Field Hockey Opens Home Slate on Friday vs. Michigan
9/1/2005 8:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Sept. 1, 2005
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Maryland takes on a pair of non-conference opponents, hosting Michigan, who ended last season ranked in the top five, on Friday, Sept. 2 at 7 p.m. at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex, then travel to long-time rival and perrennial powerhouse Old Dominion on Sunday, Sept. 4. The Terps' clash with the Wolverines is the third game this season versus a Big Ten squad and also marks the first home game of the season. The meeting at ODU is the first game of the home-and-home series. The Lady Monarchs travel to College Park in October.
GAME NOTES
Game 4: Fri., Sept. 2 • Michigan (0-2) • 7 p.m.
Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex, College Park, Md.
Game 5: Sun., Sept. 4 • at Old Dominion (1-1) • 1 p.m.
Foreman Field, Norfolk, Va.
LAST TIME OUT
Maryland went 3-0 to open the 2005 campaign, the sixth-straight year the team has started the season with three wins.
The Terrapins opened with a 5-2 victory at Northwestern. In its final two games in Big Ten coutnry, the Terps had to come from behind to pick up a 2-1 triumph at Ohio State, then had to break a 1-1 tie in the 53rd minute, en route to a 3-1 win over Ohio in Columbus, Ohio.
TERPS IN OPENERS
Maryland has lost just three season-opening games and are 27-3-2 all-time in openers, defeating Northwestern on Aug. 27 to stretch its season-opening win streak to nine games.
The Terps have opened the season on the road every year since 2001.
A LOOK AT THE TERPS
Senior Jackie Ciconte, who was an All-American in 2003, leads the team with four goals, tallying the game-winner in two of the Terps' victories.
All-American Lauren Powley is second on the team with six points, scoring twice so far this season while dishing out a team best two assists. Seniors Meredith Long and Emily Beach, and sophomore Janneke van Leeuwen also have a couple of assists each.
In goal. junior Christina Restivo picked up two wins, sporting a 1.50 goals against average. Sophomore Kathryn Masson started against Ohio State and allowed just one tally.
IN THE RANKINGS
The first National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Top 20 ranking will be released on Tuesday, Sept. 13 and will be released every Tuesday thereafter throughout the 2005 season.
Maryland earned a No. 2 final ranking in last year's NFHCA Top 20.
ABOUT MICHIGAN
The Wolverines are looking for their first win of the season and their first against an ACC team. Heading into the weekend 0-2, Michigan fell to North Carolina, 2-0, to open 2005, allowing two second-half goals, breaking a scoreless tie at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Despite taking a 1-0 lead in the first half, the Wolverines fell to Wake Forest, 2-1, to close out the weekend. Michigan's Katie Morris scored the only goal of the weekend.
The Wolverines went 17-6 last season, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Seven starters from last year's squad return, including NFHCA third team All-American Lori Hillman. However, Michigan lost its top two scorers from last season. Morris, a juinior, was second on the team in goals last year with 18 and third in scoring with 37 points.
The Wolverines also return their top goalkeeper in Beth Riley, who played all 140 minutes last weekend. She boasted a team-best 1.32 goals against average last year.
The Wolverines are under the direction of first-year head coach Nancy Cox, who had previously served as an assistant coach at Michigan for six seasons before being named head coach.
SERIES VS. MICHIGAN
Maryland leads the all-time series, 4-1, with Michigan's only win coming in the 2001 national championship game.
ABOUT OLD DOMINION
The Lady Monarchs split their opening weekend, defeating Penn State, 3-1, but then fell to American, 3-2. Old Dominion's game vs. Maryland is the third of a four-game homestand.
ODU started the 2004 season with an uncharacterstic 3-3 record, but put together a seven-game win streak and eventually ended the year with a 13-8 record, while reaching the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Old Dominion lost just two starters, but All-American Dana Sensenig, who led the team in goals and assists, and Caroline Nichols, who was second in goals in assists, are among the returnees.
Five different Monarchs have scored this season, with Janelle Engle leading the pack with a pair of goals.
Legendary coach Beth Anders is in her 22nd season at the ODU helm. She had led the Lady Monarchs to a record nine NCAA titles.
SERIES VS. OLD DOMIMION
Maryland trails in the all-time series, 21-13-1. Last season, the team's split the regular-season series, with each team winning on its home field. The Terps thumped the Lady Monarchs, 6-0, in College Park, but ODU got revenge, winning, 2-1 in overtime, in Norfolk, Va.
Maryland has been playing a home-and-home regular-season series with Old Dominion for seven-straight years, including 2005. The Terps swept the series for the first time in 2003.
MARYLAND VS. THE BIG TEN
The Terps are 37-26-2 all-time vs. Big Ten teams, inlcuding 1-0 against Minnesota who no longer sponsors a field hockey team. Maryland has a winning record against seven of those squds and only has a losing record against Penn State, trailing in the series, 18-9-1.
FORMER TERP RIZZO REACHES MILESTONE
Former Terrapin Dina Rizzo, a volunteer assistant coach last season, earned her 50th-career cap when the U.S. National Team battled Canada in the second game of a six-game test series at the USA Field Hockey Olympic Training Center in Virginia Beach, Va.
Currently, there are three former Terrapins playing on the U.S. National Team. Aside from Rizzo, Keli Smith is a long-time veteran and Sara Silvetti was an All-ACC performer and an All-American last year.
The U.S. plays Canada until Sept. 4, as the USA continues to prepare for next year's World Cup Qualifier.
COMING UP
Maryland hosts California, Stanford and local-rival American for the annual Terrapin Invitational, Sept. 10-11. The Terps play Cal to open the tournament on Saturday, Sept. 10 at 11 a.m., followed by American and Stanford. On Sunday, Sept. 11, AU plays Cal at 1 p.m. and the Terps close out the invitational vs. Stanford following the first contest.
