Temple University will have to win their remaining two games if they want to reach last year’s total of four after their loss to Villanova on Oct. 19.
Unless Temple beats both Quinnipiac University and Saint Francis University in their final two games, the Owls will record their fewest wins in a season with 15 or more games since 1977.
“There’s no doubt that we need to enjoy being with our team and representing Temple as positively as possible,” coach Marybeth Freeman said. “The focus is going to be to figure out how we need to beat Quinnipiac, and to be really dialed in, focus on the details.”
Despite scoring first, Temple (2-14, 0-6 Big East Conference) lost 3-1 to Villanova (8-8, 3-3 Big East).
“It was a good setup for us to get in [the game],” said junior midfielder Kathryn Edgar, who scored the Owls’ first and only goal in the first 15 minutes of play. “We wanted to create that tone, get that tempo going forward. We wanted to get the energy up.”
Edgar took eight of the team’s 14 shot attempts; four of her shots went on goal, accounting for half the Owls’ shots on goal.
Villanova junior forward Megan Vermeil scored twice and assisted on the third goal, tallying five points on the night and taking the team points lead.
All four goals in the game were scored on penalty corners. Villanova was awarded 16 penalty corners, with nine in the first half. The Owls had nine corners through the entire 70 minutes.
“We’re giving them too many corners,” Freeman said. “If we don’t give them that many corners, then we don’t give that team that many options to score.”
Temple freshman forward and midfielder Nienke Oerlemans, who didn’t play since the Sept. 30 game at Penn due to injury, returned to the field as a substitute. Oerlemans played strong in her first game in nearly a month, Freeman said.
“She really was a driving force on some of our attack,” Freeman said. “It looks like she didn’t miss a beat.”
The Owls’ next game is on Oct 26 against Quinnipiac before their final game of the season on Oct 28 when they take on Saint Francis.
“What we want is for the senior group especially to enjoy the remaining games and practices that they have left,” Freeman said.
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