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| Wednesday, August 23 Five field hockey teams to watch in 2000 ESPN.com |
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Here's a look at five teams with high expectations in 2000 (in alphabetical order):
CONNECTICUT The Huskies opened the season with 23 consecutive wins. But what looked to be shaping up as a dream season ended with Connecticut's first loss of the season, 4-3 to Michigan in the NCAA semifinals, which the Huskies had reached for the second straight year.
The Huskies, however, have won the past two Big East titles, and based on a preseason vote by the league's coaches, face some high expectations and are favored to threepeat. Replacing seven seniors -- including All-Americans Danielle Vile, a four-year starter in goal, and sweeper Nicole Castonguay -- might be the biggest challenge, and will cause coach Nancy Stevens to tweak her lineup. Senior All-American Katie Stephens, who netted 12 goals and added seven assists as a midfielder in 1999, most likely will be moved to the back line. Stephens, who has started 69 of 70 games while at UConn, was named the preseason Big East Defensive Player of the Year in a vote by the league coaches. The schedule is one of the season's toughest as the Huskies face eight of the top 20 teams from the final 1999 rankings, and six teams that participated in the last season's NCAA Tournament. Players to watch: Senior forward Laura Klein, last season's Big East Offensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-American, returns after a 17-goal, 16-assist performance in 1999. She and fellow front line player Amy Herz, another All-American, combined for 79 points last season. Herz, a senior, netted 11 goals and added seven assists in 1999. Junior Megan Ware, who started every game last season, is another player to watch, as are junior Alana Linick (1.17 GAA in three games in 1999), redshirt freshman Maureen Butler and sophomore Pam Berchtold, who will vie for time in the net. Telling stat: UConn's 23-1 record in 1999 set a new Big East record for wins in a season.
Last season: 24-1 overall, 4-0 in ACC Final 1999 ranking: No. 1 Opener: Aug. 26 vs. Connecticut The reigning NCAA champion Terps graduated two players, but the entire starting lineup returns to defend their national title and try to build on a school-record 22-game winning streak. The Terps, who won a school-record 24 games last season, haven't lost since dropping their third game of 1999, 5-3 at Old Dominion on Sept. 6. Last season, Maryland went on to post a 14-0 record at home and win the ACC regular-season and tournament titles as six players scored at least 11 goals. Maryland outscored its foes 127 to 27, notching 10 shutouts and posting a 1.04 goals against average. Last season's Dita/NFHCA Coach of the Year, Missy Meharg, enters the season with a 188-68-9 (.726 winning percentage) career coaching record after 12 seasons, and is just one of four coaches to win multiple NCAA titles. Players to watch: Although Caroline Walter led Maryland with 24 goals and teammate Rachel Hiskins led the Terps in overall scoring (18 goals, 31 assists, 67 points), Carla Tagliente is the main focus of the team. An All-American on the field and in the classroom (the mechanical engineering major boasts a 3.97 GPA), Tagliente ranked third on team in scoring with 18 goals and 19 assists (57 points) in 1999 while leading the Terps with five game-winning goals and four goals in the postseason. Tagliente also has been part of the U.S. national team pool since 1997. Others to keep an eye on include Carissa Messimer, who scored 14 goals in 1999, including one in each of Maryland's final three games of the season and the game-winner in the NCAA title game; Keli Smith, who scored three goals in the final five games; and goalkeeper Ashley Hohnstine, who started 19 games and posted a 0.66 GAA. Junior midfielder Carol Senkler and freshmen Catherine Rogers also are youth national team pool players. Telling stat: The fit and determined Terps can gut it out and come through in the clutch. After beating Wake Forest 2-1 in overtime in the ACC tournament final, they beat Old Dominion 3-2 in overtime in last season's NCAA second-round match. Five days later, Maryland beat Iowa 2-1 in double-overtime in the semifinals.
