Nov. 19, 2003
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
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NCAA Championships
Richard F. Graber Field (Amherst, Mass.)
Fri. & Sun., Nov. 21 & 23, 2003
Friday, Nov. 21 - Semifinals
#3 seed Maryland (20-3) vs. #2 seed Duke (19-3), 5 p.m.
Michigan (17-6) vs. #1 seed Wake Forest (20-1)
Sunday, Nov. 23 - Championshps Game
Winner of Semifinals, 12:30 p.m.
*live on CSTV
Terps Make Ninth Trip to National Semifinals
* Making its ninth trip to the national semifinals (once in the AIAW in 1979), No. 3-seed Maryland faces No. 2-seed Duke on Friday, Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m. The winner of this game takes on the winner of the Wake Forest/Michigan game for the national championship on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 12:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on CSTV.
* Ranked third in the nation, Maryland defeated Cal, 2-0, and Penn State, 5-0, in the first and second rounds to reach the semifinals. The Terps have played all three semifinal teams this season, defeating Michigan in College Park, but losing to Duke once and Wake Forest twice.
About the NCAA Championships "Final Four"
* Sixteen NCAA Championship teams were selected, and now it is down to the final four. #1 Wake Forest, #2 Duke, #3 Maryland and Michigan won its respective regionals, earning a bid into the national semifinal round. All four teams won first and second round matches on Nov. 15 and 16 to get to Amherst.
* In Storrs, Conn., defending national champion Demon Deacons defeated Boston College (5-1) in the first round and UConn in the second (3-0) to advance. Playing host to the first and second round games, the Blue Devils defeated American, 3-1, and easily handled Old Dominion, 8-2, in the second round. The Terps also earned a host site and came out winners, topping Cal, 2-0, and Penn State, 5-0. Michigan upset #4-seeded North Carolina, 2-1, in East Lansing, Mich., then went on to beat host Michigan State by the same score.
* The winners of the semifinal games play for the NCAA crown on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 12:30 p.m.
* Sixteen teams earned bids into the NCAA Tournament, with four sites hosting the first and second rounds of action. Only the top four teams are seeded, all of which are ACC teams - #1 Wake Forest, #2 Duke, #3 Maryland and #4 North Carolina. Six teams entered by way of automatic bid, including Ivy League Champion Princeton. American and Cal both won their respective play-in games to claim a spot in the tournament. Eight other teams, including the four ACC teams and Penn State, were given at-large bids.
We've Been Here Before
* The Maryland field hockey team has made a full circle in 2003. Not only are the Terps making their ninth trip to the national semifinal in school history, but, more recently, they have played on the very field where the champion will be crowned. Maryland opened the 2003 season at Garber Field on Aug. 30 against New Hampshire, and went onto play two more games on the same turf they will be playing on this weekend. The Terps won all three games and outscored their three opponents, 21-0.
The ACC in the NCAA Tournament
* All four top seeds in this year's NCAA Championship were ACC squads and three teams advanced. Defending NCAA Champion Wake Forest is the top seed in the tournament, followed by #2 Duke and #3 Maryland. Fourth-seeded North Carolina fell by the wayside and was upset by Michigan, 2-1, in the first round.
Terps in the NCAA Tournament
* Maryland is 28-13 (.683) all-time in postseason tournaments (includes a 3-1 performance in the 1979 AIAW). Making their ninth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance and 17th national championship appearance overall, the Terps won the national three times - 1987, 1993, 1999. Head coach Missy Meharg guided the Terps to 14 of those national tournament appearance, winning the NCAA crown twice.
* The Terps advance to the national semifinals for the ninth time in school history. Of the previous eight times getting to the semifinals, Maryland has played in the championship game five times, winning the crown three times.
Terps Vs. the Field
* Entering the championships, the Terps were 6-3 this season against the field of 16. Maryland beat Michigan, Princeton and American at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex, and traveled down to Chapel Hill, N.C., to take a thrilling 3-2 overtime win over North Carolina. Maryland swept the home-and-home series with Old Domion. It's only three losses have come to Wake Forest, twice, and Duke.
Haven't We Met?
* Maryland has played each of the final four teams at least once this season, owning a 1-3 record against those teams. The Terps topped Michigan, 4-2. Wake Forest handed UM its only home loss, taking a 3-1 decision, then defeated the Terps, 4-1, in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament in Charlottesville. Duke handed the Terps its only other loss, claiming a 3-1 victory in Durham, N.C.
