Defense Leads the Way in 7-3 Lacrosse Win Over Vanderbilt

Saturday, April 9

Geasey Field

1:00 p.m.

Temple University

9-3, 1-1

Vanderbilt

4-8, 0-3

Vanderbilt

Temple

Senior Jaqi Kakalecik

Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University

Defense Leads the Way in 7-3 Lacrosse Win Over Vanderbilt

4.9.16 | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA - On a cold, snowy Saturday afternoon that affected visibility and ball handling, an outstanding defensive effort by the Temple lacrosse team gave the Owls a 7-3 win against visiting Vanderbilt. It was the first BIG EAST Conference win for Temple, who improves to 9-3 overall and 1-1 in league play, while Vanderbilt falls to 4-8 overall and 0-3 in the conference.

Temple held the Commodores without a goal for more than 50 minutes to close out the game. All three of Vanderbilt's tallies came in the opening nine minutes and 21 seconds. Senior goalkeeper Jaqi Kakalecik made four saves, three of those coming in the second half to hold the Commodores scoreless.

Junior Morgan Glassford scored twice for Temple, while senior Kirstie Connor notched a goal and an assist. Four other players also got in on the action, with seniors Carly Demato, Rachel Schwaab and Nicole Tiernan along with junior Brooke Williams all recording a single goal for the Owls.

Defensively, senior Summer Jaros held marked Vanderbilt's leading scorer, Kelly Chandler, and held her to just a single goal. Jaros recorded one of the Owls' seven caused turnovers in a turnover-heavy game for both teams.

Emma Dagres scored twice for Vanderbilt, the second of those giving the Commodores a 3-2 lead with 10 minutes elapsed in the game. From there it was all Temple the rest of the way, as the Owls used long attacking sets keep possession for a majority of the game.

Glassford's second goal came on an assist from Connor and tied the game at 3-3 with 15:05 to go in the first half, and Connor scored less than 30 seconds later to give the Owls a lead they would not relinquish.

Williams gave Temple a 4-3 lead at 14:38, and Demato made a strong move to find a narrow opening for the Owls' final goal of the half with just 34 seconds remaining. After taking a 6-3 lead into the break, Temple scored the game's only goal of the second half. That final goal was Tiernan's, as she converted on a free position opportunity with 17:08 remaining.

The Commodores ended up out-shooting the Owls 11-8 in the second half, but Kakalecik saved all three of those that were on target while another hit the goalpost.

Temple will have just a few days to prepare for its next game, a 3 p.m. home contest against BIG EAST foe UConn on Wednesday, April 13.

Box Score (PDF) | Postgame Interview