April 3, 2002
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
Terrapins Host No. 1 Georgetown in Championship Rematch
- The University of Maryland women's lacrosse team will face its stiffest test to date as it will play host to the top-ranked Georgetown Hoyas on Wednesday at Ludwig Field. Later in the week, the Terrapins will head to Harrisonburg, Va., for a meeting with James Madison University.
- The Terps return to their winning ways hit a speedbump last week as they fell in a hard-fought game in the rain versus Ohio State. The 12-11 defeat was their first after winning five games in a row, a stretch that saw them seem to overcome a tough early season. After the loss, Maryland now stands at 6-4 overall (0-3 ACC) and is ranked ninth nationally by the IWLCA.
- The loss to Ohio State was the Terrapins' first since 1997 versus non-conference competition. The '97 loss was to Loyola and the undefeated streak lasted a sum of 78 consecutive games.
- Maryland entered 2002 as the seven-time defending national champion and the winningest team in the history of women's lacrosse. The Terps were a perfect 23-0 a year ago, winning the ACC and national title in the process while winning more games than any team ever in a single season.
- This week's game with Georgetown is a rematch of the thrilling 14-13 double overtime win versus the Hoyas in the 2001 championship game. In that game, Georgetown overcame an 8-1 first half lead by the Terrapins only to see Allison Comito score the game winner with eight seconds remaining in the second overtime frame.
By the Skin of their Teeth
- Maryland has lost four games, its most since 1989, but there have been plenty of positives to point to in spite of that fact.
- In their four losses, the Terps have lost by a combined five goals. That's one two-goal and three one-goal losses and three of the four losses have come to top 10 opponents.
- That the Terrapins have been unable to pull out some close games may just be a simple sign of their age. In its last game, Maryland started six underclassmen (four freshman and two sophomores) while another six saw action in the game. By comparison, only three underclassmen (Kelly Coppedge, Sonia Judd, Alexis Venechanos) earned starts at any point a year ago and a total of just five saw playing time in more than 10 games.
Maryland Coach Cindy Timchal
- Head coach Cindy Timchal is in her 12th season at the helm of the Maryland women's lacrosse program in 2001. In her 11-plus years, she has established one of the most dominant teams in all of collegiate athletics as the Terrapins are 198-16 (.925) under her guidance, have earned 11 NCAA Tournament bids and have taken the crown eight times.
- Timchal was selected as the '01 ACC Coach of the Year, her third time earning the honor. She has been chosen as National Coach of the Year twice and has coached 36 Terrapins to All-American status.
- Now in her 21st season of coaching collegiate athletics overall, Timchal got her start at Northwestern where she led the Wildcats to the NCAA tournament five times in nine years. Her overall record (Maryland and Northwestern) currently stands at 274-56 (.830).
- With the Terps' win in the 2001 title game, Timchal became the winningest coach in the history of women's collegiate lacrosse. With the Terrapins' win over Princeton in the semifinals, she tied the record of William Smith's Pat Genovese, who led all coaches with 267 wins. With Maryland's win in the title game, Timchal moved to 268 wins for her career.
- Timchal is assisted by Gary Gait and Cathy Nelson. Gait is one of the most innovative minds in all of lacrosse coaching and widely held as one of the sports greatest players of all time. A 1991 graduate of Syracuse and three-time All-American, he still plays professionally and on the World Cup circuit. Nelson was an outstanding player in her own right as she was a two-time All-American at Maryland and the tournament MVP in the Terps' run to the 1998 national title.
Timchal's Year-by-Year at Maryland
1991 NCAA Runners-up 14-3
1992 NCAA Champions 14-1
1993 NCAA Semifinalists 12-2
1994 NCAA Runners-Up 13-1
1995 NCAA Champions 17-0
1996 NCAA Champions 19-0
1997 NCAA Champions 21-1
1998 NCAA Champions 18-3
1990 NCAA Champions 21-0
2000 NCAA Champions 21-1
2001 NCAA Champions 23-0
2002 6-4
11+ Seasons @ Md. 198-16 (.925)
Non-Conference Success
- Maryland's loss to Ohio State marked its first against non-conference competition since 1997, a span of 78-straight games.