A Look at the Terps
* With Maryland's back-to-back 7-0 victories against Rutgers and Pacific in the Terrapin Invitational, 16th-year head coach Missy Meharg recorded her 250th-career victory and boasts a record of 264-84-9 (.752). A 1985 graduate of Delaware, Meharg was named Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year in 2002. During her tenure, she has led the Terps to two national championship titles (1993 and 1999) and five Atlantic Coast Championship crowns. Maryland's all-time winningest coach, she has been named National Coach of the Year four times.
* Boasting the fourth-best offense in the nation, the Terps are led by a pair of newcomers. Freshman Paula Infante has been the team's points leader the entire season, collecting 45 on the season. She is also the team's goal leader with 19. First-year Terp, junior Anja Boettcher is second on the team with 18 goals. Twelve different Terps have scored at least a goal this season and four have scored in double-digits. Maryland has outscored its opponents this season, 90-25.
* A permanent fixure on the penalty corners team, junior Emily Boyer leads the team with 15 assists. Right behind her is sophomore All-American Lauren Powley with 14. Powley did not record a point all last year. Both are ranked among the top eight in the nation in that category.
* The goalkeeping duties have been assigned to sophomore Tori Cano. Directing a Maryland defense that is third in the country, Cano ranks third among the nation's goalkeepers, sporting a 0.997 goals against average.
* The Terps return 11 letterwinners from last year's 17-5 team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and reached the ACC Tournament finals. Seven starters return, including 2002 NFHCA first team All-American and 2001 ACC Rookie of the Year Colleen Barbieri. Barbieri is the team's top-returning scorer. Maryland also welcomes 10 newcomers to the squad who have made an immediate impact.
Terps' Last Time Out
* Maryland posted shutouts at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex in the first and second rounds of the NCAA Championships to advance to the national semifinals. The Terps topped Cal, 2-0, and Penn State, 5-0.
* Backed by a strong defense, the Terps limited California to just three shots and one penalty corner, en route to the two-goal win. Freshman Paula Infante scored on a penalty stroke in the first half, and junior Anja Boettcher converted on a penalty corner opportunity to lead UM to victory.
* Five different Terps scored goals in the 5-0 thumping of Penn State in the second round of tournament play. Boettcher scored the game winner in the sixth minute as the Terps tallied three first-half goals in the win. Junior Colleen Barbieri reached the 100-point plateau, scoring the final goal of the first period. The Nittany Lions were limited to their lowest shot total of the season, attempting just four, as sophomore Tori Cano posted her fourth shutout of the year and second of the weekend.
Home Sweet Home
* The Maryland field hockey team set a precedent letting opponents know the brand new, state-of-the-art Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex in Terrapin turf. The Terps have been virtually unstoppable at their home field going 13-1 on the season. Its only loss on the home turf came at the hands of the top team in the country Wake Forest. Ten opponents currently ranked in the NFHCA Top 20 faltered on the new turf, including four teams who earned bids in the NCAA Tournament.
Series versus...
* DUKE: Maryland leads the all-time series, 19-3-3. The two teams have never faced each other in the NCAA Championships.
* LAST MEETING: Ranked fourth at the time of the meeting, Duke snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Terps, winning 3-1 in Durham, N.C., earlier this season. The Blue Devils scored three goals before Maryland could get on the board. Late in the second half, sophomore Amber McQuillan tallied UM's only goal to break up the shutout. Duke goalkeeper Christy Morgan made eight saves in the game, while the Maryland goalies combined for five stops.
* MICHIGAN: The Terps lead the series, 3-1. These two teams have a history in the NCAA Championships. Head coach Missy Meharg won her second national title by defeating the Wolverines, 2-1, in 1999. U-M returned the favor in 2002, topping the Terps, 2-0.
* LAST MEETING: In a battle of two top-10 teams at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex, Maryland scored two goals in each half en route to a 4-2 in over Michigan in September. After the Terps were up 4-0, the Wolverines score two goals less than a minute apart to make the game interesting. But Maryland was able to hang on for the win in the final minute. Junior Sara Silvetti dished out a career-high three assists as four different Terps scored in the win.
* WAKE FOREST: Maryland leads the series, 15-6, but have dropped the last four meetings.
* LAST MEETING: Wake Forest handed the Terps their only home loss of the season, 3-1, then eliminated Maryland from the ACC Tournament semifinal, 4-1, in Charlottesville, Va.
20-Win Seasons
* With the 5-0 win over Penn State, the Terps posted their 20th win of the season for the fourth time in school history. Maryland's other 20-win seasons came in 1993 (21-3), 1999 (24-1) and 2001 (20-4). In all three of those years, Maryland advanced to the national title game, winning the title in 1993 and 1999.
