaintop, Pa.), Colleen Barbieri (Centereach, N.Y.) and Izzy Palmer (Malvern, England) were all named to the 2002 All-Atlantic Coast Confererence team, announced at the banquet that precedes the ACC Championship tournament. The three all-league Terrapins join the rest of the squad (15-3, 2-2 ACC) as the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament. Maryland meets the second-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels (9-10, 3-1 ACC) on Friday at 4 p.m. at Duke University's Williams Field.
Messimer and Barbieri were neck and neck all season in leading the Terps and the conference in scoring. Messimer's 14 goals and 33 points wound up pacing the ACC, while Barbieri was right behind her with 13 goals and 31 points. Both were first-time selections to the all-conference squad, though senior Messimer was a three-time NFHCA Mid-Atlantic All-Region selection and a 2001 All-American. Barbieri, a sophomore, was an all-region selection from 2001 and was named the conference's Rookie of the Year a season ago. She has been named ACC Player of the Week four times in her career, including on Sept. 3 and Oct. 7 this season.
Also a first-time selection to the All-ACC team, first-year senior Palmer has made a key impact this season as an English international transfer. Palmer, a defensive back, has keyed the Terrapin backfield to a league-leading eight shutouts and has helped limit opposing teams to only 4.7 shots per game. The Terp defense is rated third in the nation after allowing regular-season opponents an average of 0.80 goals per game.
The Terrapins begin play in the 19th annual ACC Championship tournament on Friday. The Terps are 20-14 in tourney play since 1985 and are 2-1 agains the Tar Heels in championship play. Maryland has captured five titles (1992, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001) including the last four in a row. North Carolina is the only other squad to have ever won the ACC Championship tournament.
