Field hockey cruises by Umass in A-10 semi-finals

 With senior forward and Atlantic Ten Coference Offensive Player of the Year Bridget Settles leading Temple in its ninth straight conference playoff berth, the Owls attacked early and often. The Owls took down the Massachusetts Minutewomen by a score of 4-0 on Friday at St. Joseph’s Ellen Ryan Field.

Only nine minutes into the game, freshman forward Amber Youtz scored the game’s first goal on a pass that was deflected by the goalkeeper that soared high into the corner of the goal. Youtz said the goal energized the team.

“It was early in the game and we were all hyped up,” Youtz said. “We had been working on picks in practice, and we were looking to the backdoor score the whole time.”

 From Youtz’s goal on, the Owls’ attack never stopped. In the 24th minute, the Owls struck again. Temple was awarded a penalty stroke, and the Owls put Settles in to shoot it. Settles nailed the shot putting Temple up two in the first half.

Settles, who has been the go to penalty shooter said that she considered changing from the norm for this shot, but in the end did what was comfortable.

“I was thinking about maybe pushing up because I’ve taken so many to the left,” Settles said. “But she was a taller goalie, so I knew if I just put the shot in really hard, she wouldn’t be able to get to it in time.”

But the Owls’ offensive attack wasn’t finished. In the second half, senior forward Caryn Lambright scored off an assist by sophomore forward Tori Cox. Then to put the game away, Settles scored again with an unassisted goal in the 63^rd minute.

To cap off the shutout, freshman goalkeeper Haley Mitchell made a diving save on a UMass penalty corner late in the second half.

This victory for the Owls means that they advance to faceoff against No. 1 seed Richmond in the A-10 Championship today at 2 p.m. at Ellen Ryan Field at St. Joseph’s.

Temple looks to carry this moment into the championship game. Youtz said that this is experience is something that the team has been working for all season.

“It’s everything we’ve worked for through the whole entire season, it’s kind of like a dream come true to be in the position,” Youtz said.

“If we can just play as a team again, we had so many different members of the team step up today,” coach Amanda Janney said. “From attacking to defensively, we had outstanding play from everybody, I think if we could get that same team effort tomorrow, I think we’ll come out on top.”

Colin Tansits can be reached at colin.tansits@temple.edu.