McKenna Burkhardt has endured a lot during her Temple Field Hockey career. The senior back has experienced losing seasons, a coaching change and now the program’s newfound success.
Now, in her last season, Burkhardt has just one goal for her team: make it to the Big East Conference championship.
“The last three or four years, we have been knocking on the door of the championship,” Burkhardt said. “Win or lose, just being able to get to that championship would be great since it is on our home field this year.”
The Owls (6-5, 1-2 Big East Conference) opened the season on a four-game winning streak and entered the National Field Hockey Coaches Association rankings at No. 19, their highest rank since 2014.
Now, after three straight shutout losses to Old Dominion, No. 9 Liberty and Monmouth, Temple is unranked, and its hopes of making the Big East championship game could be slipping away.
The Owls have now been shut out five times this season, as they lost to now-No. 7 Virginia 6-0 and Yale 1-0 earlier in the season.
Even in their wins, the Owls have struggled to assert themselves on the offensive end like they did last season. Temple did not record more than two goals in a game during the first 11 games of the season. They have scored just 10 goals, averaging less than one goal per game, which ranks 74th out of 77 qualified teams. The Owls are one of four teams in the country averaging less than one goal per game.
“We definitely have not been performing our best attacking wise,” said midfielder Tess Muller, who leads the team in goals. “A lot of that is due to the competition we have played. We have had some great challenges and that has made it difficult to convert on goal opportunities.”
Despite their lack of scoring, the Owls have created plenty of opportunities to do so. Temple has fired off 115 shots, with 66 being on goal. They are also averaging more than six penalty corners per game, the 25th most in the country.
In games against Yale and Long Island, Temple recorded double-digit penalty corners, and they had double-digit shots against Lehigh, James Madison and Monmouth.
While the team has created plenty of opportunities, Temple’s offense hasn’t been able to finish the job.
“We are playing with the mindset of one chance is going to be able to get in, which will never work against good teams,” said head coach Michelle Vittese. “We need to maximize our attacking opportunities by putting numbers ahead, being more relentless and desperate and making sure we stay professional on our corners.”
The Owls are struggling against nationally-ranked opponents, a problem that plagued them for multiple seasons under Vittese. Last season, they finished 1-4 against ranked teams, with their lone win coming against UConn on Oct. 28. This season has not been any better, as the Owls are 0-2 against ranked teams.
However, Temple has been solid on the defensive side of the field with Burkhardt and backs Alizé Maes and Lilly Petersen as anchors on the back line. Their play has made goalkeeper Molly Frey’s life fairly simple. The back line has only given up 92 shot attempts, and opposing teams have forced just 54 penalty corners.
Temple has also only allowed more than one goal in two games this season, both instances coming against top-10 opponents Liberty and Virginia. The Owls have given up just 16 goals, which averages to 1.5 per game.
“Defensively, we are a very solid unit and we have a phenomenal connection that helps us be as successful as we are,” Frey said. “As a whole, the team has done a really good job of making sure everyone is playing defense, even when they are attacking.”
Frey has shown up for the Owls this year when needed. The fifth-year goalie has posted 37 saves and ranks 25th in the country in goals against average. Frey has helped preserve multiple fourth-quarter leads and saved a penalty stroke in an important late-game moment against La Salle.
“Molly does these great things during the games that gives us energy and gives us momentum that we need to capitalize on,” Vittese said. “Her maturity and the ability to make the saves she needs to make has been impressive.”
With its solid defense, Temple has the ability to be one of the best teams in the conference. They have seven games remaining, and Saint Joseph’s is Temple’s only other opponent currently ranked in the top 20.
The talent and experience on Temple’s roster is undeniable, and the offensive opportunities have been there. If they begin cashing in on their chances, the Owls have a chance to make Burkhardt’s championship goal a reality.
“Our ceiling and potential is so high,” Vittese said. “Player-for-player, we are so good, and as a team, we are even better. I really do believe we can win the Big East, and we are working to make sure our players believe it during the games.”
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