No. 17 Spiders Set To Play No. 2 Maryland In NCAA First Round
11/10/2006 | Field Hockey
Nov. 10, 2006
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2006 NCAA Field Hockey Tournament Bracket
Scene setter
Richmond will be part of the 2006 NCAA Tournament for the fifth-consecutive season. Nationally ranked at No. 17, The Spiders earned an automatic bid by winning the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament then topped Lock Haven, the Northeast Conference Tournament winner, 4-2, Tuesday, Nov. 7 during an NCAA Play-In game in Richmond, Va. Richmond has won its last 12 contests dating back to Sept. 30 against Radford. In the stretch, the Spiders clinched their fifth-straight Atlantic 10 regular season title, their fifth-straight A-10 Tournament title, moved a win streak against A-10 teams to 42-straight, and outscored their opponents 60-9.
On Tap
Richmond will face second-seeded Maryland Saturday, Nov. 11, at 11 a.m. in the first game of the College Park, Md., bracket. The winner of the game will advance to the round of eight and face the winner of the Penn State/North Carolina game (2 p.m.) in a game scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 12 at 2 p.m.
Richmond in the NCAA Tournament
Richmond is making its fifth-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Spiders' last time in the NCAA's was 2005 when it topped Sacred Heart, 7-2, in an NCAA Play-In game at Richmond, then fell 4-0 at top-ranked Maryland in the first round as the Terps went on to win the National Championship. In 2004, the Spiders beat Rider, 6-0, in the Play-In, then fell 3-0 at top-seeded North Carolina in the first round. In 2003, Richmond lost 2-1 to Cal in the Play-In game, but received an at-large bid to play Old Dominion. The Spiders fell 4-2 to the Lady Monarchs in Norfolk, Va. In their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Championships, Richmond topped Rider, 2-1, in the Play-In game then fell 5-1 to Old Dominion in the first round.
Richmond vs. Maryland
Richmond is 0-15-1 all-time against the Terrapins dating back to 1983. The Terps have outscored the Spiders in those 16 games, 72-10. Nine of the 16 contests have been played at Maryland, the last one coming in the first round of last season's NCAA Tournament. Maryland topped the Spiders, 4-0, en route to their fourth NCAA Championship, and first since 1999.
Richmond vs. 2006 NCAA Tournament Field
The Spiders are a combined 3-2 this season against the 15 other teams in the 2006 NCAA Tournament field. Richmond topped American (3-2), James Madison (2-1) and Princeton (4-3) during the 2006 regular season. The Spiders fell to Virginia (3-5) and Old Dominion (0-3).
Records
Richmond is 17-4 after topping Lock Haven in the NCAA Play-In game Tuesday, Nov. 7 in Richmond, Va. The Spiders went 7-0 in Atlantic 10 action for the second-straight season and are currently on a 12-game win streak. Maryland is 19-2 after falling to top-ranked Wake Forest in the ACC Championship final, 1-0.
Rankings
Richmond is ranked 17th in the latest STX/NFHCA Coaches Poll. The Spiders debuted at No. 19, Aug. 22, then fell out of the Top-20, Sept. 19, after starting the year 3-3. With a win over No. 11 American, the Spiders jumped back to No. 19, Sept. 26, and remained there until Oct. 10. Following four-straight wins, Richmond jumped to No. 18, Oct. 10, then to No. 17, Oct. 17. Richmond's highest ranking of the season, No. 16, came Oct. 31 just prior to the start of the Atlantic 10 Championships. Maryland was ranked No. 2 in the Nov. 7 edition of the STX/NFHCA poll after falling to Wake Forest in the ACC Championship finals. The Terrapins received 1 of the 28 first-place votes and a total of 532 points.
Maryland in the NCAA Tournament
Maryland, the reigning-National Champion, has appeared in 19 NCAA Tournaments all-time. The Terps have won four National Championships and will host the first and second rounds for the fourth-consecutive year. Maryland will also be hosting a regional for the 13th time in 15 years.
NCAA Tournament seeds
Maryland is the tournament's No. 2 seed, and will host one of four regional brackets. In the other four-team bracket on the Maryland half is No. 3 Old Dominion. The Lady Monarchs fell in the CAA Championships final to James Madison, and will play their regional at host Princeton. Duke will serve as the tournament's four-seed and host one of the four regionals. Wake Forest will serve as the top-seed and host the fourth and final regional. The Final Four is set for Nov. 17 and 19 at Kentner Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C., and will be hosted by Wake Forest University.
The Rematch
The Spiders will face the Maryland Terrapins in the NCAA first round for the second-straight season. The defending National Champions topped the Spiders, 4-0, in last season's opening round game on their way to their first Championship since 1999. Richmond got off just three shots, while Michelle Swartz made 11 saves, including seven in the second half.
Faces In The Crowd
Richmond junior Shannon Taylor was recognized in Sports Illustrated's Faces In The Crowd after recording her second four-goal game of the season, Oct. 22 at Saint Joseph's. The four-goal tally also tied a school record set by herself against Davidson (Oct. 1) and by Holly Cram in 2004.
