Field Hockey Falls 3-2 at Villanova

Saturday, October 15

Villanova, Pa.

12:00 p.m.

Temple University

(5-10, 2-3)

Villanova

(3-12, 1-4)

Temple

Villanova

Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University

Field Hockey Falls 3-2 at Villanova

10.15.16 | Field Hockey

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. - With just four minutes to go, Villanova's Emma McLaughlin broke a tie and scored the game-winner to hand Temple field hockey a 3-2 loss on Saturday afternoon. The Owls (5-10, 2-3) had been leading the game with 10 minutes to go, but McLaughlin scored twice in that span to lift the Wildcats (4-11, 1-4) to victory.

"In order to get the win at the end of the day you have to be able to play on both sides of the ball," said Temple head coach Marybeth Freeman. "Regardless of the way we were able to generate on attack, because of the way Villanova was playing, that doesn't do us any good if we can't play defense. I think from our forwards to our middies to our backs to our goalkeeping, we lacked individual defense all over the field. When you're only playing on one side of the ball, it's going to make it almost impossible to win."

Total shots and shots on goal were relatively equal in the game, but Villanova had the edge in penalty corners, 11-8.

On Villanova's first penalty corner in the third minute, the Wildcats were awarded a stroke after a foul on the play. Villanova's Francesca Bello sent the ball into the lower left corner to give her team a 1-0 early lead.

Six minutes later the Owls got a more fortunate break when an apparent Villanova goal on a corner was deemed illegal.

Temple used that momentum to its advantage, earning back-to-back corners and scoring on the second of those. Freshman Kathryn Edgar took the initial shot on the second corner which was saved by Villanova's Erika Miller, but sophomore Jessika Daniels collected the rebound and scored to tie the game in the 13th minute.

After 20 minutes of scoreless play, Temple took the lead on a Rachael Mueller goal, her team-leading ninth of the season. She got the pass from Sarah Keer with just under two minutes left until halftime and gave the Owls a 2-1 lead heading into the break.

The first 25 minutes of the second half were a back-and-forth battle, and Temple goalkeeper Maddie Lilliock made four saves as did Miller for the Wildcats.

With nine minutes and 30 seconds left, McLaughlin dribbled in for her first goal to tie the game. Less than six minutes later, after a shot and save on a corner, McLaughlin struck again for the game-winner.

Temple had two penalty-corner chances in the final seconds, but both shots by Hattie Kuhns were blocked by the Villanova defense.

"We will regroup from this," said Freeman. "We know that the Quinnipiac game is going to be a difficult game, but with our time off we'll focus on recouping our bodies and our minds to best be prepared for that game."

The Owls will host Quinnipiac in their next game, a 3 p.m. contest on Friday, Oct. 21 at Howarth Field.

Box Score (PDF)