The honor was based on the results of national balloting among 1,000 NCAA member schools as part of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards program, now in its 36th year. Frazer’s win marks the seventh time that a University of Maryland field hockey player has been honored with the award. Autumn Welsh won Maryland’s first in 2001, Paula Infante nabbed two awards (2005, ’06), Susie Rowe won in 2008 and Katie O’Donnell earned the honor in 2009 and 2010. A Maryland student-athlete has won the field hockey award in six of the last seven years.

“I am totally surprised and honored to receive the Honda Sports Award,” said Frazer. “I like to think I got it because I was consistent and I was a good leader for my teammates. I try to lead by example.”

from umterps.com

- The fourth-ranked Maryland field hockey team (19-4) came back from a two-goal deficit with less than four minutes remaining in regulation to top No. 1 North Carolina, 3-2, in overtime for its eighth national title and fifth in seven years.

Freshman Katie Gerzabek scored the first Terrapin goal in the 67th minute, senior Jemma Buckley ripped in the equalizer with no time on the clock in regulation, and sophomore Jill Witmer netted the game-winner in the 81st minute for the Terps’ fifth NCAA crown in seven years (2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011).

Since the NCAA began seeding the top four teams in the Tournament in 2002, the Terps are the first unseeded team to win a title. They beat the top three teams (Syracuse, Old Dominion, North Carolina) in order, en route to their repeat crown.

“Can’t say enough what an amazing team North Carolina (23-2) is and they have been all year,” head coach Missy Meharg said. “They were so far above us in the first half and at halftime, we just spoke about competing and playing with intangibles. We couldn’t be more proud of the Maryland team.”

The Tar Heels took a 1-0 lead in the ninth minute when Kelsey Kolojejchick found Elizabeth Stephens by the post for the deflection. They would take that one-goal lead into the break.

North Carolina added its second goal with 7:57 left in the game when Kolojejchick brought it up and again found Stephens around the cage for the tip-in.

Meharg pulled goalkeeper Melissa Vassalotti with 4:28 left in the game and the Terps down by two. 42 seconds later, Gerzabek tipped in a long pass from the corner by junior Harriet Tibble to cut the Heels’ lead to 2-1.

With 17 seconds to play, the Terrapins were awarded their third penalty corner of the game. Janessa Pope inserted on the play, Tibble stopped, and Buckley drilled in the equalizer with no time left on the clock to send the game to overtime for the second straight year.

In the 81st minute, Witmer checked in after a quick break with a fresh pair of legs. She instantly took the ball, streaked down the sideline and crossed across to the other side of the circle. She wound up and took a hard shot that flew into the net behind North Carolina goalkeeper Sassi Ammer.

Jemma Buckley, Megan Frazer, Harriet Tibble and Jill Witmer were all named to the NCAA All-Tournament team.

This marked the Terps’ 11th appearance in the NCAA Finals and fifth time Maryland and North Carolina had met in the NCAA title game, including the last three straight years.

A little over a minute later, Jill Witmer found Buckley in front of the goal to send in the fourth Terrapins goal with just under 12 minutes left to play.

With 1:34 left in the first overtime period, Tibble drilled in her first goal of the year off of a corner inserted by Megan Frazer for the win.

“This is just an amazing team in the way we have grown in the final few weeks from the level of our training, to performance under pressure, and our emotional trust in each other,” head coach Missy Meharg said.

“I am so proud of the team, and on behalf of the staff, it has been an incredibly interesting season. To be in the position of playing our very best hockey at the most critical time in the year is such a tribute to the players.”

The victory sends the Terrapins to Louisville, Ky. for next weekend’s NCAA Semifinals and Finals. It will be Maryland’s 15th Final Four appearance and ninth since 2000. Next up Old Dominion who has beaten the Terps twice this year.

The fourth-ranked Terrapins (16-4) will face third-ranked Syracuse (19-3), who is also the third-seeded team in the Tournament, Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex.

“Maryland put together 70 minutes of very strong, intense hockey,” head coach Missy Meharg said. “It was a demonstration of what we have been looking for, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.”

Buckley, the Terrapins’ leading scorer, notched her 19th and 20th goals of the season in the first half. In the fifth minute of play, she drilled in a shot off of a corner set up by freshman Katie Gerzabek and junior Harriet Tibble.

Iowa’s Kim Scraper knotted the game at one when Sarah Drake found her up ahead near the goal for the tip-in score in the 17th minute.

The Terrapins won a penalty corner in the final seconds of the first period. With time expired, Buckley sent in her second goal of the day, off the same set up as her first, to give Maryland a 2-1 lead at the break.

Junior Megan Frazer made it 3-1 Terps in the 44th minute. Junior Janessa Pope found her on the left side and Frazer flicked in the goal for the score.

From umterps.com