The women’s soccer team recorded its first win of the season with a 1-0 shutout win against visiting New Jersey Institute of Technology on Friday at the Ambler Sports Complex.
For Temple, it was an exciting opportunity to see friends and family after opening the season with three road games.
“Its our first win, our first game at home, and it is just exciting to have parents and friends here,” senior midfielder Kate Yurkovic said. “We were able to prove a lot to ourselves and to everybody else today.”
The Owls came home to Ambler and kept their four home-game shutout streak alive, dating back to last season.
“It is an awesome feeling to show how hard we have been working in the preseason and in these first three games,” redshirt-senior goalkeeper Tara Murphy said.
With a shutout in the match, Murphy recorded her first of the 2012 season and the sixth of her career. Murphy recorded two saves on two shots on goal by NJIT. For Temple, the name of the game today was defense.
“The defense played well today,” coach Matt Gwilliam said. “Anytime you are able to keep a team off of the score sheet, you get a point out of the day.
The first half of the game was led by both a strong offensive attack by the Owls, and held off by their defensive play.
The Temple offense launched six total shots in the first half, one of which resulted in the lone goal for the Owls by Yurkovic in the 23rd minute, assisted by senior defender Casey Greco. With her second goal of the season, Yurkovic has now doubled her total from the 2011 season.
“Honestly I do not even look at the stats,” Yurkovic said. “As long as we win, that is all that matters.
Senior midfielder Jourdan Brill left the first half with a quadriceps injury. When asked when Brill will be back on the field again, coach Gwilliam said her timetable for return was uncertain.
The second half of the match began differently, as NJIT swept the offensive momentum from Temple.
In the 38th minute of the second half, Murphy yelled, “Come on Temple, just relax now!”
“We weren’t playing our game that we were playing in the first half,” Murphy said. “I wanted the team to calm down and play our game because we were playing a lot better in the first half.
The Owls settled in, allowing three shots in the second half, two of which were stopped on goal by Murphy.
The defense kept the ball away from NJIT in the final 10 minutes and never allowed for an opportunity to tie the score.
With the win today, the Owls improve to 1-2-1, while NJIT lost their fourth straight match to fall to 1-4-0.
The Owls’ next match is Sunday, Sept. 2, on the road against The University of Pennsylvania.
John Murrow can be reached at john.murrow@temple.edu
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