Women’s soccer drops first two A-10 matchups last weekend.
This weekend’s road games proved to be a rough ride for the Temple women’s soccer team (3-8, Atlantic Ten Conference 0-2), losing to cross-town rival La Salle on Friday then again to Fordham.
A score of 0-5 ended Friday’s matchup against La Salle, who stands at 9-0-1, 1-0 in the A-10. Playing at McCarthy Stadium, the Explorers’ freshman Kelsey Haycook recorded her first collegiate hat trick, getting past the Owls’ junior goalkeeper Tara Murphy three times throughout the game.
“Friday night’s game was a tough one,” senior midfielder Kate Yurkovic said. “We knew going into it that it was going to be a battle.”
The A-10 opener began with two goals for the Explorers in the first half beginning in the seventh minute. Haycook secured the first goal and followed up with another in the 19th minute. She scored one more in the 51st minute before teammates redshirt-senior midfielder Morgan Golden and sophomore forward Renee Washington finalized the win, each nabbing a goal in the 62nd and 64th minutes, respectively.
On Sunday, one goal separated the Owls from defeating the Fordham Rams as the two teams faced off in Bronx, N.Y. this past Sunday.
“Today’s game we did a lot better. We played awesome defense we just could not seem to get a break in the offensive third,” Yurkovic said. “We definitely competed, though all we can do now is focus on this weekend coming up.”
Not until the 57th minute did the Rams take advantage of a break in the back line, when Rams’ freshman midfielder Jessica Widman set up a chance for freshman forward Kristina Maksuti. Receiving Widman’s pass, Maksuti fired a wide shot, which glanced off the post and into the net.
Coach Matt Gwilliam said he will remain optimistic in his first season as coach, despite starting conference play with two losses.
“A key component of bringing future success to our women’s soccer program here at Temple will be a change in the culture of the program,” Gwilliam said. “We all just need to remember that this is a lengthy process that doesn’t happen overnight.”
The Owls return home to Ambler Campus this Friday, where they will face off against the Richmond Spiders at 4 p.m.
Elizabeth Sim can be reached at esmin@temple.edu.
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