Terrapin field hockey midfielder Alexis Pappas’ last trip to Chapel Hill, N.C., is crystallized in her memory.
Two years ago , the Terps and North Carolina Tar Heels faced each other in a situation nearly identical to the one that will play out tomorrow: the top two teams in the nation, both undefeated, squaring off for the top seeds in the ACC and NCAA Tournaments. Only their rankings were swapped, with the Terps at No. 2 and the Tar Heels the top dogs.
The Terps lost 3-0, snapping a 20-game winning streak extending to the previous season, and the year fell apart after that. They fell in three of their last five matches, including early postseason exits in the ACC Tournament semifinals and NCAA quarterfinals, while North Carolina rolled on to take the conference and national titles.
“I’m trying not to think about it,” Pappas said. “But I think that it’s going to make us even more excited to come out and prove we can have a 17-0 season.”
And she is sure of one thing about this weekend’s game between the No. 1 Terps (16-0, 4-0 ACC) and No. 2 Tar Heels: “It’s going to be a bloodbath.”
Though Pappas said that lightheartedly, that seems to be the expectation on both sides of the battle of field hockey titans.
“It’s ACC hockey at its finest,” North Carolina coach Karen Shelton said. “And I think it will be a wide open match. Both teams play a very solid brand of field hockey.”
In reaching this pivotal game, the two teams have paralleled not only their 2007 seasons but also each other. The Terps and Tar Heels (15-0, 4-0) are the only teams remaining in the country that have beat all their opponents, often by big margins , even in the NCAA’s toughest conference .
But both have survived close calls recently, including overtime games. The Terps went into extra minutes two weeks ago against Princeton, and North Carolina did it last weekend against Virginia.
Both possess powerful offenses, with the highest assists, points and goals per game averages and the highest scoring margins in the nation. The Terps, though, have the slight statistical edge thanks to a deeper attack, which claims four scorers in the double digits .
The Terps and the Tar Heels have each succeeded in scoring on many penalty corner plays, though both have struggled recently. But the Terps got over their slump in two big wins last weekend against Old Dominion and Delaware.
On defense, however, North Carolina has the edge. Goalies Jackie Kintzer and Brianna O’Donnell have excelled. After an injury to Kintzer, the original starter, earlier this season, both shared time in the cage. They allow an average of 0.26 goals per game for the year, the lowest in the NCAA. The Terps should expect to see Kintzer, who played the entirety of the last two games.
“When it comes to putting ourselves in position to repeat as champions or to be in position to be champions, you’ve got to play the best,” Terp coach Missy Meharg said.
The Terps won the most recent matchup between the two rivals 7-0 last year in College Park, but they are not getting cocky. Both teams insist they will focus on just this match, but tournament implications are hard to ignore.
“A No. 1 seed in the ACC tournament is at stake,” Shelton said. “NCAA seeding is at stake. And the way things are going, this may not be the only time we face Maryland this season. But we’re just trying to keep it in perspective.”
But the Terps are determined to ensure it won’t end the same way as their last Chapel Hill road trip.
“They’re the ones chasing us now,” back Alicia Morawski said. “There’s always someone chasing you, and you need that to give you that extra push. Having someone at your heels gives you that extra motivation to keep pushing yourself and beat them the next time around.”
kyanchulis@umdbk.com
