Aug. 6, 1997
Road to Greensboro Begins with Terps' Women Ranked 7th Nationally
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Buoyed to two consecutive NCAA Tournament quarterfinal appearances, the University of Maryland was today ranked seventh in the pre-season NCAA Division I women's soccer poll released by the National Soccer Coaches Association/Umbro.
Maryland won a school record 19 games in 1996 and returns eight starters for what is the most anticipated season in the program's history. Juniors Emmy Harbo and Keri Sarver, the top two leading scorers in school history return to lead the Terps who defeated both James Madison and San Diego before losing the eventual national runner-up Notre Dame in the NCAA Quarterfinals. Maryland finished with a program best 19-5-2 record which included a 14 game winning streak and a 16-game unbeaten streak to begin the season.
The Terps finished the 1997 ranked eighth in the NSCAA/Umbro poll.
Defending National Champion North Carolina is ranked No. 1 in the poll followed by Notre Dame, Portland and Connecticut. North Carolina defeated Notre Dame, 1-0, in last season's national championship game.
The 1997 Division I NCAA semifinals and finals will be held at the North Carolina Greensboro Soccer Stadium December 5 and 7, capping a 32-team national tournament that begins the weekend of November 15. Selections for the tournament will be announced November 11.
With less than four months remaining before the national semifinals, slightly less than 3,000 tickets remain to be sold to the general public. The UNCG Soccer Stadium will seat 9,089 for the event.
Maryland opens its season as it plays host to Wright State on September 1. The Terps will also play host to the inaugural Maryland/Puma Tournament including Penn, Wake Forest and Loyola (Md.). The Terps will play host to defending national champion North Carolina on October 10 and play national semifinalist Santa Clara at George Mason University on October 3.
1. North Carolina 14. Vanderbilt
2. Notre Dame 15. Massachusetts
3. Portland 16. Duke
4. Connecticut 17. Florida
5. Santa Clara 18. George Mason
6. Nebraska 19. William & Mary
7. MARYLAND 20. Clemson
8. Penn State 21. UNC Greensboro
Texas A&M Kentucky
10. Wisconsin 23. Wake Forest
11. Virginia 24. Stanford
12. Harvard 25. Minnesota
