After seven separate out-of-state trips this season, including an early October trip to Ann Arbor, Mich., and a five-day stay in Winston-Salem, N.C., for the ACC Tournament last week, the Terrapin field hockey team is looking forward to the comforts of home.
As the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Terps know that for the rest of the season — whether it lasts through this weekend or next — they won't have to leave the confines of College Park.
The top four seeds host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, and the Terps (19-1) play their first-round game tomorrow against Massachusetts (15-7).
But unlike North Carolina, Virginia and Big East champion Syracuse — the three other opening-weekend hosts in the 16-team field — the Terps won't have to worry about travel if they advance to the Final Four, which is being hosted at this university.
"It's pretty awesome. I've never experienced four home games in the NCAAs before," forward Katie O'Donnell said. "I'm definitely looking forward to having home-field advantage. Being away at ACCs for so long, I feel like we were at other places so often, so it's good to be back home. [Tuesday] was the first time we practiced on our own field since last Wednesday."
In addition to knowing the ins-and-outs of the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex, the Terps are also excited about the prospect of playing in front of more than 1,000 screaming fans. The team led the ACC in attendance this season for the fourth straight year, and when the Terps played then-No. 1 North Carolina on Oct. 23, a standing-room-only crowd of 1,617 packed into the stadium.
"It's always exciting to play in front of them," defender Alicia Morawski said. "It does give you a little bit more motivation just because they're here supporting you, and it's people that you know and your fellow students. You're playing for them as well."
But despite all the benefits of playing at home, coach Missy Meharg warned the team of possible distractions. The coach, in her 23rd year at the helm, told players to take care of their academic responsibilities early, so they can focus solely on the NCAA Tournament. She also warned about the extra attention players might start to receive from friends and family.
"It's comfortable. We know our place, and we protect this house," Meharg said in a speech to her team after Tuesday's selection show. "On the flip side of that are potential distractions — people wanting to get into our lives a little more than we want them in our lives right now. When we're away sometimes, it can be a little less distracting because we're holed up in a hotel."
Even with the possible diversions, Meharg said she isn't overly worried about the team's focus. After a season of preaching about looking only at the present, Meharg said players understand that to win the NCAA Tournament, they must take it game by game.
Massachusetts, which the Terps topped, 3-0, on Sept. 19, will pose the first test for the Terps. It's the first out of an eventual four games that the team will need to win to claim the program's seventh national title.
"They were difficult the last time we played them," O'Donnell said. "It's nothing to take lightly. Potentially, this is everyone's last game, so everyone's going to give it the most they can."
TERP NOTES: Morawski and O'Donnell were selected to play in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association's Senior Game, which will be played Nov. 20 in College Park.
Student tickets for tomorrow's game will cost $3 with a valid student ID.
jengelke@umdbk.com
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