Temple University Athletics
Field Hockey Ranked 19th in NFHCA Coaches Poll Heading Into BIG EAST Tournament
11.5.13 | Field Hockey
NFHCA Coaches Poll (Nov. 5) l BIG EAST Weekly Release (Nov. 4)
PHILADELPHIA - Heading into this weekend's BIG EAST Conference Tournament, Temple field hockey is ranked #19 in the Penn Monto/NFHCA Coaches Poll. The Owls are now ranked for a ninth straight week since their first appearance in the poll back on Sept. 10. Temple's next opponent is the same as its most recent opponent, as the Owls will face #7 Connecticut in a BIG EAST Semifinal game on Friday, Nov. 8 at 5:00 p.m.
Temple was picked to finish sixth of eight teams in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches Poll, but exceeded expectations by finishing fourth and earning a berth in its first-ever BIG EAST Tournament. The postseason is nothing new for the Owls, who had advanced to 10 straight Atlantic 10 Tournaments prior to this season.
Ninth-year head coach Amanda Janney has been at the helm for eight of those tournaments, and on Oct. 27, Janney recorded her 100th career victory in the Owls' 3-2 win at Lafayette.
The Owls head into the weekend with an overall record of 14-5, and they finished conference play at 4-3. #7 Connecticut, #5 Old Dominion and #14 Louisville tied for the conference title with records of 6-1, but UConn earned the top seed by virtue of goal differential in the tie-breaking procedure.
UConn will host the entire tournament this weekend at its George J. Sherman Family-Sports Complex. Following Friday's game between Temple and UConn, second-seeded ODU and third-seeded Louisville will play at 7:30 p.m. The winners of each semifinal will play in the championship game on Sunday, Nov. 10 at 1:00 p.m.
Temple junior forward Amber Youtz still leads all players in NCAA Division I in points per game at 2.60, and she ranks third in the nation in goals per game at 1.07. She is also moving up the ranks on the all-time career lists at Temple in only her junior year. With 103 career points, Youtz is tied with her former teammate Bridget Settles for fifth all-time, and with 42 goals she sits just behind Settles in career goals, ranking seventh all-time. This season, Youtz has scored 16 goals to go with seven assists.
