Temple University Athletics
Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University
Women’s Soccer Utilizes Spring Season as a Catapult for the Upcoming Season
5.1.15 | Women's Soccer
PHILADELPHIA – Women's Soccer Head Coach Seamus O'Connor has already made a big impact at Temple in two seasons with the team improving their record from the previous year in both seasons. Last year the Owls had the best start in program history with seven straight wins and tied the program's record for wins in a season with 11. With the team wrapping up the spring season last week, O'Connor and the Owls head into the summer feeling confident their team will reach success never achieved by the program.
O'Connor scheduled five games against Villanova, Lehigh, Lafayette, Holy Family, and Saint Joseph's. He provided five opponents that use different styles and formations to help the Owls prepare for next season. The spring season allowed players who didn't see the field in the fall to showcase their improvements and allowed position battles to occur all throughout the lineup.
"The plan going into the spring season was to look at the players who didn't play in the fall and try to figure out how we would change how we play based on our success in the fall because we found that teams were playing us a little differently than the previous year," said O'Connor. "So those were our biggest objectives to find out what those players that didn't play much in the fall could help us moving forward because I know what so many seniors in this upcoming fall can do, and I need to know what's coming next."
The Owls rose to the challenge this spring, and O'Connor was impressed with how his team played, especially with a new system being used from the previous year. Several players took advantage of the opportunity to improve their skillset and conditioning to be in a position to be a key contributor for next season.
"The spring was excellent. We kind of got everything we wanted to get. We found players who hadn't played in the fall who became big, big players for us. Elana Falcone had an absolutely tremendous spring. She played in the fall, but not at the level she did in the spring. She was just way more comfortable, and her fitness after working with strength and conditioning coach Sam Whitney had her ready to play. She had an absolutely phenomenal spring season and is someone who's going to help us going forward. It was good for the girls to see a new way of playing. With a new way of playing this spring, we had a lot of success with it."
Returning rotation players and starters also were able to improve their games and force O'Connor to make adjustments to the team. These changes worked greatly with a new formation that allows the Owls' offense to be more aggressive and versatile, something the American Athletic Conference hasn't seen yet from Temple.
"We had good battles in a number of positions. We changed formation and the girls picked that up. I think Taylor Matsinger really showed us an ability to play as an outside back. She had a really good spring, and that allowed us to move Kaylee Harner further up the field and become more of an attacking player. We got better as an attacking team this spring. We were able to move players around and create more options as an attacking team. It won't be the same as it was in the fall so it'll be harder for teams to figure out where our goals are going to come from. That was definitely the biggest thing for us."
With all five games coming against nearby Pennsylvania schools, each game was competitive. The spring season ended at Saint Joseph's, whom the Owls defeated 1-0 last year with a goal by Gina DiTaranto with less than three minutes left. The Owls once again were able to come out victorious against the city rival to cap a successful spring season.
"We finished the spring season with a win against Saint Joseph's, and that was just great. It doesn't matter where or when we play them, those games are always great battles. It was a game that could have easily ended in a tie, but we just managed to get that victory. So to finish the spring season in a game that was really competitive between two very good teams, that just put our team on a nice high as we enter summer."
The Owls only lose member from last season, Alyssa Kirk. The team chemistry and cohesion was evident from day one of the offseason for O'Connor. The leadership and experience has put him to ease because he knows not just the seniors and leaders but everyone else will not allow the team to settle. They are setting a culture for the program that will allow continued success for not just next season, but beyond that.
"This was the quickest offseason I've ever had. It was in the last couple days of the spring season before I knew it. The team just has such a focus of where they want to go to. It was such a fast offseason, just crazy to think of how fast it went. The girls are pretty automatic. They show up every day. They do their work at the weight room and practice field. It's amazing I don't have to coax them to perform. They show up every day and I know they're going to give me their best. It doesn't matter what we ask of them. I think that's just becoming automatic with this program. Having so many girls back is a huge part of that. The standards are set by the returnees, and our captains have just done a great job. They've lead and held the team accountable, and helped me get the message across."
O'Connor scheduled five games against Villanova, Lehigh, Lafayette, Holy Family, and Saint Joseph's. He provided five opponents that use different styles and formations to help the Owls prepare for next season. The spring season allowed players who didn't see the field in the fall to showcase their improvements and allowed position battles to occur all throughout the lineup.
"The plan going into the spring season was to look at the players who didn't play in the fall and try to figure out how we would change how we play based on our success in the fall because we found that teams were playing us a little differently than the previous year," said O'Connor. "So those were our biggest objectives to find out what those players that didn't play much in the fall could help us moving forward because I know what so many seniors in this upcoming fall can do, and I need to know what's coming next."
The Owls rose to the challenge this spring, and O'Connor was impressed with how his team played, especially with a new system being used from the previous year. Several players took advantage of the opportunity to improve their skillset and conditioning to be in a position to be a key contributor for next season.
"The spring was excellent. We kind of got everything we wanted to get. We found players who hadn't played in the fall who became big, big players for us. Elana Falcone had an absolutely tremendous spring. She played in the fall, but not at the level she did in the spring. She was just way more comfortable, and her fitness after working with strength and conditioning coach Sam Whitney had her ready to play. She had an absolutely phenomenal spring season and is someone who's going to help us going forward. It was good for the girls to see a new way of playing. With a new way of playing this spring, we had a lot of success with it."
Returning rotation players and starters also were able to improve their games and force O'Connor to make adjustments to the team. These changes worked greatly with a new formation that allows the Owls' offense to be more aggressive and versatile, something the American Athletic Conference hasn't seen yet from Temple.
"We had good battles in a number of positions. We changed formation and the girls picked that up. I think Taylor Matsinger really showed us an ability to play as an outside back. She had a really good spring, and that allowed us to move Kaylee Harner further up the field and become more of an attacking player. We got better as an attacking team this spring. We were able to move players around and create more options as an attacking team. It won't be the same as it was in the fall so it'll be harder for teams to figure out where our goals are going to come from. That was definitely the biggest thing for us."
With all five games coming against nearby Pennsylvania schools, each game was competitive. The spring season ended at Saint Joseph's, whom the Owls defeated 1-0 last year with a goal by Gina DiTaranto with less than three minutes left. The Owls once again were able to come out victorious against the city rival to cap a successful spring season.
"We finished the spring season with a win against Saint Joseph's, and that was just great. It doesn't matter where or when we play them, those games are always great battles. It was a game that could have easily ended in a tie, but we just managed to get that victory. So to finish the spring season in a game that was really competitive between two very good teams, that just put our team on a nice high as we enter summer."
The Owls only lose member from last season, Alyssa Kirk. The team chemistry and cohesion was evident from day one of the offseason for O'Connor. The leadership and experience has put him to ease because he knows not just the seniors and leaders but everyone else will not allow the team to settle. They are setting a culture for the program that will allow continued success for not just next season, but beyond that.
"This was the quickest offseason I've ever had. It was in the last couple days of the spring season before I knew it. The team just has such a focus of where they want to go to. It was such a fast offseason, just crazy to think of how fast it went. The girls are pretty automatic. They show up every day. They do their work at the weight room and practice field. It's amazing I don't have to coax them to perform. They show up every day and I know they're going to give me their best. It doesn't matter what we ask of them. I think that's just becoming automatic with this program. Having so many girls back is a huge part of that. The standards are set by the returnees, and our captains have just done a great job. They've lead and held the team accountable, and helped me get the message across."
Players Mentioned
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