To say Temple Men’s Soccer head coach Bryan Green’s first two months at the helm were a struggle would be an understatement. The team looked dead in the water, failing to record a single win while being outscored 25-6 more than a month into the season.
Suddenly, a switch flipped and Green’s new team found momentum as the cool fall months settled in. The Owls finished with three wins throughout the final seven games, highlighted by a 2-1 win against then No. 10 Syracuse — the defending national champions — on Oct. 10, 2023.
Temple almost made a complete 180 in Green’s first year with the program, but their early season struggles came back to bite them. They finished one point shy of qualifying for their first American Athletic Conference tournament since 2021, showing there was indeed light at the end of the tunnel.
The Owls entered the 2024 season with a renewed sense of optimism, something that has been lacking during the last few seasons. After just one season under Green, the Owls’ rebuild is already heading in the right direction.
But it hasn’t come without setbacks.
Just four games into the young 2024 season, Temple showed glimpses of carrying last year’s momentum but has struggled to maintain it. The Owls have kept most games close, but have just one win and went scoreless in their past two games.
“It takes time to improve and we’re always looking to get better,” Green said. “The understanding that what we are on day one is not what we’ll be on the last day.”
Through their 1-2-2 start, the issues that plagued the Owls during the first half of last season look to be resolved. The defense was the main problem for the team last year, and the unit has become a crucial part of the early success.
Temple scored just four goals while allowing eight to reach the back of the net against them during their first four games last year. This season, the defense has been the team’s anchor, giving up just five goals. Goalkeepers Flannan Riley and Andrew Kempe have split time in the net and have become a brick wall, plugging up the goal while gaining chemistry with the rest of the defense.
Midfielders Rocco Haeufgloeckner and Kemali Green are the leaders of the defensive unit and have helped aid the goalkeeping duo’s efforts. Riley and Kempe also split time last season at goalkeeper and the duo have continued splitting responsibilities throughout the Owls’ first five games of 2024.
“New defenders have to get used to two new keepers,” Riley said. “We have a mix of youth and maturity that leads us to be a defensively sound team.”
On the other hand, the Owls’ offensive attack has remained stagnant — a repercussion of losing their top scorers from last season. Midfielder Felix Ewald left Philadelphia for West Virginia, and forward Juan Zepeda will miss the entire season with an injury.
The losses have hindered the offensive production, and Temple has just four goals through its first five games this year. Forward Xavier Rimpel has taken on Ewald’s offensive role this season, giving the Owls their best offensive output of the season against Villanova on Aug. 25.
“I’m not worried despite being down [last year’s players],” Green said. “We’ve been better in attack this year than any point last year.”
Rimpel scored his first career goal in last season’s finale against SMU, and his efforts have carried into 2024. Rimpel lifted the Owls against the Wildcats, playing a role in all three goals scored that game, having two assists and a goal himself.
Despite Rimpel’s surge, no other player has followed suit, and the lack of scoring has left the defense vulnerable for much of the game.
“I think for us, it’s about understanding our strengths,” Rimpel said. “Sometimes we can find weaknesses in our opponent but sometimes we have to look internally and find what we are good at.”
There is still hope for the Owls, and their improvement has been evident despite offensive holes. Green’s squad is still ahead of schedule on its rebuild and there are glimmers of what could be to come down the line.
The Owls needed help from other teams to qualify for the AAC tournament, which ultimately backfired. A year later, the squad believes they have what it takes to compete in the AAC on their own terms.
“Our goal is to always be the best in the conference,” Riley said. “This year, we want to focus on creating our destiny and not relying on other teams. It’s about us.”
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