Sept. 25, 2003

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Game 10:#10 Princeton (4-1) vs. #3 MARYLAND (9-0)
Friday, September 26, 2003 * 6 p.m.

Game 11: #1 Wake Forest (7-0) vs. #3 MARYLAND (9-0)
Sunday, September 28, 2003 * 1 p.m. Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex (1,000/Turf), College Park, Md.

Top 10 Showdown in College Park; Terps open ACC Slate
* Entering the toughest part of their schedule where they face seven ranked teams in their final 10 regular season games, the Terps host two top 10 teams this weekend. It is the first time this year Maryland plays ranked opponents in back-to-back days. The showdown begins with a game against No. 10 Princeton on Sept. 26 and close out the weekend opening the conference slate hosting defending ACC and national champion Wake Forest, the top-ranked team in the nation.

* The Terps put their unbeaten streak on the line, as does Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons, however, host the second-ranked team in the nation, North Carolina, before heading to College Park. Maryland is approaching the school record for the best opening-season record which was set in 1997 (11-0). The Tigers' only loss this season is a 3-2 loss to No. 6 Penn State.

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 253-81-9 (.751). 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.

* Continuing to lead the team in goals and scoring, freshman Paula Infante has 11 goals and 27 points, having scored at least a goal in the Terps' first six goals of the season. Sophomore Jackie Ciconte has also posted double-digit goals at 10, with three others scoring at least six. The team's assist leader with 13, sophomore All-American Lauren Powley did not record an assist all of last year and now leads the country in assists for the second-straight week.

* Fourth in the nation in goals against average, sophomore Tori Cano boasts a 0.54 average and team-leading 16 saves in just under 515 minutes played. Redshirt freshman Christina Restivo has not allowed a goal in 115:44 minutes. The Terps goalkeepers have recorded shutouts in five shutouts so far this season.

* Maryland has been peppering its opposing goalies, outscoring its opponents 52-4 and outshooting them 219-36. The Terps have the top-ranked offense in the nation, scoring 5.78 goals per game.

* 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 second 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
* The Terps opened last weekend's action with a rematch of the 1999 and 2001 NCAA Tournament Championship game against No. 6 Michigan. Maryland came out victorious, avenging their 2001 loss to the Wolverines, 4-2. Junior captain Sara Silvetti led the Terp attack, recording a career-high three assists. After the Wolverines cut the Maryland lead to 2-1 in the second half, UM scored two more times to put the game away. Sophomore Tori Cano made four saves in the win.

* Maryland faced a deficit for the first time all season but responded well. After Harvard, who received votes in the NFHCA poll, tallied its only goal of the game 50 seconds from the start of the match, the Terps scored three goals in the first half to take a 3-1 lead at the break. UM sealed the win with two more goals in the second period. Freshman Paula Infante scored twice after snapping her six-game scoring streak against the Wolverines.

A Look at the Tigers
* The Tigers are coached by Kristen Holmes-Winn who is in her first season at Princeton. A 1997 graduate of Iowa, she has head coaching experience with the Under-16 U.S. National Team. She has also been an assistant coach with the U-23 National Team. At the collegiate level, she served as an assistant at Iowa from 1998-2000. A three-time All-American and two-time Big Ten Player of the Year, she was a member of the U.S. National Team and also played in the NCAA Final Four.

* Entering the weekend with a 4-1 record and 2-0 mark in the Ivy League, Princeton has been ranked 10th in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association poll since the season's first poll. was announced. The Tigers boast a balanced attack which has seen 10 different players score at least a goal. Lizzie Black and Claire Miller lead the team with three goals each, while Black and Natalie Martirosan each have a team-leading three assists.

* In the cage, goalkeepers Allison Nemeth and Juliana Simon have split time. Nemeth has played in every game for the Tigers (under 215 minutes) and has a team-best 0.98 goals against average.

* Princeton opened the season winning its first three games of the season, including posting a win over ACC foe Virginia, 3-1, to start the season. The team's only loss is a close loss to sixth-ranked Penn State (3-2).

* LAST MEETING: The Terps came from behind to top Princeton, 2-1, in New Jersey. Tiffany Marsh tied the game in the 44th minute on an assist from Carrisa Messimer. With seven minutes left in the game, Messimer came through for the Terps again converting on a penalty shot to give Maryland the win. Goalkeeper Kerry Hearsey made five key saves in the win, limiting what was then the top-ranked offense in the nation to just one tally.

A Look at the Deacons
* The winningest coach in the program's history, Jennifer Averill led the field hockey team to Wake Forest's first women's national title in school history. A 1987 graduate of Northwestern, she is in her 12th season overall at the Demon Deacon helm and boasts a 161-83-3 mark. Prior to her hire at Wake Forest, Averill spent three seasons as head coach of Bucknell where she compiled a 20-32-3 record. Averill was named ACC Coach of the Year and National Coach of the Year after her team swept the conference and NCAA crowns.

* Heading into Friday's game against No. 2 North Carolina, No. 1 Wake Forest is 7-0 and 1-0 in conference play. The reigning ACC and national champion Demon Deacons are 2-0 against ranked teams this season, defeating then-No. 5 Duke (3-1) and then No. 7 Michigan State (5-0). Ranked fourth in the nation with a 4.41 scoring average, the Deacons Kelly Dostal leads the team with eight goals and 18 points. Kelly Doton leads the team with eight assists and is second with 14 points. Eight of the 10 players who have scored have tallied at least two goals on the season.

