COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Umterps.com sat down with field hockey head coach Missy Meharg and associate head coach/technical director Joppe de Vries for their thoughts on the 2016 Terrapins before the season opener.
The sixth-ranked Terrapins open the season Friday at Saint Joseph's at 4 p.m. at the Hawks' Ellen Ryan Field in Philadelphia. They will play No. 2 Syracuse Sunday at noon at Saint Joseph's as well.
Now that you're about three weeks in, how has preseason been going?
Missy Meharg: We're very excited about the overall fitness level the women came in with. Clearly, they've worked very hard over the summer. A lot of the women were able to play competitive hockey all summer long, which was also very exciting. Their fundamental skills were on-task for where we needed them.
We set up preseason camp for 15 days and we've had 19 training sessions. They were exceedingly vigilant in dealing with the level of humidity and heat that I don't ever remember training in. I applaud their level of fitness and mindset to train very hard in camp.
That said, we are working very hard on fundamental skills and receiving under pressure. That is a big theme that we have been working on – receiving under pressure and putting pressure on the ball.
Preseason has been a little different this year. It's been a lot of fun because we turned the facility into a 'Terrapin Village' like the Olympic Village. We ate our meals there, we watched the Olympic Games there together, we debriefed hockey, talked tactics. It was a very all-encompassing preseason camp. We all loved it. Loved getting to know each other and it was just what we needed.
Joppe de Vries: We started very broad with a lot of different skills and we're able to narrow it down right now. This is step #1 what we have to do in these training sessions we've had in the last two weeks. Then we can grow out of this and cover more. We're keeping it simple, but working on their receiving skills, their overall awareness on the field and it's been very good so far. We're on our way.
MM: One of the nice things about the size of the squad with 26 student-athletes is that we have a number of players to intra-squad scrimmage whenever we want. That's a real luxury. We've been able to do that three times now. That opportunity is really important to us.
You play one of the toughest schedules in the country this year. What is the advantage of the slate?
MM: When you're looking at a league like the Big Ten that has a variety of ranked teams, you have programs that have historically and traditionally been ranked teams and are formidable teams when it comes to strength of schedule. The few other teams are doing really well and are really closing the gap. Last year, as a group we played 14 matchups against ACC schools as a conference. This year, we have over 30. This was a goal of the Big Ten coaches group – to really make an effort to see that we are playing great teams from all over the country.
We have three ACC schools in our first two weekends and then we bring in Virginia and UConn, which is such a formidable opponent in the Big East. Our schedule is how it used to be. We've always talked about “Best of the best, Go Terps!” and that's not just players, that's not just a lifestyle, that's scheduling. We want to play the best to be the best.
JD: I'm very excited about the teams that we will play. They are well-coached teams and it's always nice to match up with those teams. We try to become a better team ourselves and I think that's the main goal to play good teams to become better yourself.
You have 10 freshmen and 11 total newcomers. How have they all adjusted so far?
MM: Phenomenally. Having Welma Luus back, even though she hasn't been with us since November, it's as if she was here yesterday. She is a dynamic leader. She's demanding. She's professional and people follow her. From an attack standpoint, having Welma is amazing.
The other new player who is older is Grace Balsdon. She is a field general. She is a leader, she loves the game, loves to compete. She is tactically very bright and she's also very patient. She's working very well over preseason with how she integrates all of the players, even though they are somewhat younger.
We couldn't be more pleased with the 10 freshmen who are here. Kelee Lepage and Madison Maguire have come in exceedingly fit, ready and will add such fantastic depth to our midfield. They will be impact players as freshmen, no question. Anouk van Asbeck will play in the backfield. She is very flexible back there. She's a ruthless competitor, she's very fit and her technical skills are very high. Sophie Pelzer is a world-class goal scorer. Maryland is very fortunate to have her on our team.
Freshmen Logan Edmondson, Noelle Frost and Emily Thomas will all redshirt for us this season.
What is the attack looking like this season?
MM: Olivia Reiter and Julie Duncan have moved into the forward position and have been very dynamic. They've worked really hard since January in terms of acceleration and deceleration and their ability to go to goal. Both of those women are going to have a big impact.
Lexi Silver is a really strong attacker. She has some work to do with her fundamental skills, but she is very much a transitional player. We use the term 'IPR' for instant positive response and she really generates that in transition on every single change of possession or every single pass. Lizzy Dessoye has been really good and consistent. She's developing as an attacker, along with Layne Litsinger and Maddy Ulery who are also developing into the attack unit.
Madison Maguire and Kelee Lepage will play on the side midfield, and they are eager and successful in the attack. They've played in a lot of high level games with their club, Xcalibur, where they player together.
We are fortunate that Lein Holsboer is able to stay as an attacking central midfielder, along with Linnea Gonzales. Both of them will be running the midfield from an attack standpoint. The younger players will be able to really work off of them. We've also got Emma Rissinger and Welma. Emma will play center forward as well as in the midfield. Sophie Pelzer will also make things happen. She's so creative and her instincts for goal opportunities are amazing.
And the midfield?
MM: You look at that midfield attacking group – Lein, Madison, Kelee, Linnea, Emma – along with our covers and screens with Carrie Hanks, Anouk van Asbeck and Brooke Adler, in no particular order. With the way we will be running, we will be doing a fair amount of rotating and all three of those women can handle a cover or a libero-type of role. Ena Belch is a defensive midfielder for us as well.
How is the defensive unit shaping up?
MM: In our backs, we have great depth with Marissa Cutry, Courtney Deena, Delaney Leathers and then Anouk and Grace. Grace will play central defense and will manage the team from that position. Carrie Hanks played in that position last year behind Sarah Sprink, so we have great depth there. Marissa Cutry has also played there as well.
How are the goalies doing this preseason?
JD: Our goalie unit with Sarah Holliday and Sarah Bates is very strong. Sarah Bates is coming back from a leg injury and is very fit to play. She is completely back and playing at 100 percent. It's a very strong goalie unit and all of them have their strength and are able to push each other. I'm sure we will be very successful with Sarah Holliday in the goal, with Sarah Bates pushing her and Noelle Frost pushing her. They're very talented and very committed to getting better every day.
MM: We're also looking at players as possible kicking backs if the opportunity comes. Courtney Deena and Kelee Lepage are our kicking backs right now.
What are you most excited for this season?
MM: You look at your season and you usually look at building into October and November, but our season really starts strong these next two weekends. These four games will help us see where we are and will set the table for our run. We've got our work cut out for us with Saint Joseph's on Friday and then Syracuse on Sunday. They are great opportunities for us.
JD: I'm just so excited about the whole schedule and the group of women we have – their mindset, their ability to work through this warm preseason. Just ready to play and ready to go.
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