Terps Return Home, Face No. 16 Wake Forest This Saturday
10/24/2003 8:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Oct. 24, 2003
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#16 WAKE FOREST (9-4-3) at MARYLAND (8-6-1)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2003 * 7:00 p.m.
LUDWIG FIELD (4,500/Grass), COLLEGE PARK, Md.
Live Audio: wmucsports.com * Live Stats: umterps.com
Terps Return Home, Face No. 16 Wake This Saturday
* After two weeks away from Ludwig Field, the Maryland women's soccer team returns to its home field for a critical ACC match with No. 16 Wake Forest this Saturday night at 7 p.m. Maryland comes off a strong 2-0 victory at George Mason on Wednesday night while Wake Forest dropped a 3-1 decision to Clemson on Tuesday at Spry Stadium. Maryland stands at 8-6-1 overall and 1-4 in the ACC while the Demon Deacons are 9-4-3 and still seeking their first conference win at 0-3-2. The Maryland/Wake game will be broadcast live on WMUCSports.com and live stats will be available on umterps.com.
* Coming off a pair of tough 1-0 losses, Maryland came out with heart and fury as they posted a 2-0 victory over regional rival George Mason on a chilly and windy night, this past Wednesday. Freshman Ashly Kennedy scored her first career goal and sophomore Mallory Mahar scored her fourth header goal in the last seven games. Sophomore Kimmy Francis set up both goals with corner kick assists. Francis now leads the Terps in all offensive categories with five goals, six assists and 16 points. In goal, senior Kristen Barnhill made two saves to post her sixth career solo shutout and third this season.
* Wake Forest is winless in its last four games after starting the year 9-2-1. They have tied Virginia 2-2 and Florida State 0-0 while losing to No. 1 North Carolina 6-0 and Clemson, 3-1 last Tuesday at home. The Demon Deacons are ranked in the Top 25 in all four major soccer polls. They are No. 14 in Soccer Times' poll, No. 16 in the NSCAA Coaches Poll, No. 18 in Soccer America's poll and No. 23 in Soccer Buzz's poll. Wake is led in scoring by Sarah Kozey, who has five goals and five assists for 15 points.
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Top 5 Terp Tidbits
* Kimmy Francis leads the Terps in goals (5), assists (6) and points (16). Four of her six assists this season have come on corner kicks. * Maryland has outshot its last two opponents 32-10 and taken 26 corner kicks, compared to just two for NC State and George Mason. * The Terps play the third-toughest schedule in the nation based on opponent win percentage. * Maryland is aiming for its 36th all-time win over a NSCAA Top 25 teamwhen they face Wake Forest on Saturday. The Terps beat No. 24 Clemson on Friday, Oct. 10. * Maryland has scored the first goal of the game in eight of its last 11 games, with all of those goals coming in the first 16 minutes of action -- and six of the eight within the first 6:20.
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Terps At A Glance
* Maryland has dominated play in its last two games at NC State and George Mason. The Terps have outshot their opponents 32-10 in those two games. They have also taken 26 corner kicks -- including 16 at NC State -- as compared to just two for its opponents in those matches. It is safe to say the Terps possessed the ball for more than 75 percent of the action in both games.
* Leading scorer Kimmy Francis now has 14 career assists -- eight of those have come off corner kicks. Four of her team-high six assists this season are off corners including both at George Mason. Francis' 14 career assists -- in just two seasons -- ranks tied for eighth all-time at Maryland with All-American Kelly Amonte (1992-95)
* Sophomore Mallory Mahar has been a force since her return to the starting lineup seven games ago. She has scored four goals -- all on headers -- since she started at Florida State. Overall, all nine of Mahar career goals have come in headers.
* Freshman sensation Ashly Kennedy scored her first career goal at George Mason, but Kennedy should be in high consideration for ACC Rookie of the Year as she has been a defensive stalwart all season. Kennedy has started all 15 games in her first collegiate season, playing a team-high 1,368 minutes. She has been off the field for just 18 minutes this year.
Senior Night Set For Nov. 2 Navy Game
* Maryland will host its annual Senior Night at its regular-season finale, Sunday, Nov. 2 against Navy. That game will start at 7 p.m. at Ludwig Field. Maryland will honors its senior class featuring goalkeeper Kristen Barnhill, midfielder Jenny Biscoe, defender Lindsay Givens, forward Katie Ludwig and midfielder Audra Poulin. The team will also honor a pair of players whose careers were ended prematurely due to injury. Defender Carly Viher has missed the last three seasons after suffering several knee injuries. Midfielder/defender Valerie Lawrence will also be recognized after serving as an undergraduate assistant coach this season. Lawrence played three seasons with the Terps (1999-2001).
