COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The Maryland field hockey team will face off against the toughest competition in the country in 2016, as the Big Ten champion Terrapins released their schedule for the upcoming season Monday.
The Terps will take on seven of the other 15 teams from last year's NCAA Tournament and eight teams in the final Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I Coaches poll from last season.
Maryland will host national semifinalist Connecticut, Virginia, Michigan and Indiana in College Park. The Terrapins will take on the 2015 NCAA Champion Syracuse, Duke, Boston College, Princeton and Northwestern away from the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex.
The Terps will open the season with the Conference Cup at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia, Pa. Maryland will play the tournament-host Hawks on Friday, Aug. 26, then will take on Syracuse on Sunday, Aug. 28.
“We enjoy opening the season in the Pennsylvania region,” head coach Missy Meharg said. “Many of our players and staff live nearby and the hockey fan base is so enthusiastic. This environment makes opening weekend very exciting. St. Joseph's is a great program with an excellent playing surface and no better early opportunity than to compete with the reigning NCAA Champions Syracuse.”
The Terrapins will return to the Spooky Nook Sports Complex in Lancaster, Pa. Labor Day weekend for the 2nd Annual Big Ten/ACC Cup. They will take on Duke and Boston College Sept 4 and 6, respectively.
“Every contest between Big Ten and ACC teams makes for a top-level NCAA hockey game,” Meharg said.
Maryland will open its home slate with the Terrapin Invitational Sept. 10-11. The Terps will take on California on Saturday, Sept. 10, with American and Fairfield playing in the second game of the day. The winning teams will meet Sunday and the third place game will be played Sunday as well.
The Indiana Hoosiers will travel to College Park to open Big Ten play Sept. 17. The following week, the Terps will open a three-game road swing with a midweek matchup at Princeton Sept. 20, then will travel to Iowa and Northwestern the following weekend.
Maryland will close the month of September with a home matchup vs. Michigan, followed by contests in College Park with Old Dominion and Michigan State.
The Terps will travel to Ohio State and Penn State the weekend of Oct 14-16, then will close the regular season with a three-game homestand. The Terrapins will welcome Connecticut and Virginia the weekend of Oct. 23-25 and will host Rutgers for Senior Day on Oct. 29.
“Connecticut head coach Nancy Stevens and I have been working for years to schedule a regular season matchup,” Meharg said. “We have such high regard for their program and welcome the Huskies to College Park Sunday Oct. 23. With Virginia and Old Dominion traveling to College Park, coupled with our trip to Princeton, our 2016 schedule showcases the top NCAA top teams in the country.”
Maryland will host the 2016 Big Ten Tournament Nov. 3-6 at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex.
“Big Ten field hockey is on the move,” Meharg said. “It's an exciting time for our talent base, as MAX Field Hockey recently reported that 16 of the top 50 2016 freshmen will study and compete for Big Ten universities. It is an honor to be a part of such a comprehensive player-oriented NCAA sports league.”
| 2016 Schedule |
| |
Conference Cup (Philadelphia, Pa.) |
|
| Aug. 26 |
Temple vs. Syracuse |
1:00 |
| |
Maryland at St. Joseph's |
4:00 |
| Aug. 28 |
Maryland vs. Syracuse |
Noon |
| |
St. Joseph's vs. Temple |
3:00 |
| |
Big Ten/ACC Cup (Lancaster, Pa.) |
|
| Sept. 2 |
Northwestern vs. Boston College |
4:00 |
| |
Maryland vs. Duke |
7:00 |
| Sept. 4 |
Northwestern vs. Duke |
11:00 |
| |
Maryland vs. Boston College |
2:00 |
| |
Terrapin Invitational (College Park, Md.) |
|
| Sept. 10 |
California |
11:00 |
| |
American vs. Fairfield |
1:00 |
| Sept. 11 |
Third Place Game |
Noon |
| |
Final |
2:00 |
| Sept. 17 |
Indiana* |
1:00 |
| Sept. 20 |
at Princeton |
6:00 |
| Sept. 23 |
at Iowa* |
3:00 |
| Sept. 25 |
at Northwestern* |
Noon |
| Sept. 30 |
Michigan* |
6:00 |
| Oct. 4 |
Old Dominion |
5:00 |
| Oct. 7 |
Michigan State* |
6:00 |
| Oct. 14 |
at Ohio State* |
3:30 |
| Oct. 16 |
at Penn State* |
Noon |
| Oct. 23 |
Connecticut |
Noon |
| Oct. 25 |
Virginia |
4:00 |
| Oct. 29 |
Rutgers* |
1:00 |
| Nov. 3-6 |
Big Ten Tournament (College Park, Md.) |
|
| Nov. 12-13 |
NCAA First and Second Rounds |
|
| Nov. 18-20 |
NCAA Championships (Norfolk, Va.) |
|
| |
Home games in bold |
|
- Terps -
