The Terps have found their way back into the top-25 in the AP’s preseason polls.

This is their first time in the rankings since the Dec. 7 poll last season, when they checked in at No. 25.

Three other ACC teams – No. 5 Duke, No. 15 North Carolina and No. 18 Florida State – find themselves in the rankings.

UConn finds itself atop the rankings for the 35th straight week and are in the midst of a 78 game winning streak.

Not much to talk about so far. The game has been relatively physical and the No. 5 Terps are clearly better than the Hurricanes, dominating possession and holding Miami to just two shots, which were both turned away by goalkeeper Yewande Balogun.

Danielle Hubka got the Terps off to a solid start in the 4th minute, when she danced around a Miami defender and put one past goalkeeper Vikki Alonzo.

Seniors Caitlin McDowell and Erika Theisen got the assists on their Senior Day. It was McDowell’s team-leading 10th assist, while it was Theisen’s first point of her senior season.

Shots: MD-8, UM-2

Corners: MD-3, UM-1

It’s senior day here at Ludwig, folks, and the Terps will be honoring the five members of their senior class: co-captains Caitlin McDowell and Molly Dreska, Colleen Deegan, Olivia Onyeador and Erika Theisen.

The Terps will have to deal with a visiting Miami team that is currently in eighth place in the ACC. With only eight teams qualifying for next week’s conference tournament and Virginia Tech within striking distance of the ‘Canes, the visitors have plenty to play for.

As do the Terps. The Terps are currently tied with Virginia for second place in the conference, with North Carolina leading the way.

The Terps hold the tiebreaker with both the Cavaliers and the Tar Heels, so a win and an NC loss/tie at Wake Forest would give the Terps the first regular season conference crown in program history.

It was a fitting way to honor the Terps’ three seniors and end their regular season careers.

Forward Katie O’Donnell scored two goals and dished out three assists, while Ali McEvoy recorded two goals and one assist and Meghan Dean added two goals of her own as the No. 1 Terps toppled No. 10 Louisville, 8-0.

The Terps (17-1) dominated Louisville on both offense and defense, as the Cardinals (13-6) were held without a shot on goal until the 1:20 mark.

The Terps ended their regular season campaign with a win and can now turn their focus to the upcoming ACC Tournament. Check back for more later and read Monday’s Diamondback for a full recap.

Jakob Engelke is The Diamondback’s Terrapin field hockey beat reporter. He can be reached at jengelke@umdbk.com. You can follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Jakob_Engelke.

The Terrapin men’s soccer team couldn’t wait to get a goal on Virginia Friday night and it showed as forward Casey Townsend put through a rebound in the 2nd minute.

Behind a makeshift backline, the No. 3 Terps beat No. 11 Virginia for the first time in four attempts with a 2-0 win in Charlottesville, Va.

The Terps are only the second team in two years to score two goals against the Cavaliers after going scoreless in three attempts last season. Midfielder John Stertzer put through the team’s second goal early in the second half on a serve by midfielder Matt Kassel.

The Terps also held the Cavaliers scoreless despite missing two regular starters, Ethan White and London Woodberry. In their places, Billy Cortes started right back and Greg Young started right center back. Cortes, usually a midfielder, did an admiral job in spot duty.

Much more to come after postgame interviews.

Chris Eckard is the Diamondback’s Terrapin men’s soccer beat reporter. Reach him at ceckard@umdbk.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ceckard.

The Terps head to the locker room in a scoreless tie with the No. 9 Seminoles. The game’s pretty much been as advertised. The Seminoles are packing it in defensively for the most part and their backline has been blocking shot attempts like it’s their job.

The Seminoles have had more scoring opportunities than I personally anticipated, highlighted by consecutive 25th minute shots on net from point-blank range that Terp goalkeeper Yewande Balogun was able to turn away.

The Terps had their chances and have spent more time in the Seminoles end than they have in their own.