Terps' Strength Of Schedule Among the Nation's Toughest
* The Terps play the third-toughest schedule in the nation based on opponents' win percentage through last weekend's play. Maryland's foes have a 161-82-28 record for a 64.6 win percentage. Only Florida State (68.1) and Kentucky (65.6) have played opponents with a better win percentage. Maryland plays a tougher schedule than the following Top 5 teams in the nation: No. 1 North Carolina (64.2) No. 2 Notre Dame (57.0), No. 3 UCLA (58.9), No. 4 Portland (54.9) and No. 5 Virginia (61.3). Every opponent Maryland plays for the remainder of the season has a record that is at least five games over .500. Overall, 14 of the 18 Terp opponents have winning records.
 Simone Dekker scored the Terps' lone goal at Wake last season. |
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The Series With Wake Forest
* Maryland and Wake Forest have battled 11 times since 1994 with the Demon Deacons winning six of the matches. Wake has won the last four meetings, dating to 1999.
* The Terps have outscored the Deacs 22-11 overall in the 11 all-time matches. Eight of the 11 matches all-time have ended in shutouts for the Terps or Deacs.
* In last season's game at Spry Stadium on Sept. 20, the eighth-ranked Demon Deacons kept their record perfect, as they moved to 8-0 with a 3-1 victory over Maryland. Simone Dekker scored the Terps' lone goal with just six seconds left in the first half off a free kick from Audra Poulin. Wake's junior midfielder Katherine Winstead converted a beautiful crossing pass from Melanie Schneider sent right into the center of the Maryland box to give the Demon Deacons a 2-1 lead in the 58th minute. The goal was Winstead's second of the game and fifth of the season as she put Wake on top 1-0 in the 42nd minute.
* In the last game at Ludwig Field, the Demon Deacons won 1-0 on Sept. 23, 2001. Sarah Kate Noftsinger scored off her former high school teammate Maryland goalkeeper Ali Wolff in the 76th minute. Maryland outshot the Deacs, 12-10 in that match.
* Maryland last defeated Wake Forest in the 1999 regular-season meeting between the teams at Ludwig Field, the Terps upset Wake Forest, 1-0 when they were ranked No. 11 on Oct. 22, 1999. Maryland midfielder Emily Janss scored the game-winning goal as she netted the only goal with 19:51 left in regulation.
Scoring Early and Often
* Maryland has had a knack for the early goal this season. The Terps have scored the game's opening goal -- all within the first 16 minutes of action -- in eight of the last 11 games. In six of those instances, the goal came in the first 6:20 of action: Ali Andrzejewski scored 2:54 into the 3-2 win over Towson, Katie Ludwig scored 1:14 into the 1-0 win over Loyola, Simone Dekker scored 2:13 into the 3-1 victory over No. 23 Tennessee, at Florida State, Mallory Mahar headed in a throw-in from Lindsay Givens just 4:38 into the match, and Mahar turned the trick again as she headed in the first goal off a Kimmy Francis' corner kick just 3:39 into the win over James Madison. Andrzejewski scored 10:15 into the 2-1 win over Clemson. Ashly Kennedy opened the scoring at George Mason just 6:20 into the game as she banged in a Francis' corner kick. Overall, the Terps have scored the first goal in the game nine times this season and are 7-1-1 in those games.
Ludwig Moves Up All-Time Scoring, Goals Charts
* With her five-point game vs. James Madison, senior Katie Ludwig is now tied for eighth on Maryland's all-time scoring chart with 44 points. With the two goals in the win over the Dukes, she is also tied for ninth all-time in career goals with 17.
* Ludwig is tied with Audra Weber (1991-94), who also had 44 career points. She is 10 points away from Kelly Amonte, brother of long-time NHL star Tony Amonte, who had 54 points in her four-year career from 1992-95.
* On the goals list, Ludwig is tied with WUSA star Emily Janss of the New York Power, who also had 17 from 1996-99. Ludwig can tie Weber on the goals list with one more tally and can tie Amonte for seventh with three more goals.
* Jenny Biscoe is close to cracking the all-time scoring list as she has 37 points, five off Janss, who had 42.
Terps Moving Up Assist Chart
* Three Terps have moved up the Maryland career assist chart this season. Jenny Biscoe and Lindsay Givens are now tied for fifth in assists with 17. Biscoe picked up her 17th career helper assisting Katie Ludwig's late goal in the win over James Madison. Next up on the list is Michelle Salmon (1994-97), who had 19.
* Givens got her last helper in the Clemson win -- her third of the season -- all on throw-ins this season. Her last two throws set up Mallory Mahar goals.
* Kimmy Francis now has 14 career assists and is tied for eighth on the list in just her second year with the Terps. She six assists this season -- four on corner kicks. Overall eight of her 14 career assists have come in corner kicks.
* Givens has 12 of her 17 career assists on throw-ins. Biscoe led the squad in assists last season with nine including a school-record tying three at Rutgers on Sept. 6, 2002. Dana Jarzyniecki set the record originally vs. Howard on Oct. 11, 2000.
