Freshmen giving No. 1 field hockey unexpected boost

The top-seeded Terrapin field hockey team will head into the NCAA Tournament packed with postseason experience, with nine returning starters and national titles in three of the last four seasons.

But the freshmen contributors, while new to the postseason, bring "grr" to the Terps' game.
Freshman midfielder Megan Frazer uses that growl to describe her play, and that level of tenacity extends throughout the freshman class. So though many eyes will be on the seven senior starters as they play the last field hockey of their careers at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex, American cannot overlook the inexperienced members of the Terp lineup in the two teams' first-round matchup tomorrow.

"They are freshmen really standing out," coach Missy Meharg said. "They really want to be in position to beat these guys. They're very aggressive, very competitive, and I think it will pay off."

Frazer and back Colleen Gulick start for the Terps (20-0), and forward Janessa Pope and back Harriet Tibble earn significant time off the bench. Of the five remaining freshman, all but Christine Knauss, who is redshirting this season, have received time on the field.

Throughout the year, the Terps have made giving the freshmen playing time a priority — now it's paying dividends.

Since they began the season, new to NCAA field hockey — and, in Tibble and Frazer's cases, new to the country — the freshmen's skills have grown exponentially, Meharg said.

They have provided 19 of the team's goals, which accounts for almost 20 percent of the team's scoring, and nine assists. Of those, 11 goals and seven assists came after the start of the ACC schedule.

Frazer scored the game-winning goal in the Terps' 3-2 overtime victory against Virginia in the ACC Championship game, earning a spot on the All-ACC Tournament team.

"We've become a tougher group of girls just because of her," Alexis Pappas said. "She just brings that extra little ‘grr,' as she would say."

The depth the freshmen provide stretches opposing defenses thin. While the seemingly inexhaustible supply of help off the bench keeps the Terps fresh, their competitors wear down.

Throughout the season, the freshmen have appreciated the support of their older teammates.

"It's really been a great learning experience, coming in and having so many great high-level players to learn from and to watch and to play with," Pope said.

But now, as the Terps get set to try and extend their perfect season and attempt another National Championship run, the upperclassmen are the ones who are thankful. They know they can rely on the rookies against the Eagles (12-8) tomorrow, and with a win, against either No. 5 Connecticut (19-2) or No. 10 Drexel (18-3) in the second round on Sunday.

"Having new faces, new ideas, new talent — that's important," back Emma Thomas said. "That sets us apart. We're really lucky this year to have a great gel of old and new."

The freshmen plan to make their team proud in their first NCAA Tournament. They remember the defensive battle in their regular season win against unranked American, and they aren't underestimating the Eagles.

"I don't really take the ranking into consideration," Frazer said. "We've played teams higher-ranked than other teams and had more competitive matches from the lower-ranked teams, so I don't think that's anything to go by at all."

The Eagles need to return the favor. Though the Terp freshmen lack NCAA Tournament experience, ignoring them would be a big mistake.

kyanchulis@umdbk.com