Shots: MD 11, FSU 6

Saves: MD 2, FSU 3

Corners: MD 3, FSU 2

Keep checking here for updates throughout the second half.

We’re approaching kickoff here at Ludwig, where the No. 5 Terps are set to face off with No. 9 Florida State.

It’s an interesting match-up for the Terps, as the Seminoles are a low-tempo defensive squad. It’ll be curious to see who wins the battle between the Terps’ explosive offense and the Seminoles’ stingy D.

Skyy Anderson is out for the Terps tonight after tweaking her quad at practice yesterday. Megan Gibbons, who Anderson replaced on the starting backline, is back in at right back.

Terps starting lineup:

GK: Yewande Balogun

Backline: Caitlin McDowell, Mallory Baker, Colleen Deegan, Megan Gibbons

Midfield: Domenica Hodak, Lydia Hastings, Molly Dreska, Danielle Hubka

Forward: Jasmyne Spencer, Ashley Grove

I’ll check in at halftime for an update, and I’ll also be checking in here.

Maryland commit Nick Faust

LeBron James he is not. But as he announced the school he had chosen, Nick Faust showed a little bit of James’ flair for the dramatic.

On ESPNU just a few minutes ago, Faust was asked for his decision.

“Well me and my family have decided that I will be taking my service to the University of Maryland,” Faust said, pausing before saying the school’s name to pull a Maryland baseball cap onto his head.

It had been reported earlier in the day that the No. 9 shooting guard and No. 25 overall recruit of the 2011 class as per ESPN would be heading to Maryland. His announcement made it official, and the school’s hometown feel was a major factor in his decision.

“Because it felt like a second home,” Faust said of the reasoning for his choice. “It was awesome. I had a great relationship with the coaches. And also, I thought that was the best place for me to mature on and off the court.”

Many Terps fans see Juan Dixon in Faust — a local kid with a skinny frame and baby face. Faust warned opponents, though, that looks can be deceiving.

“A lot of players think like, ‘Oh, he’s a little guy, he can’t really score,’” Faust said. “But ultimately, I just destroy them.”

Faust is one of the top recruits Maryland has received a commitment from in recent memory. Immediately after Faust announced the decision, ESPNU commentators lauded the commitment as the kind of move that will help build recruiting classes in the future.

But looking forward to the near feature, the Baltimore City College High School prospect wasn’t shy talking about what he brings to the table.

“I think I will come in and be a great contributor to the offense and defensive side,” Faust said. “Their flex offense fits my style of play very well.”

Good recruiting isn’t a guarantee of success. In fact, until Faust signs his letter of intent he might not even come to Maryland (as Terrence Ross taught us). But in closing, Faust made a guarantee of his own.

“We’ll be winning a national championship,” Faust proclaimed.

Jeremy Schneider is The Diamondback’s administration beat writer. He can be reached at schneider@umdbk.com. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/jschneider_.

At some point tonight, the world will know where Baltimore City College High School shooting guard Nick Faust will be playing his college ball.

The four-star recruit will announce his decision today on ESPNU sometime between 5 and 6 p.m. Along with Maryland, he is considering Florida State, Marquette, Oregon State and Villanova.

Maryland has long been considered the favorite for Faust. Hours away from the announcement, that hasn’t changed. FOXSports.com senior basketball writer Jeff Goodman tweeted that he expects Faust to chose the Terps this morning, and the Baltimore Sun’s Matt Bracken expects the same.

Rivals.com national college basketball recruiting analyst Jerry Meyer told me last night that though he didn’t have anything specific to base it off of, he thinks Faust will commit to Maryland. Meyer complimented Faust’s scoring ability, specifically his potential to be a lights-out shooter and solid defender. Though Faust’s ball-handling skills leave something to be desired, he is good enough at getting to the basket that he won’t be one-dimensional.

UPDATE:
Scout.com is now reporting that Faust will commit to Maryland at the ESPNU press conference.