Oct. 21, 2006
Game 18
Oct. 22, 2006
#1 Terps (16-1, 3-1 ACC) vs. #7 North Carolina (11-4, 1-3 ACC)
Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex
College Park, Md.
TERPS CLOSE ACC SLATE: The ACC slate comes to a close for the reigning conference champion Maryland Terrapins, who host No. 7-ranked North Carolina on Sunday, Oct. 22. With the win, the Terps could clinch at least a tie for the regular-season conference title.
ON THE AIR: Maryland's game vs. North Carolina can be heard on the radio in College Park at 88.1 FM WMUC and on the internet at www.wmucradio.com
LAST TIME OUT: Alexis Pappas scored twice to lead the Terrapins to a 5-1 win over No. 19 American at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex. It was the second game in a row at least four Terps had scored in the game.
Senior Berber Rischen tallied the Terps' first goal of the game, before Pappas scored for the first time. Pappas' goal would turn out to be the game winner. She scored again in the beginning of the second half to kick off a three-goal outburst in the second stanza.
Goalkeepers Kathryn Masson and Alicia Grater combined for seven saves in the win.
A LOOK AT THE TERPS: Twelve Terrapins have scored at least a goal this season, led by freshman Nicole Muracco's 15 scores. She is also the team's leader with 33 points. The offense is ranked in the national top 10 in four different categories, recording the second-best scoring margin in the nation at +2.81 as of Oct. 16. The Terps also rank seventh in points per game and scoring average, and eighth in goals per game average. Also statistical rankings are announced every Tuesday. Maryland has outscored its opponents, 63-14, so far this season.
Entering the week, the Terrapin defense was ranked among the best five in the nation, ranking third. The backfield boasts an 0.82 goals against average on the strength of junior Kathryn Masson's 0.79 GAA. She ranked third in the nation in that category entering the week.
Senior Berber Rischen and junior Janneke van Leeuwen both lead the team with 10 assists, with the team ranking 11th nationally with a 2.63 assists per game average.
IN THE RANKINGS: The ACC continues to dominate the top 10 in the nation poll, with all six teams earning a top 10 rating. The Terps have been at the top of the poll all season long, followed by Wake Forest in the No. 2 slot. Duke is ranked fourth, followed by No. 6 Boston College, No. 7 North Carolina and 10th-ranked Virginia.
Five non-conference opponents are ranked in the top 20. The Terps defeated third-ranked Old Dominion twice, while also picking up wins over No. 16 James Madison, No. 18 Michigan and No. 19 American.
Princeton, Albany and Pacific are all receiving votes this week, as well.
ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA: The Tar Heels are coming into Sunday's contest with an 11-4 record. UNC is looking for just their second conference victory, carrying a 1-3 ACC mark.
North Carolina has not played in nine days, coming off a 2-1 loss at Penn State on Oct. 13. All three of its conferences losses have been by a goal, two were decided in overtime. Its only ACC win was a 4-0 victory at Boston College.
Karen Mann leads the Heels with 13 goals and 27 points, as the UNC offense boasts a 3.67 scoring average which is the sixth-best in the nation. Ten different Heels have scored at least two goals this season.
Brianna O'Donnell is fifth in the nation with a 0.813 goals against average and has been the only goalkeeper to see minutes in the cage for UNC.
SERIES VS. UNC: Maryland trails in the all-time series, 30-17, but the Terps have won seven of the last 12 meetings dating back to 1998.
MURACCO THREE-TIME ACC HONOREE: For the third time this season, freshman Nicole Muracco was selected the ACC's Player of the Week, the only player in the conference to earn the honor multiple times.
Muracco scored the game winning goals in the Terps' road victories at Princeton and Old Dominion, tallying twice against the Tigers. The goal at ODU was the only goal of the contest.
Muracco was also voted conference player of the week on Sept. 25 and Oct. 2.
BALANCED ATTACK: The Terps have 12 players who have scored goals this season. In 10 of the team's 16 wins, no Terrapin had tallied multiple goals in the game.
Maryland's balanced attached is ranked in the top 10 in four different offensive statistical categories, including ranking seventh in the nation in scoring average. Freshman Nicole Muracco is the only Terp with double-digit goals this season, leading the team with 15.
The Terrapins' scoring is up slightly from a year ago. The Terps scored 59 goals through the first 17 games of last season. This year, they have tallied 63 times.
COMING UP: Maryland closes out the regular season on Friday, Oct. 27 against Appalachian State at 7 p.m. The Terps will also celebrate the careers of seniors Kristina Edmonds, Megan Fox, Paula Infante, Berber Rischen, Christina Restivo and Emily Trycinski who will be playing in the final regular-season home games of their careers.