Terps Among Nation's Best
* The mighty Maryland defense is ranked third in the nation (1.08) and has an offense that is just as strong, ranking fourth at 3.88 goals per game, leading to the second-best winning percentage in the country at 0.870.
* Five different Terps are among the nation's top 20 in several statistical categories. A full list of where the Terps rank is listed on the right-hand column of page three.
In The ACC Stats
* Ten different Terps rank among the top 10 in the ACC in key statistical categories. Below is a list:
Points: Paula Infante, 4th, 45; Anja Boettcher, T9th, 38
Goals per Game: Paula Infante, T4th, 0.86; Anja Boettcher, 7th, 0.78; Jackie Ciconte, 9th, 0.74
Assists per Game: Emily Boyer, 6th, 0.65; Lauren Powley, 7th, 0.61
Saves: Tori Cano, 5th, 53; Christina Restivo, 6th, 11
Shutouts: Tori Cano, 4th, 4
Goals Against Ave.: Tori Cano, 2nd, 1.00
* The Terps' 3.91 goals and 2.78 assists per game are fourth in the conference. Maryland also ranks second with a 1.08 goals against average. The team is second in the conference with 10 shutouts. The 10.61 points per game is fourth in the ACC.
Terp Attack
* The formidable attack from two years ago seems to be back. Maryland has scored more goals than it had all last season. After 23 games this season, the Terps have posted 90 goals. In 22 games last year, the Terps scored 59 goals.
* Two years ago, the Terps were the top-ranked offense in the nation. Maryland ranked 14th at the end of last season.
Terps "D" Up
* Ten of Maryland's 20 wins have come by virtue of shutout, allowing only 25 goals this season. The shots and penalty corners have been hard to come by for opponents as well. Maryland opponents average 5.43 shots per game and 2.74 penalty corners per game. It's no wonder the Terrapin defense has been so hard to penetrate. The backfield ranks second in the nation in scoring defense at 1.08.
Eight Terps Earn All-Region Honors
* Eight Terrapins earned NFHCA Mid Atlantic All-Region honors. Junior Emily Boyer was named to the first team for the second-straight year. Sophomore Lauren Powley was also a first team pick. She repeats after being named to the squad a year ago, ending the season with third team All-American honors. Freshman Paula Infante and sophomore Jackie Ciconte garner the accolade for the first time.
* Earning second team all-region recognition are juniors Colleen Barbieri, Kristin Harris, Sara Silvetti and sophomore Tiffany Marsh. Harris was a second-team performer last year and Barbieri was a first team selection in 2002. Barbieri earned a spot on the All-America team last year, earning first team honors.
Three Terps Named to All-ACC Squad
* Three underclassmen were named to the All-ACC squad which was announced at the annual tournament banquet. Freshman Paula Infante and sophomores Jackie Ciconte and Lauren Powley were first-time honorees.
* Since 1993, at least three Terps have been named to the all-conference squad.
All-Tourney Honors
* Both defenders, freshmen Paula Infante and Brooke Johnson were named to the ACC All-Tournament team which was announced at the conclusion of the event. Infante and Johnson helped Maryland reach the semifinal round of the conference tournament, defeating Virignia, 5-1, before falling to #1 Wake Forest, 4-1.
Ciconte is Second Terp to Earn ACColade
* Sophomore Jackie Ciconte is the second Terrapin this season to earn ACC Player of the Week honors. She was given the honor after leading Maryland with a goal and an assist in the thrilling, 3-2, overtime win at No. 4 North Carolina, moving Maryland into a tie for second in the conference standings. Both goals she took part in gave the Terps the lead.
Ciconte Not Slumping
* Jackie Ciconte does not know the meaning of "sophomore slump" because she is having a breakout year. Playing in every game and starting all but one match this season, she is second on the team with 17 goals, while posting 37 points. All are career bests. She also has a career-high four game-winning goals, tallying her fourth in the 3-1 victory over Ohio State. With her two-goal performance against the Buckeyes, Ciconte is second on the team with four multiple-goal games.
* This season, Ciconte has already been rewarded for her efforts on the field. She was an ACC Player of the Week, an All-ACC pick and a first team NFHCA Mid Atlantic All-Region selection.
* Ciconte played 19 of the Terps' 22 games last year, making four starts. She totaled six goals, one assist, 13 points and three game-winning goals.
