Owls dominate Lehigh

Temple scores 10 goals and improves to 4-0-2 on the season.

Junior Allan Fenton opened the scoring midway through the first period and the Owls never stopped, tallying 10 times en route to a 10-5 victory over Lehigh University Sunday afternoon at the Northeast SkateZone.

“We did a great job controlling play in the offensive end today,” coach Ryan Frain said. “Establishing our forecheck early on and exploiting them in their own zone.”

Temple controlled the action from the outset, using a height advantage to take it to Lehigh physically to set the tone for the rest of the game. Late in the first period, after a long stretch in the offensive zone, junior Stephen Kennedy curled out from the corner and found fellow junior Brady O’Donnell in front of the net who redirected the puck past the Lehigh goaltender. The Owls took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.

Lehigh got a goal back early in the second period after a scramble in front of Temple goalie Eric Semborski, who was making his first start of the season. The Owls responded with three goals of their own in about a minute and a half to jet out to a 5-1 lead.

Sophomore defenseman Patrick Hanrahan scored twice in that surge, with a goal from senior Joseph Pisko sandwiched in the middle. Hanrahan’s goals were his first two in his Temple career.

“It feels good to be able to help the team out,” Hanrahan said. “Especially in a high scoring game like this where all the goals matter.”

Temple then took their foot off the gas and allowed Lehigh to score a couple of quick goals.

“We talked about playing a full 60 minutes all week in practice,” captain Greg Malinowski said. “Unfortunately we didn’t tonight, but the win is still good.”

Stephen Kennedy scored a power-play goal to give the Owls a 6-3 lead. Then, with 22 seconds to spare, junior defenseman Chris Carnivale scored to give the Owls a 7-3 lead heading into the final period.

Carnivale had a huge game for Temple, scoring twice and adding three assists. Carnivale is a quick, puck moving defenseman that the Owls rely on to move the puck up ice.

“I tend to look up ice a lot,” Carnivale said. “If I don’t have anywhere to pass I just go with it, it’s part of my game.”

Carnivale scored early in the third to extend the Owls lead. Senior Steven Luongo added another one to push Temple ahead 9-3, effectively ending the game.

Lehigh then tried to stage a comeback, scoring two quick goals as the Owls took their foot off the gas. Frain took a timeout to settle his team down.

“I keep telling the guys week after week,” Frain said. “It’s a 60 minute mindset. It needs to be high intensity, high effort for 60 minutes. The teams that play a full 60 are the teams that are going to be there at the end of the year in regionals and nationals.”

Sophomore Dave Brewer added a late goal for Temple on a wrist shot into the top right corner.

Temple improved to 4-0-2 on the season. The Owls will travel to Lynchburg, Va. next weekend to take on Liberty University.

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