University of Maryland Athletics

Head coach Missy Meharg is in her 37th season at the helm of the Maryland field hockey program in 2024, along the way building a program rich with a winning tradition. Voted National Coach of the Year an unprecedented nine times, Meharg has exemplified the tradition of excellence Maryland field hockey has become known for, a program with eight National Championships and 27 conference championships - solidifying the Terrapins' position among the top programs in the nation.

On Oct. 17, 2021, Meharg became just the third Division I coach to reach the 600-career wins mark. The Terrapins beat No. 17 Connecticut, 3-2, at home at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex for the milestone victory. Meharg has won more games than any Maryland coach, in any sport.

• Seven national titles, including five in seven years (1993, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011).
• 27 conference titles
• 20 appearances in the NCAA Semifinals round, including 12 in the NCAA Finals.
• Overall record of 642-165-9 gives her a winning percentage of .792
• Nine National Coach of the Year awards and nine Conference Coach of the Year awards.
• Led the team to two of the most successful seasons in school history in 2009 and 2010. Over those two years, the Terps earned a record of 46-2 with two ACC titles and an NCAA title.
• Seven Honda Sports Awards won by five players.
• 59 All-Americans, including five four-time All-Americans and 14 three-time All-Americans.
• 19 players have been named Big Ten/ACC Players of the Year. Paula Infante and Bodil Keus earned the Defensive Player of the Award twice, while Katie O'Donnell won all four years of her career.
• Meharg was contracted by NBC to work as a color commentator and analyst for field hockey during coverage of the 2012 Olympic Games in London. 
• Ten of Meharg's former athletes have competed on U.S. Olympic teams. Katie Bam and Keli Smith Puzo both represented Team USA in London in 2012. Four former Terrapins played in the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Lauren Powley, Dina Rizzo and Smith Puzo were on the 16-spot roster and Sara Silvetti served as an alternate. Bam and Jill Witmer helped Team USA to a Quarterfinals appearance in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. This past summer, four Terps competed in the Paris Olympic Games.  Leah Crouse, Brooke DeBerdine, Emma DeBerdine, and Kelee Lepage were four of 16 athletes that were selected to represent the United States.
• Kate Kauffman Beach was the Terps' first Olympian in Atlanta Games in 1996. 
• Terrapin athletes have played on their respective national teams from eight countries around the world: England, Ireland, Chile, Holland, Germany, Australia, Zimbabwe, Scotland.
• Coached six Maryland student-athletes that are in the Hockey Pro League - Jill Witmer Funk (USA), Anna Dessoye (USA), Alyssa Parker (USA), Linnea Gonzalez (USA), Grace Balsdon (England) and Nike Lorenz (Germany).
• Served on the U.S. National Team coaching staff from 1993-1997. She assisted in the 1994 World Cup, the 1995 Pan American Games and the 1996 Olympics. 
• 2010 USA Under 21 squad coaching staff member and has worked with International teams in the ages of Under-21 and Under-18.
• USA hockey level 3 coaching accreditation.
• Created 7 teaching tapes and DVDs for Championship Productions.
• Over 100 Terrapins have been named to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association's Academic Squad.
• Four Terps earned Gossett Fellowship awards - Kelee Lepage (Smith School of Business), Madison Maguire (Clarke School of Engineering), Brooke DeBerdine (Smith School of Business), Hannah Bond (Smith School of Business)

Meharg's Coaching Record

Meharg's Milestone Victories

The Meharg Field Hockey Legacy at Maryland
Coaching Accolades
Nine-time NFHCA Division I Coach of the Year (1991, '93, '99, '01, '05, '06, '08, '10, '11)
Nine-time Conference Coach of the Year ('93, '95, '98, '01, '09, '10, '13, '14, '15)
19-time Mid-Atlantic Regional Coach of the Year ('90, '91, '92, '93, '95, '99, '01, '02, '05, '06, '07, '08, '10, '11, '14, '15, '17*, '18*, '22*)
Maryland's All-Time Winningest Coach in any sport
* - honor changed to Coaching Staff of the year

Team Accolades
Seven-time NCAA Champions ('93, '99, '05, '06, '08, '10, '11)
12-time Conference Tournament Champions ('93, '98, '99, '00, '01, '05, '08, '09, '10, '13, '15, '18)
15-time Conference Season Champions ('91, '93, '99, '01, '06, '08, '09, '10, '13, '14, '15, '16, '18, '19, '22)
12-time NCAA Finalists ('93, '95, '99, '01, '05, '06, '08, '09, '10, '11, '17, '18)
20-time NCAA Semifinalists ('91, '93, '95, '99, 2000, '01, '03, '04, '05, '06, '08, '09, '10, '11, '12, '13, '17, '18, '21, '22)
33 NCAA Tournament Appearances ('88, '90, '91, '92, '93, '95, '96, '97, '98, '99, '00, '01, '02, '03, '04, '05, '06, '07, '08, '09, '10, '11, '12, '13, '14, '15, '16, '17, '18, '19, '21, '22, '23)

Player Accolades
114 All-America Selections
175 NHFCA National Academic Squad Selections
128 All-Conference Selections
75 All-Big Ten Academic Selections
229 ACC Academic Honor Roll Selections
23 Players on the U.S. National Team
58 NCAA All-Tournament Team Selections
14 Conference Tournament MVP Selections
24 Conference Player of the Year Selections (9 Def; 6 Off)
4 World Cup team members
13 Conference Rookie of the Year Selections
6 Pan American team members
1 Player on the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team
3 Players on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team
2 Players on the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team
2 Players in 2016 U.S. Olympic Team
4 Players in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team
5 Honda Award Winners - Seven awards won

Welsh, Infante, Rowe, O'Donnell & Frazer Win Honda Award
In 2001, defensive back Autumn Welsh became the first athlete under Missy Meharg to be recognized as the national player of the year. Welsh was named the recipient of the prestigious Honda Award, marking the first time in Maryland field hockey history that a Terp attained the honor. After leading the Terps to back-to-back NCAA Championships in 2005 and 2006, defensive midfielder Paula Infante earned the honor both years, becoming only the third field hockey player in the history of the award to win it multiple times. Infante went on to be a top-five finalist for the coveted Honda-Broderick Cup, presented to the NCAA's Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year across all sports. In 2008, Susie Rowe capped a senior campaign in which she won her third national title with the national player of the year award after setting Maryland records with 28 goals and 74 total points scored. The defender scored the game-winner in the National Championship game, a 4-2 victory over Wake Forest. As a junior, Katie Bam (O'Donnell) won the nation's top award after breaking the ACC assist records and leading the team offensively. Megan Frazer won in 2011 after leading the Terrapins from an unseeded NCAA Tournament berth to another national title. Infante (2005, 06), Welsh (2001), Rowe (2008), O'Donnell (2009), Frazer (2011) and women's lacrosse standout Jen Adams (2000, 2001) are the only Honda Award recipients in Maryland athletics history.