The sophomore class was key in Temple’s 8-4 win against La Salle on Monday at Howarth Field.
The Owls (5-3) held a one-goal lead against the Explorers (2-4) after the first half before they scored three consecutive goals to widen their advantage. Sophomores scored all three goals.
Sophomore goalkeeper Maryn Lowell made 13 saves, including seven while the Owls held a 3-2 lead after the first half.
“I think Maryn did a really nice job today,” coach Bonnie Rosen said. “She certainly gave us the extra chances. I think she’s really been working hard on her game over spring break while we’ve been training, and it was really nice to see it show up today.”
Temple senior attacker Toni Yuko scored her eighth goal of the season to tie the game at one with 15 minutes, 15 seconds left. Temple didn’t trail for the rest of the game.
Sophomore midfielder Meghan Hoffman scored the first of her two goals 4:02 after Yuko’s goal. The Owls capped off a three-goal run when sophomore midfielder and attacker Olivia Thompson scored unassisted with 1:39 left before halftime.
“Toni hit that first goal, and that gave us a lot of momentum,” said Thompson, who had two goals and an assist.
The Owls’ three-goal, second-half run started when Hoffman scored her second goal of the game just 50 seconds into the second half. Hoffman then assisted Thompson’s second goal just more than five minutes later.
Neither team scored for the next 15:21 before sophomore midfielder Maddie Gebert gave Temple a 6-2 lead. Gebert scored twice in the second half to tally her 15th and 16th goals of the season.
La Salle scored first on a free position shot for freshman midfielder Bridget Ruskey. She scored three of the Explorers’ goals and won a team-high five draws.
Both teams’ goalkeepers played well in the contest. La Salle sophomore Lynne Frankel made 12 saves and kept the Explorers in the hunt for a win.
She stopped four free-position shots. Freshman midfielder Bridget Whitaker scored Temple’s lone free-position goal out of its nine chances with less than five seconds left.
“There was not an easy goal for us on [Frankel],” Rosen said.
“If we get nine free-position shots and only come away with one, it’s a bit of a missed opportunity,” Rosen added. “We want to be able to finish those shots.”
The Owls’ next game marks the beginning of their Big East Conference schedule. They’ll host the University of Denver, which is ranked 22nd in the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association poll, on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Howarth Field.
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