- The Terps will look to rekindle their strong play against non-conference foes this week. In all of Cindy Timchal's 11-plus seasons at Maryland, the Terrapins have lost just six times to non-ACC schools.
New Look Terps
- After losing eight starters to graduation from last year's NCAA championship team, pundits knew that Maryland would have some fresh faces in the lineup. A look at who has played as the team approaches the season's midpoint would suggest that the Terps' best games are ahead of them.
- Through 10 games, Maryland has had nine freshman see action with four (Annie Collins, Kristie Leggio, Greta Sommers, Acacia Walker) appearing as permanent fixtures in the starting lineup.
- By comparison, only one Terp freshman (Kelly Coppedge) started at any point last season and only one other (Molly Lambert) saw action in 10 games or more.
- Of Maryland's top seven scorers this year, four are underclassmen.
Scoring Streaks
- Recently departed All-Americans Jen Adams and Quinn Carney finished their careers with amazing scoring streaks, streaks that lasted almost the length of their collegiate careers. Adams scored in each of her last 78 games as a Terp while Carney finished her career with a 73-game streak.
- This season, All-American candidate Courtney Hobbs has the longest running streak as she has scored at least a point in each of the last 37 games. Her last game without a point came against Loyola on April 29, 2000.
- Due to the loss of many key players from last year's team, only one other player has a significant streak in tact. Kelly Coppedge scored in the two championship games of a year ago as well as the first 10 games of 2002, leaving her with a 12-game streak.
Hobbs Up for the Tewaaraton
- Prior to the 2002 season, 12 nominees were named for this year's Tewaaraton Trophy, an award which recognizes each the best male and female in collegiate lacrosse. The first annual award was presented a year ago to Maryland's Jen Adams. This season, the Terrapins are hoping to have another native Australian capture the award as senior Courtney Hobbs was named one of the 12 nominees.
- Hobbs, a senior from West Lakes, South Australia, is the leading returning scorer on this year's Terrapin team. Hobbs will be a featured player in the offensive attack and should post career numbers with more touches this season.
World Cup Terps
- The 2001 International Federation of Women's Lacrosse Associations' World Cup was played in High Wycombe, England, but that didn't stop the event from having a distinctive Maryland stamp.
- At the championships, which were won by the United States, a total of 14 former and current Terrapin lacrosse players represented their respective countries. The U.S. team featured eight Terps among its 16 players including Kelly Amonte-Hiller (1996), Erin Brown (1990), Quinn Carney (2001), Randall Flynn (1997), Christie Jenkins (2000), Kristin Sommar (2000), Michele Uhlfelder (1991) and Jess Wilk (1990). In addition, five members of the Australian national team can claim they played at Maryland. Among them were current Terp Courtney Hobbs and former players Jen Adams (2001), Trish Adams, Sarah Forbes (1997) and Sascha Newmarch (1998). Finally, the newest member of this year's team, Laura Warren, was a starting attacker for the Welsh team.
10th Anniversary for Timchal
- Last year marked the 20-year anniversary of Maryland's first-ever national championship, the AIAW title of 1981. (The AIAW was the forerunner to the NCAA for competition in women's collegiate athletics). This season marks another milestone, especially for head coach Cindy Timchal, as the 2002 season marks the 10-year anniversary of the Terps' first national title under Timchal.
- The 1992 Terrapins went 14-1 and started a run of championships that is nearly unparalleled in sports. Since the NCAA win in '92, Maryland has run off eight championships in 10 years, missing only in the 1992 and 1993 seasons.
- Maryland has won the national championship in eight-of-11 of Timchal's years at the helm and finished worse than second only once (NCAA semifinalists in 1993).
