2005 Maryland Field Hockey Season Outlook
8/2/2005 8:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Aug. 2, 2005
The return of eight starters, including three All-Americans, the experience of 11 upperclassmen, the addition of six newcomers and the collective motivation to win a national championship after reaching the NCAA Tournament semifinals for the second year in a row, all mean that 2005 is primed to be another fantastic season for head coach Missy Meharg's Maryland Terrapins.
"We're very experienced. It is an advantage to have predominantly upperclassmen on the squad," said Meharg. "It's an advantage because the leadership for those six freshmen and five sophomores will come from those seniors and juniors. They will have the biggest impact on the level of competition. We had outstanding individual development in the offseason, increased confidence and a tremendous amount of focus. They are behaving in championship mode."
The talent on this team is not limited to one position, as Maryland will be fielding an experienced core throughout the lineup. And with the six newcomers and two redshirt freshmen making their debuts this season, the Terrapin squad will be even stronger down the line.
Depth will be very important this year with the potential losses of All-American Lauren Powley and junior Kristina Edmonds. After participating as members of the United States Under-21 National Team during the summer, both could be asked to participate in the Junior World Cup in September at about the time when the ACC slate begins. But Coach Meharg is confident the Terps are well prepared.
"The depth on this team is fantastic," said Meharg. "Anytime you have 12 players - an entire starting lineup with your juniors and seniors - and then you add the excitement, youth and athleticism of the freshmen and sophomores, we will not be short on options this season."
Coach Meharg has been delighted not just by the development of the returning players, but also by the focus and heart the Terps have put into their training during the offseason.
"The goal is to consistently win the ACC and national titles. These women want to compete and choose to put themselves in other arenas of hockey. These actions make a coach feel comfortable as you put together a championship team."
ATTACK
While the starting forward line from a year ago returns intact, the Terps have to make up for the loss of two big offensive threats in Colleen Barbieri and Anja Boettcher. A 2002 first team All-American and the ACC's 2001 Rookie of the Year, Barbieri ended her career at Maryland ranked among the top 10 in career goals and points. In two seasons at College Park, Boettcher had a powerful shot while racking up 27 goals and 54 points. Nevertheless, returning in 2005 are seniors Tiffany Marsh and Jackie Ciconte, two of the top three scorers from last year.
Marsh led the squad with 34 points and was second with 13 goals, tallying career highs in both categories en route to NFHCA Mid-Atlantic All-Region honors for the second-straight year. Marsh, who is an All-America candidate, made a commitment to fitness and conditioning making her a strong All-Amercan candidate. Ciconte was an All-American in 2003 after posting 17 goals and last year was the third-leading scoring on the team. Despite battling back problems, she is a tenacious scorer and dangerous in front of the net.
Though not a forward, the team's leading goal scorer the last two seasons has been two-time first team All-American Paula Infante. Last year, she broke the NCAA single-game scoring record tallying five goals in Maryland first-round tournament win vs. Delaware and ended the season with a team-best 14 tallies as a midfielder. A Honda Sports Award finalist, Infante will move to a defensive-midfield role, the same position she played her freshman year when she scored 19 goals.
Becoming one of the top players in team history, three-time All-American Lauren Powley will once again be in the midfield for the Terps. Powley spent her summer with the top players in the country as a starter on the U.S. Under-21 team and the U.S. Senior National Team. A call to duty in September could see the Terps playing without Powley as she participates at the Junior World Cup with the U-21 squad. However, with the amount of depth on the squad, Maryland should be able to more than hold its own in her absence.
Coming off of a standout season where she was tabbed the ACC's Rookie of the Year, sophomore Janneke van Leeuwen looks to build on a solid foundation. A native of the Netherlands, she has become stronger, faster and quicker after being introduced to weight lifting and conditioning this spring. Along with her outstanding talent, van Leeuwen has also played a number of positions on the forward line and at midfield which could result in a dynamic season.
