The NCAA field hockey logo was stenciled on the turf at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex over the weekend.
Six white tents have been added on the bench sideline to accommodate extra teams and media members, banners depicting great moments in NCAA Field Hockey Championship history have been hung outside the team house and additional seating has been added to increase the complex’s capacity to about 3,000.
The bottom boards of the goals have even been painted, the Terrapin red replaced with NCAA blue, making the complex ready for next weekend’s NCAA field hockey final four, according to Assistant Athletics Director Ryan Bowles.
“I’m really excited to see it filled up,” junior forward Sarah Scholl said, gazing at the new-look complex last night.
Scholl is in luck because the Terps will get four opportunities to play at home in the NCAA Tournament if they can advance to the national championship game.
The No. 2-seeded Terps begin their quest for a third-straight national title tomorrow against Old Dominion at 11 a.m. Penn State and Virginia take the field at 2 p.m., with the winners meeting in the second round Sunday at 2 p.m.
Coach Missy Meharg said the Terps know hosting the final four won’t help them if they can’t get through the tournament’s opening weekend.
“I think, obviously, it is only as much of an advantage as we make it,” Meharg said. “To make it the most advantage is to take this 10-day journey as one day at a time.”
Coming into the season, the Terps knew they’d be hosting the final four for the first time in program history, but they needed to earn the opportunity to host the first two games of the tournament by gaining one of the tournament’s top four seeds.
Meharg called hosting the final four an opportunity for the state and region and an honor for everyone associated with the program. She said hosting the first two rounds was more impressive because it shows her team’s hard work.
The Terps went 12-0 at home in the regular season, going undefeated for the first time since 1999. This includes a 4-1 win over first round foe Old Dominion on Oct. 12 and a shut-out victory against possible second-round opponent Virginia on Sept. 29.
Scholl said playing at home is not always the ultimate advantage, as the Terps showed by beating home-standing Wake Forest in last season’s title game, but it does provide a psychological edge.
“I think it’s just more of a comforting effect when you get on the field to be like, ‘This is my home. Protect this house,'” Scholl said.
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