After Temple built a 7-5 lead, Villanova tried to answer back with a goal before halftime. Sophomore goalkeeper Jaqi Kakalecik didn’t allow that to happen..
“I saw [a Wildcat] coming around the crease,” Kakalecik said. “I watched her stick and tried to get as close as I could. I was trying to react.”
Villanova fought back, however. The Wildcats erased two two-goal leads the Owls held during the game. Kakelecik, who shared minutes at goal during the team’s first six games, has been playing full-time at the position since a March 15 game against Delaware.
“Everyone on defense knew we needed to make a big stop,” Kakalecik said. “Then we could get the ball back to the offense, but I was focused on making another stop.”
Kakalecik made several key stops in the closing minutes to secure a 12-10 win for the Owls, and recorded her highest saves total of the season. She credited the team’s defense for her success.
“We are all one unit,” she said. “When I’m picking them up it helps them play better and when they play well it helps me. It’s a self-amplifying cycle. We feed off of each other.”
Fabian Elumogo can be reached at fabian.elumogo@temple.edu.
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