University of North Carolina Athletics
October 22, 2005 | Field Hockey
Oct. 22, 2005
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The North Carolina field hockey team will play its final Atlantic Coast Conference game of the regular season Sunday when it hosts Maryland at 1 p.m. at Francis E. Henry Stadium. The Terrapins are ranked third in the nation with a record of 15-2, 3-1 in the ACC. UNC is No. 4 at 12-3 overall, 2-2 in the ACC.
UNC currently leads the nation in defense, allowing 0.64 goals per game. The Tar Heels have given up 10 goals in the season's 15 games and have nine shutouts to their credit. Senior goalkeeper Katy Tran has the country's lowest goals-against average, 0.67.
Junior Rachel Dawson leads Carolina in scoring with eight goals on the season. She also has six assists for 22 points, tied for the team lead with sophomore Heather Kendell. Kendell leads the Tar Heels in assists with eight and also has seven goals. Twelve different players have scored at least one goal this season for UNC.
Maryland is led in scoring by Tiffany Marsh, who has 11 goals and 14 assists for 36 points, the ninth-highest total in the nation. She ranks second in the ACC in points per game (2.12) and second in assists (0.82 per game). Jackie Ciconte has 14 goals for the Terrapins, a total that ranks eighth in the nation. Goalkeeper Kathryn Masson has a goals-against average of 0.76, second in the nation behind UNC's Tran.
The Terrapins' only losses of the season have been to Wake Forest (3-2 in penalty strokes on Sept. 24) and Old Dominion (4-1 last Saturday). The team's most recent game was a 5-0 win over Delaware last Sunday.
UNC is coming off a 3-1 ACC win at Virginia last Sunday. Following the game with Maryland, the Tar Heels will close out the regular season with a pair of nonconference contests, at No. 7 Old Dominion on Oct. 29 and at home against No. 6 Penn State on Oct. 30. The ACC Championship is scheduled for Nov. 3, 4 and 6 in College Park, Md.