Wrublesky Steps To The Forefront
Senior co-captain Heather Wrublesky has made her mark on the Richmond field hockey program lately. The Langhorne, Pa., native has scored four goals over the last five for the Spiders. Two of those tallies have come with Richmond's season on the line. Wrublesky, recently selected to represent Richmond in the 2006 NFHCA Division I Senior All-Star contest, scored with 36 remaining in regulation of the Spiders' Atlantic 10 semifinal game against Temple. The goal tied the contest and helped Richmond move the contest into overtime where it won, 2-1. A day later, in the A-10 Championship final, Wrublesky netted the game-winner for Richmond and earned Atlantic 10 Tournament Most Outstanding Performer honors.
The Last Time Out
Junior Shannon Taylor two goals, along with a pair from junior Holly Cram mark of 67 set in 2004.
Taylor Made To Break Records
Junior Shannon Taylor has already made her mark in the Richmond record books as a junior. The Midlothian, Va., native owns the Richmond career record in points as well as the single-season records in points and goals. The junior needs just four more goals to own the career goals mark, and will then own all four scoring records at Richmond.
Conrad Nabs Numerous Mid-Season Honors
Freshman Lindsey Conrad might have started the season off slow, but the Wilke-Barre, Pa., native turned it on at the right time. The forward did not score a multi-goal game until the Spiders faced eighth-ranked Virginia, then went on record multi-goal games in four of Richmond's seven conference games. Conrad earned at least a share of Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week honors in each of the final five weeks of play. Conrad, the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year, scored two goals in the Spiders' win over Saint Joseph's in the A-10 Championship finals to earn a spot on the All-Tournament squad.
Dominant In The Atlantic 10
Richmond continued its streak of perfection in the Atlantic 10 this season, reeling off seven-straight wins in the regular season. The Spiders also strung two wins together in the A-10 Championships for their fifth-straight league crown. Richmond has now won 42-straight games against A-10 foes dating back to the 2002 season. Last year's class of eight seniors were the first to go undefeated in league play during their careers, while this year's group, consisting of Heather Wrublesky, carried on the tradition.
A Summer Of Fun
Juniors Shannon Taylor along with sophomores Becca Weaver and Alex Malatesta were selected to train in the United States Regional Elite Performance Training Center (EPTC) this past summer with other players throughout the region.
Both Taylor and Malatesta were each selected to participate in the Junior National Camp held in Virginia Beach, Va., July 20-23, before being selected to the United States' U21 National Team.
Senior Heather Wrublesky and junior Erin Arthur traveled and studied abroad, taking part in the international game of hockey. Wrublesky, while in Prague in the Czech Republic, played with the Praha Bohemians, a club team in the top division in Prague. Playing along side five Czech Republic National Team members on the Bohemian Club, Wrublesky scored three goals. Arthur traveled to Cordoba, Argentina, where she took part in training with a local club squad.
Comments From Head Coach Ange Bradley and Selected Players
Head Coach Ange Bradley
On facing Maryland:
"I think it is a new season and two new teams. It is the postseason and anything can happen. You have to go after it and play your hardest for 70 minutes with no regrets and at the end be surprised with the outcome."
On the play of her youth-laden team thus far in 2006:
"I am very surprised with our amount of success. With 12 freshmen and just two seniors I am so proud of what they have achieved. I thought we would be in a position to win the A-10, but never thought we would be able to be undefeated and do that again. I was a little unsure going into our game today, but they came and they played. You never know with freshmen-laden teams -- they are hot and cold. For whatever reason this team has been able to perform really consistently throughout the season."
Senior Forward Heather Wrublesky
On it being her last opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament:
"We just want to leave it all out on the field. Knowing that it is one-and-done from here on out gives us every reason to have all the desire and heart. We have a team of fighters. We are going to work our hardest and see what happens."
On playing Maryland for the second-straight season:
"It is great to get the opportunity to play Maryland again. I remember the feeling we all had walking off the field last season. I think now, as a senior, we have nothing to lose. It is going to be fun and exciting to see what our new and young team can do against the second-ranked team in the country."
Senior Midfielder Jodi Murphy
On Richmond:
"We are a young team and have girls who just go out and play from the heart. There is no expectations from us -- no target on our backs."
n the matchup with Maryland:
"I see us having fight in us. We are a team which doesn't give up. We know their style, training with them in the summer. We know their ball-speed and I feel we have the tools to match them."
Junior Midfielder Shannon Taylor
On facing Maryland:
"I think this game is going to be so much fun. I am so excited. I think we compare in speed. If can receive the ball and get rid of it we will be fine, we just can't hold on to the ball."
On the game and Richmond:
"I think it is a great opportunity. I feel like we have a team which can potentially make it past the first round. If we are on our game and play well we will have the opportunity to get to that second round."
On becoming the Spiders' all-time leading scorer in Tuesday's game against Lock Haven:
"It is a great feeling to accomplish something like that. It was a great goal I set for myself, but it definitely took everybody to get there. I just hope I have the chance to add more to it this weekend."