Field hockey entering postseason at right time

Throughout the season, the Terrapins field hockey team has left little doubt it's one of the nation's best.

Ranked among the sport's top three teams since day one, the defending national champions boast the fifth-best offense in the game, three of the ACC's five most prolific goal scorers and a top-20 defense.

With the immense success the No. 3 Terps have had this season, it's scary to think the team believes it is only now hitting its stride.

In a season-ending road contest at Rutgers on Sunday, the Terps dominated the Scarlet Knights on both sides of the field, scoring five goals while holding their opponent to just one shot. And with the ACC Tournament beginning this afternoon in College Park, Sunday's efforts couldn't have come at a better time for the Terps.

"As a team, we're starting to peak at a great time for us," midfielder Janessa Pope said. "There's still a lot of good, quality hockey to come out of myself and I know my teammates as well."

The Terps' win over the Scarlet Knights was just one in a string of dominant performances. The team has won four of its past five games, scoring five or more goals in each of those victories. Its only loss in that stretch came by one goal in a road contest at No. 1 North Carolina.

But it hasn't just been the offense that's carried the Terps on their impressive late-season run. The team's defense has been equally stellar, allowing just five goals on 31 shots in its past five contests, with two shutouts in that span.

"That's what we've been working on all season," midfielder Megan Frazer said. "Having no penalty corners against us, having nothing like that; it's just what we want."

n DAY OFF

The Terps are guaranteed a matchup with either No. 8 Duke or Virginia in the ACC Tournament semifinals. They won't know which one, however, until less than 24 hours before the Terps take the field Friday.

Some might see that as a hindrance to a team's preparation. The Terps, on the other hand, see it as a competitive advantage.

The Terps, who enter this weekend's ACC Tournament as the No. 2 seed, won't get the benefit of practicing for a particular matchup all week and will have to prepare for all possible outcomes.

"One part of the excitement is who we're going to play, so we need to prepare for all situations," Frazer said. "We can't get all riled up about playing one opponent because we don't know who it's going to be yet."

Without the ability to game plan for one opponent, coach Missy Meharg has turned her team's attention away from today's quarterfinal matchups, forcing the Terps to focus on themselves rather than who their semifinal opposition might be.

"We know both teams very well," Meharg said. "We're more focusing on what we need to do."

CONFERENCE HONORS

Five Terps were recognized on the All-ACC team released yesterday: midfielders Jemma Buckley and Megan Frazer, defenders Harriet Tibble and Ali McEvoy and forward Jill Witmer. It's the second selection to the team for all but McEvoy.

With five players on the team, the Terps tied with the Tar Heels for the most in the conference. It also gives the Terps two more selections than they had to the preseason team, which included just Frazer, Tibble and Witmer.

North Carolina forward Kelsey Kolojejchick and defender Caitlin Van Sickle were named the ACC Field Hockey Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively.

vitale@umdbk.com