After sitting out last season because of a medical redshirt, senior Meredith Long returns for her final season. As a junior transfer in 2003, Long saw action in every game en route to the Terps' trip to the NCAA semifinals as a solid offensive replacement and is eager to step back on the field after the time off and make an impact.
Junior Emily Trycinski adds movement to the attack unit with her speed and gained confidence over the spring.
Underclassmen forwards looking to get their feet wet are redshirt freshmen Katie Mockus and Kim Ziegler. Mockus is a gifted, natural forward from a powerhouse Shawnee High School program. She suffered a knee injury during her final semester in high school and spent last season rehabilitating. Ziegler is ready to contribute and spent the fall and spring practicing with the team. An intelligent player, she brings a lot of excitement to the forward line.
While the forward line will be loaded with talent and experience, the additions of Danielle Keeley and Sarah Scholl make the attacking unit even stronger. Keeley has incredible speed, can score and has the ability to find others in scoring position. An attacking wing, Scholl has great foot speed and endurance, never seeming to tire.
"Because of the speed and athleticism of Danielle and Sarah, both should fit right in to the team attacking philosophy of moving the ball, maintaining possession and creating goal-scoring opportunities," remarked Meharg.
With the team's new attacking style, the focus will not be on any one individual to finish, but for the unit to step up and take the open shots. Maryland will have to focus on finishing scoring opportunities. After posting three-goal games in seven of their first nine contests, the attack recorded just seven more games scoring at least three goals in the final 16. Despite drawing 9.5 penalty corners a game, the Terps' conversion rate was low and Meharg has worked with the squad to improve on that number.
DEFENSE
At the other end of the field, the Terps will also have to contend with a pair of significant losses in Sara Silvetti and Kristin Harris. Both were stalwarts in the backfield the last four years, starting nearly every game of their careers. During their tenure, the Terps reached the national semifinals three times and the NCAA title game once. Their careers culminated with All-American accolades and Senior All-Star selections in 2004.
Despite those losses, Maryland also returns two very capable defenders, who were starters in every game last season. Voted the team's captain for the upcoming season, fifth-year senior Emily Beach has stepped up to be the team's vocal leader and will be the backbone of the Terp defense. She had a solid year in 2004, earning Mid-Atlantic All-Region nods.
Junior Linzi Jones is another strong and dependable defender with a lot of talent and is always eager to improve. Despite entering her second season in a Terrapin uniform, she gained a tremendous amount of experience and confidence as a first-year starter last season.
All-American Paula Infante makes the move back to the defense after spending last season in the midfield. Her position change will help fill the void left behind by the departures of Harris and Silvetti. Infante, who is one of the best in the country when moving the ball out of the backfield, should have no problem transitioning to the backfield as she was a first team All-American at the position two years ago.
Junior Kristina Edmonds is ready to step in and contribute full time. She has been tabbed one of the top junior players in the country, teaming up with fellow Terp Lauren Powley on the U.S. Under-21 team over the summer. She could be called to play in the Junior World Cup in the fall, as well. A physical defender who gives it her all when she steps onto the field, Edmonds started five games last year and played key minutes in the postseason.
Vying for playing time in the backfield will be sophomore Kendall Beveridge. The offseason has been a learning experience for the Maryland native, resulting in her improving her game. Junior Megan Fox has also improved her confidence and her individual skills, and brings experience to the midfield.
Freshmen Ellen Ott, Louisa Powell and Susie Rowe will be looked to fill in should Edmonds participate in the Junior World Cup. Ott was an All-American as a high school senior and has good passing skills and can attack from the midfield, as well.
Powell hails from the same high school as senior Terrapin Emily Beach. Bethesda-Chevy Chase High won the Maryland State title three times during Powell's tenure, reaching the finals all four years. She will also compete for playing time as a defensive midfielder.
While only a freshman, Rowe brings a wealth of international experience, not only as a member of England's Junior National Field Hockey team, but also its Junior National Cricket squad. With her international background and innate field awareness, Rowe will compete for a starting job.
