The women’s soccer team kept to its game plan against Monmouth Sunday, save for the portion that included scoring a goal.
Two 10-minute overtime periods weren’t enough to decide Temple’s final non-conference game of the season Sunday, as the Owls played to a 0-0 tie against the Hawks at Ambler Field.
Temple moved to 4-2-2.
“We played tough,” coach David Jones said. “We played according to our plan.”
The first half largely played itself out in midfield. The two teams managed a combined four shots in the period, with the Hawks (3-2-3) taking three of them.
“We knew they were a talented team, so we had planned to sit back the first half,” Jones said. “We’re young, so we don’t want early mistakes.”
Temple succeeded in its hope to temper the game’s pace and mitigate Monmouth’s talented senior midfielder Amy Hoyer, Jones said. The senior midfielder leads the Hawks with 25 shots. She’s notched one goal and one assist.
The second half featured more fluid play, which favored Monmouth. While both offenses lagged, Monmouth managed to outshoot the Owls, 7-4, in the second stanza. Ultimately, the Hawks out-shot Temple 12-6 in the game.
Katrina Lynch, a junior midfielder, took three of Temple’s shots, but was unhesitant in her support.
“We got some opportunities,” Lynch said. “But, really, our keeper came up huge.”
Kara Williams, the Owls’ freshman goalkeeper, made seven saves, including two of significance in extra play.
In the 95th minute, Hoyer got space to let loose a shot outside Temple’s penalty area. Williams jumped and punched the shot wide. Early in the second session of overtime, Monmouth’s Kim Malecki, a freshman, saw a direct shot deflected by Williams.
Williams is part of a reinvigorated Temple defense, much improved over last year when the Owls tied St. Bonaventure for the most goals allowed in the Atlantic Ten Conference. This season, the Owls are tied for eighth in the A-10, having surrendered eight goals.
“I just wanted to do my part,” Williams said. “We can feel good about walking away with a hard fought tie.”
After beginning the season 3-0-1, Temple has struggled against tougher non-conference teams in the Philadelphia region. Before beating Saint Peter’s Friday, Temple had dropped two straight, losing to Villanova and Marist.
Sunday marked only the second time in team history that the Owls have played Monmouth. At the first match-up in 1992, the Owls defeat the Hawks 4-1.
Temple begins its conference schedule Friday, when a tough Dayton team, riding four straight wins, visits Ambler Field. The next six games the Owls play will be against teams that saw postseason action last season, including 2006 A-10 Champion Saint Louis.
Still, Temple hopes to improve over last year’s 1-8-0 conference record, which left them in the basement with St. Bonaventure.
Christopher Wink can be reached at cgw@temple.edu.
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