Terp Field Hockey Travels to Boston to Open 2004 Slate
4/12/2004 8:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
April 12, 2004
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
2004 Maryland Field Hockey Schedule in PDF Format
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A year after advancing to the NCAA Tournament semifinals, the Maryland field hockey team looks to capture its first national title since 1999 when it opens the 2004 campaign with two games in Boston, Mass. The 2004 slate, which was announced by head coach Missy Meharg, features eight teams that earned NCAA Tournament berths, including ACC foe and two-time defending national champion Wake Forest.
"I think, once again, we will have one of the toughest schedules in the nation," commented Meharg. "I like that we are going to Boston College to open the season at their new field and play Wake Forest on the road. The home-and-home series with Old Dominion series is always a battle. We have a good balance of of regional and national opponents and are always fortunate to play in the ACC where the best teams are in conference. We are looking to build off of where we ended last year at the NCAA semifinals."
Maryland takes a trip to Boston, Mass., to officially open the season on Saturday, Aug. 28 versus future ACC opponent Boston College, then plays the following day, Sunday, Aug. 29 against Boston University. The Terps close out the weekend with a scrimmage against Harvard on Monday, Aug. 30.
The Terps host nine regular-season matches at the state-of-the-art Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex. Last season, Maryland went 13-1-0 on the new turf, including sweeping the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The team plays a couple of tune-up matches beginning with the Red/White scrimmage on Aug. 20 before opening the regular season. The home slate begins with an early test against perennial power Old Dominion on Saturday, Sept. 4 at 1 p.m. The game is also the first of the home-and-home series vs. the Lady Monarchs, a series which the Terps swept last season.
Once again, Maryland will be hosting the annual Terrapin Invitational, Sept. 11-12. In 2004, the Terps welcome Massachusetts, Northwestern and American, opening tournament play against the Minutewomen of UMass on Sat., Sept. 11. On Sunday, Sept. 12, Maryland battles the Wildcats to open the second day of action.
The Atlantic Coast Conference was the top field hockey conference in the nation last year, as the top-four ranked squads were ACC teams. Maryland opens the conference portion of the schedule against the defending national champion Demon Deacons on Sat., Sept. 25 in Winston-Salem, N.C., and will face Virginia, the only ACC team not to earn an NCAA Tournament berth, on the road on Saturday, Oct. 2. A rematch of last year's national semifinal vs. Duke takes place at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex on Saturday, Oct. 9, with the ACC slate wrapping up on Saturday, Oct. 23 in College Park.
Maryland will be familiar with this season's ACC Tournament venue. Celebrating the 20th year of the championship, defending conference champion Wake Forest plays host in Winston-Salem, N.C. The tournament runs from Nov. 4-7 and the Terps will be looking for their sixth conference title. Following the ACC Tournament, NCAA Tournament action begins Nov. 13 with the first and second rounds hosted at campus sites.
Maryland had just one senior on the squad last season and returns all but one starter from that 20-4 team. The Terps reached the 20-win plateau for the fourth time in school history, advancing to the national semifinal game for the ninth time, the seventh time under Meharg. Maryland's returning corps includes All-Americans Jackie Ciconte (Wilmington, Del.), Paula Infante (Santiago, Chile) and Lauren Powley (Mountaintop, Pa.). All eight NFHCA Mid-Atlantic Region picks also return for the 2004 campaign.
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