COLLEGE PARK, MD -- The 2022 Big Ten Champion Maryland field hockey program will welcome two experienced student-athletes to the roster for the fall 2023 season. Sammy Popper (Princeton / Blue Bell, Pa.) and Ashlyn Carr (Delaware / Delmar, Del.) will join the Terrapins for their final year of eligibility, Head Coach Missy Meharg and her staff announced Monday.

"Sammy and Ashlyn together bring experience, maturity and depth to our midfield and attack units, stated Meharg." 

Popper comes to Maryland after four years and three seasons at Princeton, tallying 28 goals with 13 assists over her career. She was named to the All-Ivy League First Team in both 2019 and 2022 after recording 20-plus points in both seasons. 

"I committed to Maryland because I could not think of a better place to take advantage of the opportunity to play the season I lost during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Popper." "I am really looking forward to experiencing Maryland, the Big Ten culture and joining the Terps this fall." 

"Having heavily recruited Sammy Popper out of high school, it is exciting she will earn a Maryland graduate degree while competing in her final NCAA season, said Meharg." "Sammy is all-attack, her quick hands in tight space and wide range of shots make her lethal on offense. Her passion for the game is contagious, and she will fit well with our team culture." 

The former NFHCA All-Mid Atlantic Regional First Team selection and Ivy League Rookie of the Year, Popper has been a versatile player on the forward line scoring nine or more goals in every season of her collegiate career. During her graduate season, Popper will attend the prestigious Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech).

Carr joins the Terps from Delaware after playing a key role in the Blue Hens' four straight CAA Championships. A proven winner, Carr started all four seasons of her college career, recording 20 goals and 35 assists.

"I committed to Maryland because I connected instantly with the coaches and players, said Carr." "I really enjoy the team dynamics and I'm excited to get the opportunity to play for competitive championships while I am at Maryland." 

"Ashlyn is fit, fast, fierce, and thrives in transition, said Meharg." "All winning teams possess the heartbeat connector in the midfield and this is Ashlyn Carr. She is trained at winning Championships after four at Delmar High School and four CAA Championships at Delaware." 

The 2022 CAA Tournament MVP and an NFHCA All-Mid Atlantic Regional First Team honoree, Carr finished second in the conference with 14 assists on the year. Carr, who was named an NFHCA National Academic Squad member will attend Maryland in the universities special education graduate program.