Owls defeat Dragons with last-second goal

Temple Field Hockey (9-3, 1-1 Big East Conference) defeated Drexel University (6-5, 0-2 Colonial Athletic Association Conference) 3-2 at Temple Sports Complex. With no time remaining in the game, the Owls were awarded their sixth corner of the match and sophomore midfielder Tess Muller was able to score the game-winner on a sweeping shot to give the Owls their ninth win of the season. 

KEY PLAYS

• Ten minutes into the first quarter, Drexel graduate defender Taylor Mason scored on a sweeping shot from the top of the arch for her first goal of the season.
• Five minutes into the second quarter on Temple’s second corner of the game, senior defender McKenna Burkhardt scored on a sweeping shot for her team-leading seventh goal of the season.
• With just five minutes remaining, Burkhardt scored her second goal of the game off Temple’s third penalty stroke of the season. 
• With four minutes left in the game, junior forward Eline Di Leva scored Drexel’s second goal to tie it up late.
• With no time remaining on the clock, Muller scores on a penalty corner to give the Owls the win in walk-off fashion.

THE NUMBERS

• Drexel’s Mason scored one goal, her first of the year for the Dragons.
• Drexel’s Di Leva finished with one goal.
• Temple’s Burkhardt scored two goals and leads the team with 8 goals on the year.
• Temple’s Muller finished with one goal, the game winning goal and her fourth goal of the season.

WORDS FROM THE TEAM

“Drexel is a really good competitor for us because they come out really strong,” Muller said. “I feel like we as a team just had to keep our head cool, and I feel like we did great and we had good connections. We played really well and I’m really proud of us.”

“Both games, Georgetown and Drexel, we played literally to the last two minutes,” Burkhardt said. “Just continuing to play that full 60 minutes, just bringing that to Providence because it’s going to be a close game and just bringing that to them is what’s gonna be key for us.”

WORDS FROM COACH

“Last weekend wasn’t great, but I think we needed it,” said head coach Michelle Vittese. “There’s always an opportunity that presents from failure, that was a little bit of a gift. We took it on the chin and we had to address some things and made the necessary adjustments for this weekend.”

ON TAP

The Owls will look to build off the win when they take on Big East rival Providence College (5-6, 2-1 Big East Conference) on Friday, Oct. 7 at 3 p.m. at Howarth Field.