* The majority of the goalkeeping duties has fallen on the shoulders of Katie Ridd who has played all but five minutes this season. The Deacons goalkeeper in the cage for their championship run, she owns a 0.43 goals against average which is second-best in the nation. Her 0.833 save percentage is also 10th in the country.

* No. 1 Wake Forest has virtually every player back from last year's championship team. Twelve letterwinners, including eight starters return from last year's squad. Of the returnees, All-Americans Kelly Dostal and Kelly Doton don the Old Gold and Black again this season. Dostal was the team's goals (16) and points (41) leader and Doton led the team with 13 assists. In the net, Katie Ridd led the team to a 20-2 mark, boasting a minuscule 0.73 GAA.

* LAST MEETING: The Demon Deacons scored three goals in the second half to defeat the Terps, 4-0, in the championship game of the ACC Tournament in Durham, N.C. , capturing their first conference title in school history. Maryland faced just a one-goal deficit at the half, but could not hang on as Wake Forest rattled off three second-half tallies. Heather Aughinbaugh led the team with two goals and an assist, while Kelly Dostal dished out two assists while scoring the first goal of the game.

Series versus...
* PRINCETON: Maryland leads the all-time series, 7-4-1, winning the last five meetings in a row. It has been a tight series the last four years with the games being decided by two goals or less. Last year's matchup was a one-goal affair in New Jersey (2-1).

* WAKE FOREST: The Terps have dominated the series since it began in 1992. Maryland leads the all-time series, 15-4, but the Deacons won both meetings last season including a 2-1 overtime thriller during the regular season and a 4-0 victory to claim their first-ever ACC title. However, the Terps have never lost to Wake Forest in College Park.

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 253-81-9 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.

Terps Lead the Nation
* Maryland edges ACC foe Duke for the top offense in the nation, scoring 5.78 goals per game. The Terps also have the nation's best margin of victory at 5.34 leading to a 1.000 winning percentage which is tied for first.

* The top two assist leaders are Terps. After not recording an assist all of last season, sophomore All-American Lauren Powley has a nation-leading 13 helpers so far this season. Trailing Powley is teammate junior Emily Boyer with 11 which ranks second. Freshman Paula Infante has the second-most points (27) and goals (11) in the nation. Sophomore goalkeeper Tori Cano is just out of the top five in goals against average and ranks fourth with a 0.544 GAA. In all, seven different Terps are among the nation's top 20 in several different categories. For a full list, check out the right margin of page three.

In The ACC Stats
* Several Terps are ranked among the top 10 in the ACC statistical rankings. Freshman Paula Infante leads the league with 27 points and is tied for the league lead with 11 goals. Sophomore All-American Lauren Powley is second in the ACC with 1.44 assists per game, followed by junior Emily Boyer, averaging 1.22 apg.

* Sophomore Tori Cano is third in the conference with a 0.54 goals against average and her 16 saves is fourth. Sophomore Jackie Ciconte (20 pts, 3rd; 1.11 gpg 4th), junior Colleen Barbieri (10 pts, 4th; 1.00 gpg, t5th) and junior Anja Boettcher (18 pts, t6th; 1.00 gpg, t5th) are also among the top 10 in the league in points and goals per game.

* Maryland is first in all but three team categories. The Terps average a league leading 16.11 points per game and 5.78 goals per game, and their six shutouts are tops in the ACC as well. Maryland is edged by Duke (5.00) for the most assists, averaging 4.56 per game. The Terps' team goals against average of 0.44 is second and their 19 saves ties for third.

Terp Attack
* The formidable attack from two years ago seems to be back. Maryland has outscored its opponents 52-4 through nine games. It was not until the Terps' final regular season game last year that they recorded their 52nd goal of the year, 19 games into the season.

* 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
* Six of Maryland's nine wins have come by virtue of shutout. The Terps have allowed just four goals this season, giving up a season-high two to No. 6 Michigan. The shots and penalty corners have been hard to come by for opponents as well. Maryland opponents average 4.00 shots per game and 2.56 penalty corners per game. It's no wonder the Terrapin defense has been so hard to penetrate. The backfield ranks third in the nation in scoring defense at 0.44.

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 efforts, scoring a pair in four games. Sophomore Jackie Ciconte has accomplished that feat three 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.

* The Terps own the nation's leading offense, scoring 5.78 goals per game.

Tough Schedule
* The Terps continually play one of the toughest schedules in the nation. This year's slate is no different as Maryland is scheduled to face eight teams ranked in this week's NFHCA Coaches Poll. The top four spots in the NFHCA Coaches Poll are occupied by ACC teams, including Maryland. All five ACC teams are among the top 15. Wake Forest is the top team in the country for the third week in a row, followed by North Carolina, the Terps and Duke. Virginia moved up to 12 from 13.

* The top five teams in the nation, besides Maryland, are scheduled to battle the Terps. After the top four spots which are occupied by ACC teams, Michigan, which the Terps defeated 4-2, is sixth in the nation. Seventh in the poll is Old Dominion, a team which UM has also already defeated. This weekend, Maryland faces the Ivy League's Princeton who is No. 10 and the top-ranked Deacons open the ACC schedule for the Terps. Delaware entered the rankings this week and is rated 15th overall and 2003 foes Harvard, American and Ohio State are receiving votes in this week's national ranking.

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 grueling schedule continues for the Terps as they host No. 12 Virginia for more ACC action on Oct. 4. On Oct. 5, Maryland hosts Ohio State, who is receiving votes in the NFHCA poll. That game can be seen on the new network CSTV.