Field Hockey Hosts Sixth Terrapin Invitational In College Park

Sept. 13, 2002

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The No. 1 Maryland field hockey squad hosts a pair of cross-regional doubleheaders this weekend as Massachusetts (0-3), Boston University (2-2) and American (3-1) visit the Artificial Turf Facility for the 2002 Terrapin Invitational. The Terps own a 10-0 record in the tournament since the Terrapin Invitational's inception in 1996.

The sixth-ever Terp Invite pits teams from the state of Massachusetts against Washington D.C. area teams in the two-day event. American takes on the Boston Terriers on Friday, Sept. 13, at 4 p.m. to kick off the event, while Maryland hosts UMass at 7 p.m. Play continues on Sunday with a match-up between the Minutewomen and Eagles at 11 a.m., followed by the final match between the Terps and Terriers at 2 p.m.

Maryland earned a No. 1 ranking in the first STX/National Field Hockey Coaches Association Poll (NFHCA) of the 2002 season, released Tuesday. The Terrapins were the only team in the nation with a 4-0 record after last weekend's play, having earned victories over formidable opponents in No. 2 Old Dominion (4-0, Sept. 8), New Hampshire (RV) (4-1, Sept. 2) and Northwestern (RV) (3-1, Aug. 31).

Promotions And Giveaways

Posters and Schedule Cards: Be sure to stop by the Maryland Sports Marketing table to pick up the 2002 Maryland field hockey schedule poster and schedule card. Both are free all season long, and the marketing table is located just inside the main gate of the Artificial Turf Facility.

Score and Win With Maryland Hockey: Fans can win prizes all season long with this contest, new for the 2002 season. Sign up at the marketing table to become a contestant, and for every two goals the Terps score in each game, you can win a prize courtesy of one of Maryland's sponsors.

Terp Halftime Dribble N' Shoot: The wildest halftime contest in NCAA hockey is back in 2002. 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 listen for your name to be called during the first half.

Topping The Charts Again

The Terrapins, who ran out to a 4-0 record to open the 2002 season and finished first in last season's final poll after capturing their fourth straight ACC championship and making a run to the NCAA title game, were once again voted the top team in the nation when the first NFHCA Coaches poll of the year was released on Tuesday, Sept. 10. The new-look Terps started six rookies in passing their first major test of the season with a 2-0 shutout of perennial powerhouse No. 2 Old Dominion on Sunday, Sept. 8.

All five ACC field hockey schools rank in the top 20, with North Carolina (2-2) ranking sixth and 2002 national semifinalist Wake Forest listed seventh. Also joining the Terps, Tar Heels and Demon Deacons in the top 10 is No. 9 Virginia (3-0), while Duke occupies the 15th position.

Including the Terps' Sept. 8 victory over the Monarchs, Maryland plays a total of 10 regular season matches against teams listed in the first top 20 of 2002. Five more of the Terps' opponents received votes in this week's poll.

Maryland was voted No. 1 in six of the eight coaches' polls conducted in 2001, and has not been ranked below No. 5 in every NFHCA poll over the last four seasons.

Terps At A Glance

Having graduated four All-Americans and the 2001 national player of the year among a senior class of eight last season, the Maryland Terrapins opened the 2002 campaign looking to make a fresh start with its new roster. Only two weeks in the season, the new-look squad has already made some waves on the national scene - a roster that features 10 newcomers and a starting line-up that includes six rookies finds itself ranked No. 1 in the nation.

On the offensive end, 2001 ACC Rookie of the Year Colleen Barbieri (Centereach, N.Y.) leads the way with four goals and one assist for nine points, which places her second in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Senior All-American Carissa Messimer (Mountaintop, Pa.) follows closely with four goals for eight points, while ACC assist leader Katrin Rummer (Karlsruhe, Germany) totals six helpers and one goal for eight points as well. Six different Terrapins have scored goals in Maryland's first four games, as the Terps have outscored their early-season opponents 12-2.

Defensively, the Terrapins are off to a fine start, allowing opponents only 4.5 shots per game and limiting them to a 0.50 goals against average. Led by sophomore netminder Kerry Hearsey (Leicester, England) and senior back Izzy Palmer (Malvern, England), the Terps' talented backfield continues to uphold the standard that led the nation in 2001.

Now in her 15th season, four-time national coach of the year Missy Meharg owns a career record of 231-76-9, good enough for 13th on the all-time Division I wins list. New to the 2002 season is the addition of the Missy Meharg Radio Show, which will air every other Thursday at 5:15 p.m. on campus radio website WMUC.com. The inaugural program aired live on Sept. 14. Check www.WMUC.com or www.umterps.com for the archived version.

Scouting UMass

The Massachusetts Minutewomen (0-3) look to earn their first victory of the season at the 2002 Terrapin Invitational after opening the year with three losses. The Minutewomen fell at home to Boston University and Northeastern before taking a 3-1 loss at Boston College on Sept. 4. UMass has not played a match since.

With only four seniors on the roster, Massachusetts has looked to its underclassmen to step up, as all of the team's scoring thus far has been contributed by freshmen and sophomores. Rookie forward Jamie Bawden is one of the newcomers who has started all three of the Minutewomen's games and scored a goal.

In the cage, junior Ashley England has logged most of the minutes, making 18 saves in three games and posting a 2.29 GAA.

UMass head coach Patty Shea is in her sixth season, with a 72-43 career record. In 2001 Shea guided the Minutewomen to the Atlantic-10 title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

Scouting Boston University

The Terriers (2-2, RV) enter the 2002 Terrapin Ivitational with a 2-2 record after falling to Boston College, 1-0, on Sept. 11. Boston posted early-season victories over UMass and Quinnipiac before losing an overtime heartbreaker to William & Mary and losing to the Eagles. The Terriers are currently receiving votes in the 2002 NFHCA Coaches Poll.

Five-foot junior forward Lindsay Domers paces the Terriers in scoring, with three goals and an assist for seven points. Junior midfielder Dalinda Banuelos heads up the list of six other Terriers who have tallied goals in 2002.

Between the pipes, senior Susan Harrington owns an impressive 0.99 GAA and a .862 save percentage. She has totaled 25 saves in Boston's four games.

Head coach Sally Starr has coached the Terriers for 21 our of her 24 years as a head coach, and owns a 267-169-21 record. Her win total places her 10th all-time on the NCAA Division I coaching list.

Scouting American

The American Eagles (3-1, RV) come into the weekend's event with a 3-1 record, having posted victories over Virginia Commonwealth, Appalachian State and Davidson. The Eagles' lone loss came at the hands of the Richmond Spiders, and they received votes in this week's NFHCA Coaches Poll.

Three-time regional All-American selection Magdalena Aguilar keys the eagle offense with three goals and an assist on the season to date. Newcomer Maureen Daniel has scored a pair of goals as well, while junior Melissa Snyder has dished out two assists.

Junior Laura Millar has been impressive in goal for American, with 35 saves in the Eagles' four games. She owns a 1.16 GAA and a .897 save percentage headed into the weekend.

Eagle head coach Steve Jennings is in his fourth season at American. Jennings is a 1997 graduate of the University of Maryland and was an Olympian on the men's 1996 U.S. National Field Hockey team at the Summer Games in Atlanta. Jennings played on the U.S. squad from 1991-1999 before joining the USFHA coaching ranks with the women's team in 2001.

Field Hockey Hosts Sixth Terrapin Invitational In College Park

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