In its second game of the season against Lock Haven, Temple Field Hockey stepped onto Lawrence Field with confidence. The squad was determined to replicate their commanding performance in Friday’s victory against Queens.
The Owls lacked the spark from Friday’s matchup for much of the first quarter Sunday. Neither team was able to score, but the Owls intensified their pressure as the first quarter came to an end and the Bald Eagles crumbled.
Midfielder Julia Bunch finally put the Owls on the board with four minutes left in the first quarter, opening the floodgates. Temple dominated the remainder of the game, coasting to their second straight win to open the season.
Temple (2-0, 0-0 Big East) handled Lock Haven (0-2, 0-0 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference) 6-0 Sunday afternoon. The Owls scored 13 goals through their first two games of the season, matching their total through 14 games last season.
Once Temple got the wheels churning, Lock Haven stood no chance. Midfielder Devin Kinzel found the back of the net for the second time this season seven minutes into the second quarter, putting Temple ahead 2-0.
Midfielder Marsha Ariesen followed suit by scoring four minutes later and extended the Owls’ lead to three. Lock Haven’s lone offensive attack came in the second quarter, firing off a pair of shots in an attempt to keep the game within reach. However, goalkeeper Alex Lepore snuffed out each chance to preserve the shutout heading into halftime.
Temple erupted with two goals in the first six minutes of the third quarter. Midfielder Catherine Arentz struck her first goal of the season, igniting the Owls’ momentum into the second half. Back Alizé Maes followed suit with a powerful penalty corner shot, driving the Owls to a decisive 5-0 lead.
Midfielder Halle Aschenbach added the finishing touch with the final goal in the fourth quarter, capping off the Owls’ dominant performance. Aschenbach came into the season without a collegiate goal and now has one in each of the first two games of the season.
Temple’s offense was relentless once again, unleashing 22 shots with 14 on goal. Lock Haven struggled to break through the Owls’ defense and finished with just two shots on goal. The Owls have now sent off 60 shots through the first two games, while the defense has allowed only four.
The Owls have opened the season demonstrating team depth and the ability to distribute the offensive load. There have already been nine different goal-scorers so far this season, showcasing an improved offensive attack that can help Temple overcome previous struggles against nationally-ranked opponents.
The Owls will have a chance to take on one of those aforementioned opponents when they continue their five-game road stretch and head to Charlottesville, Virginia to take on No. 3 University of Virginia (1-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) on Sept. 6 at 5 p.m.
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