Temple Field Hockey suffered its worst defeat of the season last year at home against Virginia on Sept. 3, 2023. The Owls lost 6-0 and failed to record a single shot on goal. Now playing in Charlottesville after a red-hot start, Temple was looking for revenge.
Virginia got on the board first with a goal at the seven-minute mark. However, Temple looked like the better team for the final six minutes of the first quarter. The Owls had six shots to end the opening quarter, but none found the back of the net.
The Owls could not carry that momentum into the second quarter, and Virginia showed why they were the third-ranked team in the country. The Cavaliers scored three second-quarter goals, burying Temple and ending their comeback hopes.
Temple Field Hockey (2-1, 0-0 Big East) fell to No. 3 Virginia (2-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) 7-0 Friday evening at Turf Field. The Owls’ loss to the Cavaliers makes it 11 straight defeats to ranked opponents, with their last win coming on Oct. 21, 2021 against UConn.
The Owls’ hot start was thanks in large part to their defensive prowess. Temple had only allowed four shots all year entering today’s game and shut out each of their first two opponents. Temple’s defense struggled to contain a potent Cavaliers offense leading to their first loss of the year.
Virginia put the clamps down on Temple from the opening whistle, putting goalkeeper Alex Lepore in constant duress. The freshman let up a goal seven minutes into the game, and the Cavaliers followed with three more before the half ended.
Lepore played the entire game and put on an admirable effort in the cage despite the score. She finished with eight saves in her third career start, putting a silver lining in the blowout loss.
Temple’s impressive offensive display in the first quarter failed to be replicated throughout the rest of the game. The Owls had just four shots in the final three periods combined, but they did make Virginia goalkeeper Tyler Kennedy uncomfortable at times. Kennedy did not face a shot against Temple last season, but today was forced to make five saves on Temple’s 10 total shots.
Temple back Alizé Maes was the bright spot on Temple’s defense. Her lone efforts didn’t amount to much for the unit as a whole as Virginia fired off 16 shots on goal that ultimately led to the Owls’ downfall.
Once the Cavaliers got going, they were on a roll, as midfielder Suze Leemans found the back of the net twice in the second quarter. Leemans followed up right after the half ended, dishing out an assist to midfielder Catalina Quinteros two minutes into the third quarter.
Temple’s defense had cracked under the sustained attack, and it completely shattered in the second half. The Cavaliers pounced on the opportunity, scoring three goals to push the game out of reach.
Temple will remain in Virginia as they take on Richmond (2-1, 0-0 Atlantic 10) on Sept. 8 at 11 a.m.
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