July 23, 2002

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland's 2002 recruiting class in women's soccer has been named the 14th best class in the nation according to Soccer Buzz. It marks the first time the Terps have been ranked in the top 25 since Soccer Buzz started ranking classes five years ago.

The Terps' talent-laden recruiting class brought in by head coach Shannon Higgins-Cirovski and assistants Kerry Dziczkaniec and Steve Campbell includes: Ali Andrzejewski (Lutherville, Md./McDonogh School) along with Simone Dekker (Ringwood, N.J./Immaculate Heart Academy), Mallory Mahar (Medina, Ohio/Medina Senior High School), Danielle Malagari (Clarksburg, Md./Our Lady of Good Counsel High School), Kristin McHugh (Gaithersburg, Md./Quince Orchard High School) and Mariel Wilner (Owings Mills, Md./McDonogh School).

Maryland is also ranked third in the Mid-Atlantic region behind just Virginia and Penn State. It is Maryland highest ranking in the region since the rankings began in 1998.

NATIONAL TOP 20
Rank School
1 North Carolina
2 UCLA
3 Virginia
4 Arizona State
5 Boston College
6 Connecticut
7 Duke
8 Stanford
9 Notre Dame
10 Penn State
11 California
12 Furman
13 Clemson
14 Maryland
15 Auburn
16 Princeton
17 BYU
18 Ohio State
19 Nebraska
20 Texas

MID-ATLANTIC REGION
Rank School
1 Virginia
2 Penn State
3 Maryland
4 Princeton
5 Rutgers
6 Penn
7 Georgetown
8 Loyola, Md.
9 West Virginia
10 Villanova
11 Duquesne
12 James Madison
13 Seton Hall
14 George Washington
15 Old Dominion