* Biscoe also stands fourth on the career chart for career game-winning goals with seven entering her senior season. She needs just one to tie Jackie Mynarski (1996-99) for third all-time with eight. Keri Sarver holds the school record with 17.
Playing The Best
* The Terps, who reached the second round of the NCAA Women's College Cup last season, will take on 11 teams that played in the 2002 College Cup. They will also face six teams that finished the 2002 season ranked in the NSCAA Top 25 including three from the top ten in No. 3 North Carolina, No. 4 Penn State and No. 10 Tennessee.
* "I strongly believe this 2003 women's soccer team is going to be the best yet in my time here at Maryland," said Shannon Higgins-Cirovski. "We have an incredibly challenging schedule again. I am excited to be playing some of the best teams in the nation, as the only way to be the best is to play the best -- and that's what we are striving to do again."
* Maryland will host two of the four teams that advanced to the NCAA College Cup Semifinals in North Carolina (Oct. 5, at 1 p.m.) and Penn State (3-0 loss on Sept. 7). The Terps will also face challenges from NCAA qualifiers and ACC foes Florida State (2-1 loss on Sept. 26), Clemson (2-1 win on Oct. 10), Virginia (1-0 loss on Oct. 14) and Wake Forest (Oct. 25 at 7 p.m.).
* Once again, Higgins-Cirovski has scheduled one of the nation's competitive schedules. The Terps take on seven teams in this week's NSCAA poll including four of the top 12. The Terps face No. 1 North Carolina (4-0 loss on Oct. 5), at No. 5 Virginia (1-0 loss on Oct. 14), , No. 11 Duke (Oct. 31), No. 12 Penn State (3-0 loss on Sept. 7), No. 16 Wake Forest (Oct. 25 at 7 p.m.), No. 16 Tennessee (3-1 win on Sept. 20), and at No. 18 Washington (2-1 loss in overtime on Aug. 29). The following opponents are listed in other receiving votes or are ranked in other polls:, Clemson (2-1 win on Oct. 10), Florida State (2-1 loss on Sept. 26) and NC State (1-0 loss on Oct. 19).
* The wins over No. 23 Tennessee and No. 24 Clemson marked the 34th and 35th victories for the Terps over a ranked team since the program started in 1987, all of those wins have come since 1991. Those wins were the 11th and 12th over a ranked team with Higgins-Cirovski as the Terps' head coach.
* During each of Higgins-Cirovski's seasons at Maryland, she has led the Terps to at least one upset win or tie of a top-10 ranked team, leading Maryland to a 4-3 win at No. 9 Duke on Sept. 19, 1999 and a 2-1 victory over Clemson on Oct. 17, 1999; a 3-1 win over No. 4 Penn State on Aug. 29, 2000; a 1-0 overtime over No. 8 Clemson on Oct. 13, 2001 and a 1-1 tie at No. 2 North Carolina last season, on Nov. 1, 2002.
* Maryland has played the No. 1 team in the country on 17 occasions, 16 vs. North Carolina and once vs. Notre Dame in 1996 and is still seeking its first victory in a game vs. the No. 1 team.
The 2003 Captains
* Maryland will have a trio of team captains this season: midfielder Jen Biscoe and defenders Lindsay Givens and Jennifer Lovecchio (Vineland, N.J.). Givens has served as a captain for the past two seasons while Biscoe is in her second season as a captain and Lovecchio her first. Both Biscoe and Givens were both named to the NSCAA Mid-Atlantic team in 2001.
What's Up With Women's Soccer
* Maryland sophomore midfielder Danielle Malagari (Clarksburg, Md.) is writing this season's team journal, "What's Up With Women's Soccer." The sophomore opened the diary with a five-day journal from the team's team to Seattle to open the season. She has continued with periodic updates during the season.
Media Information
* WMUC Radio: Maryland's student radio station WMUC (88.1 FM) will broadcast up to 11 Maryland women's soccer games in 2003. A pregame show will air approximately 30 minutes prior to kickoff. WMUC's broadcasts can be heard live on the Internet at wmucsports.com and will be linked to umterps.com. Ariel Agami will handle the play-by-play, Eric Gladstein (color commentary), Jordan Weinstein and Jared Hopkins (color commentary/stats).
* Email Straight To You: If you would like the latest Maryland women's soccer news emailed directly to you as soon as it breaks, email women's soccer contact Jason Yellin at jyellin@umd.edu with the message "Women's Soccer Email" as the subject and you will receive every update distributed about the team.
* Scores on your cell phone: Fans can now get score updates sent directly to their cell phones! Just go to any schedule page at www.umterps.com to sign up for the service.
* Terps on the Web: For up-to-date game stories, statistics, schedules and results, and other Maryland athletic department information, please locate www. umterps.com on the Internet.
