Aug. 20, 2009
GREENSBORO, N.C. -
The Atlantic Coast Conference today announced the 2009 Preseason All-ACC Field Hockey Team, as voted on by the league's six head coaches, which features three members of the defending national champion Maryland Terrapins in two-time reigning ACC Offensive Player of the Year Katie O'Donnell, midfielder/defender Brianna Davies and defender Emma Thomas.
O'Donnell, a junior forward, has been named a first team All-American in each of her two seasons at Maryland. The Blue Bell, Pa., native ranked second in the nation in points (3.09) and assists (1.18) per game and eighth in goals per game (0.95) in helping the 2008 Terps to their third national title in four years.
Davies, a senior, was a third team All-American last season who led the Terp defense to the nation's 12th-best goals against average (1.27). Thomas joined the Maryland program partway through last season and went on to start 15 of 16 games since her arrival. The senior from England helped solidify the Terp defense but was also a key to the offensive attack, scoring seven goals along with an ACC Player of the Week accolade.
Maryland and North Carolina each placed a league-high three players on the 11-member Preseason All-ACC Team.
2009 Preseason All-ACC Field Hockey Team
Lauren Miller, Sr., D - Duke
Katie O'Donnell, Jr., F - Maryland
Emma Thomas, Sr., D - Maryland
Brianna Davies, Sr., MF/D - Maryland
Katelyn Falgowski, Jr., MF - North Carolina
Illse Davids, Sr., MF - North Carolina
Jackie Kintzer, Jr, GK - North Carolina
Michelle Vitesse, So., MF/D - Virginia
Paige Selenski, So., MF - Virginia
Raisa Schiller, Sr., MF/F - Wake Forest
Aileen Davis, Sr., MF/D - Wake Forest
ACC Announces Preseason Field Hockey Poll
Terps Picked Second in League in `09
GREENSBORO, N.C. - The Atlantic Coast Conference released the 2009 ACC Preseason Poll on Thursday, which projects the defending league and national champion Maryland Terrapins to finish in second place.
Maryland claimed the 2008 ACC regular-season and tournament titles en route to its third national championship in four years. The Terps have won seven ACC Tournament titles, including four this decade.
The Terps received one first-place vote for 20 points overall. The voting, conducted by the league's six head coaches, resulted in the University of Virginia getting the preseason No. 1 spot. The Cavaliers are slated to finish in first place after receiving four first-place votes and 23 overall points.
Maryland, 22-2 overall and 4-1 in the ACC in 2008, dropped its lone conference contest last season to Duke - which is predicted to finish in sixth place. North Carolina tied Maryland at second with Wake Forest and Boston College following at No. 4 and 5, respectively.
2009 ACC Preseason Field Hockey Poll
First place votes in parentheses followed by overall points
1) Virginia (4) - 23 points
2) Maryland (1) - 20 points
2) North Carolina (1) - 20 points
4) Wake Forest - 13 points
5) Boston College - 8 points
6) Duke - 6 points
Maryland will begin its quest for back-to-back national crowns with an appearance in Northwestern's Wildcat Classic in Evanston, Ill. The Terps will face the Mid-American Conference's Ohio Bobcats in the season-opener on Aug. 28 at 3 p.m. ET.
