Senior defender Kate Stewart scored the game-winning goal, the first of her career, in the Owls’ 2-1 double overtime win against Massachusetts.
On a cold, wet and windy day at Geasey Field last Sunday, the field hockey team squared off against No. 10 Massachusetts.
Saint Joseph’s shut out the Owls in their Atlantic Ten Conference opener, but the Owls (5-10, 1-1 in conference) evened their conference record thanks to senior defender Kate Stewart.
At the 12:15 mark in double overtime, sophomore forward/midfielder Bridget Settles passed the ball to Stewart off a corner penalty opportunity, and Stewart worked the ball past UMass sophomore goalkeeper Alesha Widdell for her first career goal and the 2-1 victory.
Stewart’s goal came against the goalkeeper who leads the A-10 with six shutouts.
Coach Amanda Janney praised Settles for her unselfish approach as well as her smart play after the game, two attributes the Owls needed after losing senior captain and midfielder Charise Young to injury after a UMass shot struck her in the face at the second half’s 32:15 mark.
“The injury itself was kind of detrimental in terms of she’s our leader, she’s our senior captain and one of our top players,” Janney said.
Despite killing three corner penalty opportunities early, the Owls gave up their first goal on a corner penalty shot from junior defender/midfielder Makaela Potts shortly after Young’s injury and trailed, 1-0.
In the first half, the Owls had continuously created scoring opportunities for themselves, including two corner penalty chances in the first 10 minutes of action, but failed to take advantage of them.
Finally, with 20:30 remaining in the game, Temple started up the sidelines toward the goal, seeking a chance to tie the game. Settles gained possession in the corner and worked by a defender to set up senior forward Mandi Ruth in front of the goal. Ruth notched her third goal of the season thanks to Settles’ third assist, and the Owls tied the game at 1-1.
The ebbs and flows of the game continued, as Temple successfully denied penalty corner opportunities from UMass at the 19:10 mark and the 18:40 mark. UMass responded by denying Temple at the 15:50 mark and the 15:15 mark.
The Owls’ offensive attack forced one more corner penalty chance at the end of regulation. The shot went in, but officials ruled it too high.
The Owls entered the first seven-on-seven, 15-minute overtime period with a chance to upset UMass by one goal for the first time since the 2007 season.
The first overtime mirrored the majority of regulation, with tough defense and strong offensive aggression from both teams. Neither team scored.
The Owls produced the game-winning goal thanks to a Ruth-to-Settles-to-Stewart pass.
After the win, Janney said the Owls’ confidence is “through the roof right now,” and that Temple will try to ride that confidence into Friday’s game at West Chester.
Raymond Boyd can be reached at raymond.boyd@temple.edu.
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