Captains
- The captains of this year's Maryland team are seniors Meredith Egan and Courtney Hobbs. The pair were chosen after a vote was conducted by their teammates as representatives of this year's squad.
Scouting the Hoyas
- Georgetown enters this Wednesday's game with a 7-0 record and a No. 1 national ranking. The Hoyas most recently beat Rutgers after running off three-straight wins on the road, with an 8-7 win over Duke among them.
- The Hoyas are led by head coach Kim Simons (Princeton, '94) who is in her seventh year with the program. The start to this season is thus far her best in D.C. and comes on the heels of the team's appearance in last year's national title game. Her overall record at Georgetown is 60-29.
- Georgetown has gotten it done this year for the most part with strong defense. The Hoyas have held all but one of its opponents this season under double-digit goals. Princeton is the lone team which scored more than 10 as it found the net 13 times against GU.
- Series Info: Maryland has never lost in the 11-game series with Georgetown. Last year's 14-13 double overtime win by the Terps in the national championship game was the closest game between the two teams.
Scouting the Dukes
- James Madison entered this week with a 6-5 record. The 18th-ranked Dukes have won three of their last four games, however, after starting the season 3-4.
- Head coach Jennifer Ulehla is in her eighth season at James Madison. The 1991 Maryland graduate owns a 88-51 record in her tenure in Harrisonburg. As a Terp, she was a two-time All-American ('90 and '91) and a part of a pair of NCAA runner-up teams during those years. She also captained Maryland's field hockey team in 1990.
- The Dukes have been led in scoring this year by Gail Decker who has scored 34 points (27 goals, seven assists) through 11 games. McNevin Molloy is the team's career leading scorer with 106 points and her 30 points this season is second-best on the team.
- JMU has faced two common opponents of the Terrapins so far this year. It lost to Penn State, 11-10, in game two of the season before beating Old Dominion, 9-8, on March 13..
- Series Info: The Terps and Dukes have met every year since 1974 (the first year of lacrosse at Maryland) and the Terps own a 36-2 lead in the series. The last game between the two schools was an 11-9 Maryland win in the NCAA Quarterfinals a year ago.
Seventh Heaven
- Last year's NCAA Tournament signified Maryland's successful run at a seventh straight NCAA title and the school's 10th national championship overall. The Terrapins' current streak of championships began in 1995 and their overall list of titles includes the 1981 (AIAW), '86 and '92 seasons as well.
- The Terrapins seven consecutive titles is the longest string of any Division I women's team in the nation. Their seventh title matched the feat of John Wooden's UCLA Bruins from 1967-73. The longest current Division I streak is held by the Arkansas men's track team which has run off 12 consecutive NCAA Championships.
- The Terps' trip to last year's Final Four was their 12th-in-a-row. In addition, they have now played in the championship game 11 out of the last 12 years.
- Starting defender Megan Kelly has four NCAA championships and six ACC championships under her belt in her three-year career as a Terp. The Maryland native moonlights on the Terrapin field hockey team that won the 1998, '99 and 2001 ACC championships and was crowned the 1999 NCAA champions. Kelly was also part of the Terp squad that won the 1999, 2000 and 2001 NCAA women's lacrosse championships, as well as the 1999, 2000 and 2001 ACC women's lacrosse championships.
2001 Perfection
- With their season-ending wins at Dartmouth and Harvard, the Terrapins finished the 2001 regular season undefeated, marking just the sixth time in school history that a UM team finished its regular season without a blemish. In addition to the '95, '96 and '99 teams, the 1980 and 1994 teams went undefeated before losing the final games of their respective seasons. The 1984 team went without a loss in the regular season, but had a tie along the way before losing in the NCAA finals.
- After running the table in the NCAA Tournament, the Terps successfully nailed down their second undefeated season (including the NCAAs) in the last three years. That feat was accomplished for just the fourth time in school history joining the teams from 1995, 1996 and 1999.