Last season: 20-7 overall, 7-3 in Big Ten (third) Final 1999 ranking: No. 2 Opener: Aug. 26 at Maine Last season was a banner year for Michigan. In addition to making its first Final Four appearance, the Wolverines also scored upsets over the second- and third-ranked teams in the country to reach its first NCAA title game. Along the way, Michigan ended the nation's longest winning streak -- beating previously unbeaten Connecticut, which was 23-0 -- in the semifinals -- and overcame a double-overtime quarterfinal match (3-2 win over No. 3 Wake Forest) before losing to Maryland 2-1 in the final. The Wolverines look to start this season on another high note. In addition to returning nine of 11 starters from last season's team, Michigan's top three scorers from 1999 also are back. Defense, however, might be suspect. The Wolverines need to replace defender Ashley Reichenbach, last season's Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year who also earned All-American honors as team co-captain in 1999. Also, goalkeeper Kati Oakes opted not to return for her fifth year of eligibility. In 1,690 minutes last season, Oakes posted a 1.65 GAA. Her backup, Maureen Tasch, logged just 239 minutes. Players to watch: Senior forward Kelli Gannon returns after leading the Wolverines in scoring (17 goals, eight assists) and game-winning goals (five) last season. Gannon's 42 points ranked fourth as the highest single-season total in Wolverine history. Gannon, whose sister, Kristi, is a highly recruited freshman at Michigan, also became the just third Michigan player to be named to the AstroTurf/NFHCA All-America first team. Senior midfielder Courtney Reid also is back. Michigan's second-leading scorer last season after a nine-goal, 22-assist performance, Reid also earned a spot on the West Regional All-America first team. Forward Jessica Rose (eight goals, four assists), last season's third-leading scorer, also is back after a strong freshman season. Telling stat: While Michigan scored 75 goals in 1999, it also allowed 42 and notched just four shutouts.
Last season: 16-6 overall, 2-2 in ACC Final 1999 ranking: No. 7 Opener: Aug. 26 vs. Duke After winning three consecutive NCAA titles from 1995 to 1997, North Carolina has failed to reach the Final Four -- let alone win the ACC title -- in either of the past two seasons. But with five seniors -- who were freshmen on the 1997 NCAA championship team -- returning, the wait might be over. A tough schedule -- 14 of the 19 games are against teams that finished 1999 ranked 11th or higher -- will tell it all for the Tar Heels, whose matchups include defending NCAA champion Maryland (Oct. 22), NCAA runner-up Michigan (Sept. 3 and Oct. 3) and Old Dominion (Sept. 16). "We're playing the toughest schedule in the country, no question," 20-year coach Karen Shelton said. Players to watch: Seniors Jana Toepel, a two-time All-American, and Kristen McCann, both have spent time with the U.S. national team. The speedy McCann was UNC's second-leading scorer last season with 14 goals. Toepel will move from the sweeper position to the midfield, where she'll be expected to add some offensive firepower. Switching places with Toepel is last season's top goal scorer, junior Abby Martin (15 goals), who drops back from the midfield to play sweeper. Meredith Keller, who started all 22 games last season en route to being named the ACC Rookie of the Year, and junior Carrie Lingo, an All-ACC pick, also help anchor the midfield. Junior forward Abbey Woolley, who also has been active in the U.S. national team program, is a playmaker to keep an eye on after dishing out 11 assists last season in 13 games before a season-ending head injury. Telling stat: North Carolina averaged just 2.6 goals per game last season. The Tar Heels scored 57 goals on the season, allowing 23 from opponents.
OLD DOMINION Although Old Dominion's 1999 season ended with a 3-2 overtime loss to Maryland in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the Lady Monarchs were the only team to beat 1999 NCAA champion Maryland (5-3 at home). Most of the talent returns, save two players lost to graduation, and Old Dominion also returns leading scorer Marina DiGiacomo -- who scored 40 goals last season -- and three other players who tallied at least eight goals. Defense is equally strong. The Lady Monarchs scored 101 goals, allowing just 36 and posting eight shutouts. The season opener should be interesting: Penn State handed Old Dominion its worst loss of 1999, a 5-1 defeat five games into the season that was the first of three consecutive ODU losses. Players to watch: DiGiacomo, a senior forward, earned AstroTurf/NFHCA All-Ameica first-team honors last season. She also is a three-time CAA Player of the Year winner, and scored seven goals in the 1999 two-game CAA postseason tournament. Over three seasons, she has amassed 104 goals (ranks seventh all-time in the NCAA) and 55 assists (263 points). Sophomore Mary Beth Freeman, a 5-foot-9 goalkeeper, made 105 saves last season and had a 1.41 GAA. Sophomore Adrienne Yoder, a third-team All-American, was the 1998 CAA co-Rookie of the Year. She netted five goals and added 12 assists in 1999. Telling stat: Back for her 19th season is coach Beth Anders, who has led Old Dominion to eight national titles and is arguably the best coach -- and easily the winningest with a 365-54-7 career record -- in the nation. |
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