Century Athlete
* With her goal in the 5-0 win over Penn State, junior Colleen Barbieri recorded her 100th-career point. A second team NFHCA second team Mid Atlantic All-Region pick and a first team All-American a year ago, she is also tied for 10th in the Maryland annals with 43-career goals. She now has 101 career points.
Seeing Double
* Six different Terps have scored at least two goals in a game. Team scoring leader freshman Paula Infante has had the most two-goal performances, scoring a pair in five games. Sophomore Jackie Ciconte has accomplished that feat four times. Junior All-American Colleen Barbieri, junior Anja Boettcher and junior co-captain Sara Silvetti have recorded two two-goal games. Sophomore Amber McQuillan rounds out the list, tallying two goals in the win over Rutgers. Boettcher is the only Terp this season to record a hat trick.
Meharg Reaches 250
* Maryland's 7-0 win over Pacific on the final day of the Terrapin Invitational gave head coach Missy Meharg her 250th-career victory. Already the program's all-time winningest coach, she boasts a record of 264-84-9 in 16 years. On Sept. 20, 1998, Meharg became Maryland's winningest coach with a 3-0 win vs. UMass, chalking up her 153rd career triumph.
UM Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary of NCAA Championship
* Maryland celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the Terps' 1993 National Championship title run at halftime of the Old Dominion game on Oct. 18. Head coach Missy Meharg's first national championship as a coach, that team defeated North Carolina, 2-1, in penalty strokes to take home Maryland's first field hockey crown in six years. The Terps were 21-3 in 1993 and 4-0 in ACC play. They lost to the Tar Heels in the championship game of the ACC Tournament, 2-0, but bounced back to win an even bigger game in the NCAA finals.
Terps to Named to U.S. Team
* Four former Terps were selected for the U.S. National Team's residency program. Katie Kauffman-Beach ('97), Carissa Messimer ('03) Dina Rizzo ('02) and Keli Smith ('01) were named to the 19-player roster which was selected after open tryouts held at the team's training site in Virginia Beach, Va. The U.S. will begin preparations for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, March 19-28, 2004, in Auckland, New Zealand, including hosting the International Atlantic Cup which features four of the top 10 ranked teams in the world.
* Kauffman-Beach, Rizzo and Smith each played for the U.S. team this summer, helping the Stars & Stripes capture a silver medal at the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Kauffman-Beach was named team captain of that squad. Messimer is making her debut on the senior squad, having been a member of the 2001 Junior World Cup Team and 1999 Under-20 squad.
Tough Schedule
* The Terps continually play one of the toughest schedules in the nation. This year's slate is no different as Maryland has faced 10 teams ranked in this week's NFHCA Coaches Poll, with the Terps facing their 11th ranked opponent in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The top four spots in the poll are occupied by ACC teams, including Maryland. Wake Forest has been the top team in the nation all season, followed by Duke, Terps and North Carolina. Until three weeks ago, all five ACC teams were in the top 20.
* The Terps are 9-3 this season against teams ranked in this week's NFHCA Top 20 Coaches Poll. Its only three losses have come at the hands of the current top two teams in the country, No. 1 Wake Forest and No. 2 Duke. The Terps swept the home-and-home series against No. 8 Old Dominion for the first time ever this year.
Terps in Openers
* The Terrapins are 25-3-2 in season openers since program's first year in 1974. Maryland went unbeaten the first 15 years, going 13-0-2 before losing back-to-back openers in 1989 (at Virginia) and 1990 (at Old Dominion). UM has won the last seven opening games of the season.
* When opening the home slate, the Terps are 24-4-2 all-time, having won the last five home openers in a row.
Infante Earns Conference Honor
* Freshman defender Paula Infante was named Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Week for the opening week of the season on Sept. 1. The Santiago, Chile, native tallied three goals and two assists in the Terps' first two wins of the season. She also contributed to Maryland's defensive effort which allowed just three shots and one penalty corner combined over both games.
Maryland No. 3 in First Poll of the Year
* The Maryland Terrapins were ranked third in the initial National Field Hockey Coaches Association Top 20 poll of the year which was released on Sept. 9. Prior to that announcement, the Terps were 4-0, including posting a 2-1 victory over arch-rival Old Dominion.
Terps Name Captains
* Juniors Sara Silvetti and Kristin Harris have been named captains for the 2003 season. Silvetti, a redshirt junior, is a back and has started every game for the Terps the last two seasons. Harris is a midfielder who has started all but one game the last two seasons and was named second team NFHCA Mid-Atlantic Region.
Up Next
* The winners of the semifinal game go on to play each other in the NCAA Championship game to decide the Division I national champion on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 12:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on CSTV.