GOALKEEPING
"What most pleases us right now is our level of goaltending. At the end of the day, goalkeeping becomes the critical factor for teams competing for both the ACC and the NCAA Championships," said Meharg.
The improvements of goaltenders Kathryn Masson and Christina Restivo have made the defense even stronger than last year. The two have continued to develop through the spring and the competition between the two is at an all-time high.
Restivo earned a career-high 12 starts and posted four shutouts last year. A good communicator and very active between the posts, the experience has increased Restivo's level of confidence in the cage.
Masson also gained valuable game experience, making 11 starts last season, which also included postseason matches. After posting an overtime victory in the first meeting vs. the Blue Devils, she was selected National Rookie of the Week.
Alicia Grater will make the competition for the starting position even stronger. A participant in the U.S. Futures Program for five years, Grater could make an immediate impact.
SCHEDULE
The Terps jump right into the season facing three Big Ten teams in its first four games. Maryland returns to Northwestern for the first time since 2002 for the season opener on Aug. 27, then travels to Columbus, Ohio, to battle Ohio State (Aug. 29) and Ohio University (Aug. 30). The Terps open the home slate vs. NCAA Tournament-participant Michigan on Sept. 2.
On Sept. 4, Maryland opens the annual home-and-home series with Old Dominion in Norfolk, Va., while the Lady Monarchs travel up to College Park on Oct. 14.
The Terps take a break in the schedule and play an international exhibition match against the University of Durham from England. The game will serve as a tune up for the Terrapins as they possibly enter the next few games without Lauren Powley and Kristina Edmonds.
At the annual Terrapin Invitational, Maryland hosts local opponent American and West Coast foes Stanford and California, Sept. 10 and 11, before opening the conference slate traveling to Boston College on Sept. 17.
This season, the Atlantic Coast Conference welcomes Boston College as the sixth member of the league. Boasting four of the top teams in the nation, the ACC was already considered the top field hockey conference in the nation. The addition of the Eagles makes that title even harder to argue with.
"Adding BC to the conference is fantastic for the league," said Meharg. "It's great to have a more regional representation of ACC hockey. Boston College plays a tough brand of hockey and we're looking forward to having them join the ACC."
While in Massachusetts, the Terps will take advantage of battling 2004 Ivy League Champion Harvard on Sept. 18, before heading back home to begin a four-game homestand.
The homestand starts with the Terrapins hosting its second Ivy League opponent in Pennsylvania on Sept. 21. The teams have a long history but have not played since 1998.
Crucial back-to-back matches finds the Terps battling three-time NCAA Champion Wake Forest on Sept. 24 and ACC-foe Virginia on Oct. 1. The home stretch ends with Rutgers visiting the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex on Oct. 2.
A game in Durham, N.C., on Oct. 8 could be filled with drama. The Terps swept NCAA semifinalist Duke last season and the Blue Devils will be looking for revenge.
Games against Princeton, ODU and Delaware from Oct. 11-16 close out the regular-season home slate before the Terps hit the road for its final ACC contest at North Carolina on Oct. 23.
Maryland ends the regular season on Oct. 26, visiting American for the first time since 1993. Last season, AU picked up its first-ever victory in the 30-year series, but the Terps avenged that loss, topping the Eagles in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to advance to the semifinals.
With the addition of the BC, ACC squads will be competing for the league's first-ever automatic qualification into the NCAA Tournament at the annual conference championship which will be hosted in College Park in what will mark the completion of Phase II of the state-of-the-art Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex in mid-September. The ACC Tournament could be considered an NCAA Tournament preview as at least three teams have vied for the national title since 1995, while BC has earned an NCAA Tournament berth in each of the last two years.
Sixteen of the nation's top teams will begin to compete for the national title beginning Nov. 12-13 and the Terrapins expect to be in the hunt, once again. The semifinals are slated for Nov. 18 with the championship game taking place on Nov. 20.
