Temple Women’s Soccer entered Thursday’s game in the midst of two unforgettable streaks. It had been nearly a calendar year since the Owls had scored a goal and picked up an ever so elusive win.
Following a disastrous six-goal defeat to William & Mary just four days ago, things looked bleaker than ever for the program. However, after 354 days, the Owls finally managed to steer things in the right direction.
Forward Shari Atkins found the back of the net after just 13 minutes of action, putting an end to the scoreless streak. That goal unlocked a spark in the Owls, as they racked up three more goals and kept Le Moyne out of the net for the clean-sheet victory.
Temple (1-5, 0-0 American Athletic Conference) defeated Le Moyne (1-5, 0-0 Northeast Conference) 4-0 Thursday afternoon. The win marks the first victory for first-year head coach Chris Shaw and the first time Temple scored four goals since Oct. 1, 2022, against LIU.
Following Atkins’ opening goal, Le Moyne nearly found a goal of its own. Temple defender Rylie Wilpolt coughed up the ball leaving Dolphins’ midfielder Danielle Casey in a one-on-one battle with Temple goalkeeper Tamsin Bynoe. Bynoe stuffed the ensuing shot to preserve the lead and continues to be a bright spot in an otherwise dim season.
Temple’s attempt to grow the lead for the next 30 minutes were ruined by nine offsides penalties. Atkins was still a factor on offense, but constant double and triple teams from the Dolphins’ back line held her at bay.
After 45 minutes, the Owls re-emerged from the locker room determined to break the losing streak with everything they had. The effort was put on full display in the 59th minute when Temple defender Maggie Roepke got in a scrap with Casey, prompting the referee to issue both players a yellow card.
Atkins reemerged just a minute after the scrap, finding midfielder Fiona Kilian who hammered a shot home to double the Owls’ lead.
The Owls kept their foot on the gas as midfielder Raquel Patalon scored in the 69th minute. Killian found Temple midfielder Caroline Oestergaard 10 minutes later to put the exclamation mark on Temple’s first win in nearly a full year.
Temple midfielder Yao Zhou dished out two assists while leading the team in shots throughout the 90 minutes. Her passing performance in the midfield transformed the game, opening up the Owls’ offensive opportunities.
The Owls will stay on the road but return to Philadelphia after a five-game road trip when they visit City 6 rival La Salle (3-1-1, 0-0 Atlantic 10) on Sept. 8 at 1 p.m.
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