The last time No. 4 Syracuse (12-1, 2-1 Atlantic Coast) played No. 1 Maryland (14-0, 3-0 ACC), it wound up on the losing end of a 2-1 overtime thriller in the second round of the 2011 NCAA tournament.

For the current Orange upperclassmen that played in that game, the loss was a tough pill to swallow.

“We had them in the first half, and I think we were actually the better team,” senior midfielder Leonie Geyer said. “Of course I was really disappointed to get beaten in overtime.”

However, there’s one member of the Orange that actually has fond memories of that dramatic postseason finish.

Tara Zollinger was a redshirt sophomore on the 2011 Terrapins squad that went on to repeat as national champion. Now a Syracuse assistant coach, she will stand on the opposite sideline at Maryland’s Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex when the two teams square off Friday at 6 p.m.

“I remember that game, and I remember how Syracuse was fast, feisty and very athletic,” Zollinger said. “That’s the kind of game we have to play this weekend.”

It’s the kind of game she learned to play in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Although she only saw action in 19 games during her college career, it was enough for her to experience the attention to detail necessary to win games in such a dominant league.

She said inheriting that desire to strive for perfection has made the adjustment to coaching easier than she expected.

“We’re playing in the best conference in the country,” Zollinger said. “Coming from Maryland really taught me a lot about the ACC, just the culture of the conference itself and what it takes to be successful.

“I really want to show Maryland what we can do here.”

But Zollinger isn’t the only Syracuse coach who has something to prove against her former team.

Head coach Ange Bradley served as an assistant to Terrapins’ head coach Missy Meharg from 1997-2000. She had nothing but good things to say about the ability of Meharg to mold Zollinger and other young athletes into great players and coaches.

“I worked with Missy way back in the day and she’s been a great mentor to both of us,” Bradley said. “To have somebody who’s played under her and trained, that was a big decision in why I hired Tara. She’s coming from one of the best programs out there.”

Because Maryland is one of the best teams in the country at making in-game adjustments, Bradley said Zollinger’s intimate knowledge of the team’s roster and differing styles is a crucial asset. She called her contributions “instrumental” to Syracuse’s game plan.

Meanwhile, the players said they have learned a great deal from the scouting reports that Zollinger has provided.

“We need to put down their strengths and capitalize on their weaknesses,” junior forward Lauren Brooks said. “Playing there, she definitely knows kind of their structure and some of their players we need to look out for.”

It’s all part of Zollinger’s “strictly business” approach to Friday’s game.

Although she is excited to visit her former home, Zollinger is even more excited to do so as a member of Syracuse field hockey. She knows this is a big chance for her and the Orange to prove they belong in the ACC, and she doesn’t want to waste it.

“Yeah, it’s my alma mater, but the result of the game is much more important,” she said. “They’re the well-deserving No. 1 team, and it’s a great opportunity for us to take our game to another level.”

Published on October 17, 2013 at 1:31 am

Contact Tyler: tfpiccot@syr.edu