Ron Snyder, The Examiner
2006-08-19 09:00:00.0
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BALTIMORE -

University of Maryland sports fans may have conflicting opinions about their expectations for the upcoming school year. Those who view the glass as half-empty must be feeling pretty disheartened about the state of Terrapin athletics after watching the football team suffer through its second consecutive 5-6 season after earning a bowl bid the previous three years. The men’s basketball team followed that by missing out on the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year just three years removed from winning the national championship.

However, for the more optimistic sports fan, one could look at Maryland with the glass half-full approach and come away feeling like the Terps have one of the top athletic programs in the country.

An expanded view of Maryland athletics would reveal a program that claimed four national titles in the 2005-06 school year. Maryland currently lays claim to having the country’s top field hockey, men’s soccer, women’s basketball and competitive cheerleading teams. This list doesn’t even include such teams as Maryland’s men’s lacrosse program, which advanced to the Final Four last year.

Longtime Maryland field hockey coach Missy Meharg, a Severna Park resident, said she is lucky to be at a school that values the non-revenue sports as much as football and basketball. That dedication includes the construction of a state-of-the-art 1,400-seat field hockey and lacrosse complex that has a premier playing surface, watering system, locker rooms and athletic training facilities.

“It’s unbelievable the support we get from the athletic department and staff at Maryland,” said Meharg, who is entering her 19th year as coach and has led the team to three of its four national titles. “That, coupled with all of the field hockey around us and this great facility, have really helped us keep our program at a high level.”

Sarah Scholl, a sophomore forward on the field hockey team, said nothing could replace the memories of winning a national title in her first year in college.

“The [veterans] prepared all spring and knew what their goals were, and the freshmen just fell into place,” she said. “They have definitely set the bar pretty high here at Maryland.”

Despite the recent setbacks, those on Maryland’s football team don’t come into this season with expectations of a losing season. They have faith in coach Ralph Friedgen, a Maryland alum, who has guided the Terps to a 41-20 record in his first five years on the job. Those wins included a dominating 31-3 win over Tennessee in the Peach Bowl and a just-as-impressive 41-7 win over rival West Virginia in the Gator Bowl.

“All of that is about to change,” said senior wide receiver Drew Weatherly of the back-to-back losing seasons. “We let a couple of games get out of hand that we should have won last year. There were mental mistakes on the field that we should correct this year. We just need to step up now on the field and do it.”

Ron Snyder is a staff writer for The Examiner. He can be reached at rsnyder@baltimoreexaminer.com.