1999 Temple Field Hockey Season In Review

The Temple field hockey team highlighted its 1999 season with a trip to

the Atlantic 10 Tournament for seven-year Head Coach Lauren Fuchs. The

Owls improved over their 1998 record to post a 7-13 mark in 1999 and

finish second in the Atlantic 10 Conference (4-1).

Leading the Owls in scoring was senior Torie Russell (Eaton, Pa./Easton

Area). Russell recorded seven goals and three assists on the year. She

scored the game-winning goal in overtime to lift the Owls to a 1-0 win

over St. Joseph's in the A-10 regular season. Sophomore Juliann Leswkiw

(Wilkes-Barre, Pa./Coughlin), who was named to the Atlantic 10

All-Tournament squad, recorded nine points (4 goals and 1 assist), while

junior Jessica Jaworski (Voorhees, N.J./Eastern) added eight points (1

goal and 6 assists).

Senior Heather Walker (Lancaster, Pa./Conestoga Valley) and freshman

Emily Moyer (Dresher, Pa./Upper Dublin) led the defensive charge,

including five shut out wins, three of which came in the Owls' three

game win streak, the longest of the season. Walker was selected to the

Atlantic 10 All-Conference team and was a second team regional

All-American, while Moyer earned an A-10 Player of the Week citation.

Senior goalkeeper Serene McGrath (Cinnaminson, N.J./Little Flower)

finished with a 2.77 goals against average after starting all 20 games

for the Cherry and White. She logged 1,312 minutes in the cage and had a

.759 save percentage. Backup goal tender April Herman (Lancaster,

Pa./Conestoga Valley) saw action in six games and was a part of two

Temple shutouts.

Seven Owls started all 20 games, including junior Kacy Ziomek (Sweet

Valley, Pa./Lake Lehman), and seniors Steph Buchen (Lancaster,

Pa./Conestoga Valley) and Michelle Murawski (Philadelphia, Pa./Little

Flower) as well as Jaworski, Walker, Moyer and McGrath. Murawski

garnered a second team regional All-American honor as well as being

named to the Atlantic 10 All-Tournament squad. Ziomek was named to the

NFHCA National Academic Squad along with sophomore Jessica Grisafi

(Lancaster, Pa./Conestoga Valley).

The Owls played one of the toughest schedules in the nation, facing six

nationally ranked squads. Compounding matters was the loss of Fuch's top

returning player from the 1998 squad, senior Jill Polmateer (St.

Johnsville, N.Y./Johnstown) who suffered a knee injury after the fourth

game of the season. It was Polmateer who led the Owls to the first

victory of the season, a 1-0 win over Louisville in the Temple

Invitational. Polmateer is awaiting word on a medical redshirt that

could grant her another season.

Fuchs returns all but four players for the 2000 season . Graduating

seniors include Walker, Murawski, Russell and Buchen.

Temple University Athletics