Temple was knotted up at one with three minutes remaining in double-overtime against Wagner, searching for its first points since the second quarter. The Owls’ offense had racked up 19 shots up to that point, yet could not find the tie-breaking goal.
Temple was approaching the Wagner goal once again and midfielder Agustina Tucceri fired a desperation pass towards the circle.
The ball deflected off Wagner midfielder Evie de Baar’s stick right to back Alizé Maes. Maes managed to sneak the ball past Wagner goalkeeper Saar van Dalen for her second goal of the game, giving Temple its third overtime win in the last four games.
Temple (7-4, 2-1 Big East Conference) bested Wagner (6-5, 2-1 Northeast Conference) 2-1 in double overtime at Temple Sports Complex on Sunday afternoon. The Owls have won five straight games which is their longest win streak since 2022.
“We came off of a good win on Friday but we weren’t in our best headspace today,” Maes said. “We weren’t expecting overtime. Unconsciously we were underestimating them and they really just wanted it more.”
Temple entered the game coming off the high of three consecutive wins against ranked opponents. The Owls looked to establish control early but continuously failed to mimic its previous game’s performances.
Despite having control of possession for much of the first quarter, it was Wagner who struck first. A well-placed shot by forward Cami Valor found the back of the net, slipping past Temple goalkeeper Isabella Ospitale and giving the Seahawks an early advantage as the quarter drew to a close.
The Owls quickly worked to open the second quarter, determined to even the score. Maes seized the opportunity from a penalty corner, finding the back of the net just three minutes into the second quarter and leveling the score.
A few minutes later Temple had a prime opportunity to take the lead. The Owls rattled off three straight shots, none of which were able to get by Van Dalen. Temple outshot Wagner 7-3 in the first half, but couldn’t find the tiebreaker as both sides’ defenses took command.
As the second half kicked off, Temple and Wagner were deadlocked, both determined to take control of the game. However, the defenses continued to dominate as Temple only managed to fire off two shots in the third quarter and Wagner had none.
The Owls upped the aggression as the final quarter got underway. Temple had six shots in the fourth quarter and midfielder Myrthe Schuilenburg had the best chance to give Temple the lead. Schuilenburg sent a shot towards the bottom right of the net, but Van Dalen managed to get a foot on it and kick it away.
Temple’s defense continued to clamp down on the Seahawks, not allowing them to put any pressure on Ospitale in the final period. Neither team was able to capitalize on their scoring opportunities and the game went into overtime.
“We had a good amount of chances in the circle, but we struggled to find the goal,” said head coach Michelle Vittese. “There was some great leadership, but it just came down to execution.”
Wagner had a chance to end the game with a penalty corner with five minutes left in the first overtime. Ospitale stopped the initial shot but left the goal uncovered. Defender Minke Stoker threw herself in the way to stop another Wagner chance and keep the Owls’ hopes alive.
Temple earned a penalty corner of its own a couple of minutes later but did not convert on its chance. Midfielder Tess Muller had a run on goal in the waning minutes but it was easily stopped by Van Dalen, sending the game to a second overtime.
In the second overtime, Temple took complete control of the game. The Owls had four shots in the second overtime, with the last one being the game-winner from Maes. Temple had 20 shots all game, compared to just six for Wagner. Ospitale continued her strong run of play, making four saves and only allowing the first-quarter score.
“You have to be prepared to play on a Sunday. You have to go out ready to fight again,” Vittese said. “We were able to get it done, but the team I saw today was not the team that I saw on Friday.”
Temple is back in action with conference play at home against Providence (5-76, 1-2 Big East) on Oct. 11 at 2 p.m.
Be the first to comment