COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Although the Maryland field hockey team has only traveled to Boston College twice — once since the Eagles joined the ACC in 2005 – the second-ranked Terrapins feels comfortable with the trip.

That’s a good thing, because they’ve got two trips to Chestnut Hill, Mass., this season. They play at Boston College in their ACC opener Saturday and again during the ACC tournament Nov. 1-4.

Maryland coach Missy Meharg said her team will use this weekend’s trip as a “mock run” for the conference tournament, from staying at the same hotel to revisiting at Bertucci’s, a brick-oven pizzeria the Terps loved on their last trip north.

The 11th-ranked Eagles have won five straight games since a season-opening loss at Stanford.

“It’s a big opportunity to see where we are and establish another set of standards,” Meharg said. “It’s great to be six games in and know we’ve reached a lot of our goals, but now were going to face a different level of attacking unit in BC.”

Boston College returns 2006 ACC offensive player of the year Bob Dirks, who has tallied 14 points this season, and has gotten production this season from sophomore Chelsey Feole, who is tied for second in the ACC in goals with seven.

The Terps, who have outscored the Eagles 8-0 in two wins since Boston College joined the league, need a good start to the ACC schedule if they are to repeat their 4-1 record of the past two seasons.

They will have to perform well after a 430-mile trip north to meet Boston College, which Meharg describes as a team looking for a breakthrough, program-defining victory.

“We’re anticipating a very, very wild, rowdy competitive atmosphere,” Meharg said. “I look forward to it.”