True freshman Rachel Schwaab leads the Temple Owls with three goals in an 8-7 victory against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Wednesday afternoon.
“I think we did a good job of being stronger than Rutgers, all day today. By the end, I think we were the team who had more in us,” coach Bonnie Rosen said.
Four unanswered goals in the second period, gave the Owls their first lead of the game and enough points to come away with a one point victory. Temple (2-0) wins it’s second consecutive game, following a victory against Niagara.
“The game, in a whole, was fun because it was so intense and because it was a close game,” Schwaab said.
In addition to Schwaab’s first career hat trick, senior midfielder Stephany Parcell and junior attacker Jaymie Tabor added two goals each in the victory. Sophomore midfielder Molly Seefried also added a goal. Senior goalkeeper Meghan Clothier received her second career win and grabbed three saves, in her first full 60 minutes, as the Owls’ goalie.
Rutgers (1-1) lost its first game of the season, after starting the season 1-0, with it’s blowout win versus Manhattan. The Scarlet Knights were led by junior midfielder Katrina Martinelli and senior midfielder Stephanie Anderson, who recorded two goals and one assist each. Senior goalie Lily Kalata tallied a game-high ten saves.
The Scarlet Knights started the game with two unanswered goals, by Martinelli and freshman attacker Halley Barnes, in the first four minutes of play.
“In the first half, we started a little flat on our defense,” Clothier said, “After those two goals, we just started coming together saying ‘we got this’ and we started to step up and play our defense.”
After four possessions of swapping goals, Rutgers held a 4-2 advantage, late in the first period.
With a little under six minutes until halftime Schwaab would score two consecutive goals, knotting it up at 4-4.
“Obviously going to the half, you don’t want to be down,” Schwaab said, “I think that helped get the intensity up because in the beginning we started a little slow.”
The start of second half would mirror the start of the first, with two unanswered goals by Rutgers. Shortly after the Scarlet Knights gained the 6-4 lead, Temple went on a run. Parcell and Schwaab would answer with goals, to tie the game, once again.
“We were prepared to be in a tough game and we know lacrosse can be a game of runs,” Rosen said, “One goal, two goals really is not anything to be worried about, nor is it a place to be comfortable with.”
With 13:18 on the clock, Parcell scored her second goal of the day, giving the Owls their first lead of the day, which they would not lose.
Followed by a second Tabor goal, the lead was pushed to two, late in the second period.
“I think that defensively they went more high pressure, than Niagara was. So, I think it took a bit for the offense to get used to,” Parcell said, “Once we found our groove, got into it and we were fine.”
Although a Megan Clements goal brought the Scarlet Knights within one, the Owls gained the last possession, successfully running out the game clock.
“Today was definitely an example of a battle. We battled the weather. We battled each other,” Parcell said, “It was an all-around great team win we had today.”
Brien Edwards can be reached at brien.edwards@temple.edu.
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