Nov. 4, 2009

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Maryland junior forward Katie O’Donnell was selected as the 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Offensive Player of the Year—becoming the league’s first three-time recipient of the award—and headlines the 2009 All-ACC Field Hockey team, announced today. In addition to O’Donnell, Terrapin senior defender Emma Thomas was selected as the Defensive Player of the Year and 22nd-year head coach Missy Meharg was voted by her peers as the Coach of the Year to give Maryland a trio of individual honors.

O’Donnell, who also won the award as a freshman (2007) and sophomore (2008), was picked by the coaches to repeat as the Offensive Player of the Year after she led the league in points with 65 on 21 goals and a league-leading 23 assists. O’Donnell sparked a Maryland offense that scored a league-high 90 goals and helped the top-ranked Terrapins (National Field Hockey Coaches Association) to a perfect 18-0 regular-season, as well as a 5-0 record in league play and the No. 1 seed in this weekend’s ACC Championship.

Thomas anchored a Terp defense that currently ranks eighth nationally by giving up just 1.10 goals per game. This season, Thomas’ first as an All-ACC selection, she ranked sixth in the ACC with 19 goals and added 10 assists to stand in eighth. The High Wycombe, England native is the fourth Terrapin to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors since the league initiated separate awards for offensive and defensive players in 2004.

Meharg, who has been picked ACC Coach of the Year five times during her 22-year career, guided Maryland to its first undefeated regular-season in school history. The Terps began 2009 as the preseason favorite by the NFHCA and never relinquished their top spot, with 12 wins over ranked opponents, including the last seven straight.

Overall, the 18-member All-ACC team includes five selections from North Carolina—the most by any league team—including freshman midfielder Kelsey Kolojejchick, the only first-year player to earn All-ACC honors. Maryland follows with four selections, while Virginia and Wake Forest each have three. Duke has two picks and Boston College has one to round out the list.

The Freshman of the Year award will be voted on by the coaches at the 2009 ACC Field Hockey Championship, hosted by the University of Virginia on November 5, 6, and 8.

More information on ACC field hockey can be accessed by visiting theACC.com. All 2009 ACC Field Hockey Championship information can be found on the official championship website, www.theacc.com/championships/09-fh-championship.html.