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COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The two top field hockey teams in the nation battle for the ACC regular-season crown when No. 2 Maryland travels to No. 1 North Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 20. Both teams are 16-0 on the season and sit atop the league standings with a 4-0 record. The game, which is slated for 1 p.m., can be heard live on Maryland's WMUC Radio at www.wmucsports.com and can be watched on the internet on ACC Select at www.accselect.com.

In the battle of the titans, the winner of Saturday's game will also claim the top seed in the ACC Tournament, which takes place Nov. 1-4 on the campus of Boston College. The two teams are also the last remaining undefeated teams in the country and are also the only teams to be ranked No. 1 this season. Maryland opened the 2007 campaign as the top-rated team in the nation, before North Carolina took over the top spot on Sept. 11.

The two-time NCAA Champion Terps are riding a 20-game win streak, dating back to the first round of last year's NCAA Tournament, the program's longest winning streak since a 21-game tear from Oct. 16, 2005-Oct. 1, 2006. The 16-0 start to the season is also a school record. Maryland trails in the all-time series vs. UNC, 30-18, but has won the last two meetings and four of the last six.

The Terps and the Tar Heels have traditionally battled for the top spot in the league. UNC is looking for its league-record 14th ACC regular-season title, while Maryland is going for its sixth all-time, the second-most in the conference. Both teams feature a high-octane offense, with the Heels boasting the top scoring (5.11), goals per game (4.81) and assists per game (3.94) averages in the nation. The Terrapins are ranked third in the country in scoring (4.10) and goals per game (4.13), and fifth in assists per game (2.69). The teams are No. 1 and 2 in scoring margin, with UNC sporting a +4.51 margin of victory, while the Terps are outscoring its opponents by +3.36.

Maryland is led by three-time ACC Player of the Week freshman Katie O'Donnell (Blue Bell, Pa.), the only player in the league to earn the award multiple times. She leads the nation in points per game (3.00) and goals per game (1.06), while ranking third with a 0.88 assists per game average. Terrapins Susie Rowe (London, England) and Nicole Muracco (Sewell, N.J.) are also ranked among the nation's top 20 in goals per game, as both sport a 0.75 gpg. Current National and ACC Player of the Week Janneke van Leeuwen (Hilversum, Netherlands) is among the top 15 in the nation, collecting 2.00 points per game.

This game will feature more than just offense, as Maryland and North Carolina boast the top two backfields in the nation, as well. UNC claims the top team goals against average in the country at 0.60, but the Terps are not far behind with a 0.75 GAA. Anchoring the defense for Maryland is All-American goalkeeper Kathryn Masson (Richmond, British Columbia), who boasts a 0.78 GAA, behind only UNC's Brianna O'Donnell, who sports a miniscule 0.45 GAA. Masson has helped the Terrapins post seven shutouts this season, while the Heels have shut out 10 opponents.

On the sidelines, two of the best coaches in NCAA field hockey square off in what is expected to be, not just a physical battle on the field, but a chess match on the sidelines. Maryland head coach Missy Meharg is in her 20th season at the helm, winning over 340 career games. UNC head coach Karen Shelton has been in Chapel Hill for 26 years, winning over 400 games in her career.

-TERPS-