Temple University Athletics
Temple University
Ohio State
Field Hockey Set to Host Two Nationally Ranked Teams as Part of This Weekend's Conference Cup Tournament
8.29.13 | Field Hockey
Live Stats l FREE Live Webcasts (Temple games only)
PHILADELPHIA - The competition level will be high at Geasey Field for the opening weekend of the 2013 Temple field hockey season, as the Owls welcome #2 Maryland, #20 New Hampshire and Ohio State for the Conference Cup Tournament. The opening game of the tournament will feature the Maryland Terrapins against the UNH Wildcats at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 31, followed by the Owls vs. the Ohio State Buckeyes at 2:30 p.m.
The third-place game is set for 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, followed by the championship game at 3:30 p.m. between the two winning teams from the previous day.
Admission will be charged for this weekend's games. Fans can pay $8 for a two-day pass, or $5 for a single day. There is no charge for children under 12, and admission is also free for anyone with a Temple ID.
There will be live stats available for all four games through the link above. Fans can also watch a live webcast of both Temple games, which will be FREE this weekend before becoming subscription-based for the remainder of the home schedule.
AMBER YOUTZ EARNS BIG EAST HONOR
In voting conducted by the eight head coaches in the BIG?EAST Conference, Temple junior Amber Youtz was named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team. She was one of four forwards to earn the honor, and was one of only four unanimous selections on the 11-player team. Youtz was named the 2012 Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Year as a sophomore, and was also named to the Longstreth/NFHCA All-Region Second Team.
In the preseason poll, the Owls were picked sixth of eight teams. UConn and Old Dominion were picked first and second, respectively.
NEW SEASON, NEW CONFERENCE
After 25 years of playing in the Atlantic 10 Conference, Temple field hockey is now an associate member of the BIG EAST Conference. The majority of Tempe's sports teams now compete in the newly-created American Athletic Conference, but too many of the schools in that league do not play field hockey. For this year, Connecticut, Louisville, ODU and Rutgers are also associate members of the BIG EAST for field hockey.
The Owls advanced to each of the last 10 A-10 Tournaments, and will be looking to build upon that success in their new league.
SERIES HISTORY
Of the three other teams in this weekend's Conference Cup, Temple has the most history with Maryland. The Terrapins lead the all-time series 14-8-2. Over the last couple seasons, which have been hugely successful for Maryland, the Terrapins have twice defeated the Owls by a score of 6-0. Temple's last win came in 1994.
The Owls are 0-3 all-time against Ohio State, with the last meeting coming in 2008. The series with New Hampshire is tied at 1-1-1, but the two teams have not faced each other since 1992.
PERSONNEL CHANGES
The Temple coaching staff welcomed one new face this season while also promoting one familiar face. Former graduate assistant coach Kelly Driscoll is now the assistant coach of the team, and head coach Amanda Janney hired Danica Deckard as the new graduate assistant coach.
Deckard has a strong connection to the first opponent of the year, having only recently completed her four-year career at Ohio State. Deckard was a two-time all-region selection while at OSU, taking first team honors as a senior.
SCOUTING THE BUCKEYES
Ohio State finished at 10-9 in 2012, and fell to Michigan in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. The Buckeyes are coached by Anne Wilkinson, now in her 18th season, who has led the team to NCAA Tournament appearances in three out of the last four years. Seniors Arielle Cowie and Nora Murer are team co-captains. Cowie is a 2012 Second Team All-Big Ten honoree.
SCOUTING THE TERRAPINS
Maryland returns eight of 11 starters from the 2012 squad that reached the NCAA Final Four for the fifth consecutive season, posting an 18-6 overall record. Seniors Ali McEvoy and Jill Witmer, along with junior Maxine Fluharty, were recently named to the Preseason All-ACC Team, while the squad was picked to finish first in the conference. The Terrapins, who are ranked No. 2 in the NFHCA Preseason Poll, won NCAA titles in both 2010 and 2011.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
The Wildcats, who return their top seven goal-scorers from last season, have claimed the last three America East regular season titles. UNH is ranked No. 20 in the NFHCA Preseason Poll, returning 10 starters and 16 letterwinners overall. Last year, the Wildcats finished at 12-8 overall and posted a 6-4 record on the road.
SEASON OUTLOOK
There has never been a better time for Temple field hockey to face new challenges. With all but one starter returning from a strong squad in 2012, the Owls look poised and ready to enter the BIG EAST Conference as a team to beat. Temple had a run of earning a berth in 10 straight Atlantic 10 Tournaments, the last eight of those under head coach Amanda Janney, and the Owls now look to make a name for themselves in the BIG EAST.
"The team trained very hard in the spring season and we are in a really good position with only losing one senior [Katie Briglia]," Janney said. "So we are expecting to have our team step up."
With her name already present in the record books after a stellar sophomore season, 2012 Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Year Amber Youtz returns to lead the Owls this year. Her 22 goals led the conference and ranked seventh among all players in NCAA Division I a year ago, and she has only improved in the off-season by playing in tournaments and camps with many of the nation's elite players.
Accounting for 26 of Temple's 62 goals last season were Lauren Hunt, Nicole Kroener and Alyssa Delp who all return this year. Hunt, a senior, scored nine goals and added five assists in her breakout junior season, while Kroener was a strong sophomore in 2012 with eight goals and 10 assists. Delp, named to the A-10 All-Rookie Team last year along with Taylor Shronk, scored nine goals including three game-winners for the Owls.
"After being our defensive MVP last year as a freshman, we expect Taylor to have a great sophomore year," said Janney. "With Taylor, Molly Doyle and our goalkeeper Lizzy Millen being experienced backfield players, we're expecting to get more shutouts this year and be able to handle the fierce competition in the BIG EAST."
Doyle, one of three seniors along with Hunt and Shearer, is an anchor on Temple's defense. Shearer plays a key role in the back and midfield, and scored two goals along with six assists last year. Another player Janney is excited to have returning is redshirt sophomore Rachel Steinman.
"We're hoping for Rachel to have a huge year for us," said Janney. "She proved to be very versatile last season. She's one of the best scorers we have on the team but she's also one of the best defenders. She will either be a mainstay in our backfield or she'll be in our midfield if we need more attack."
Eight true freshmen join the Owls in 2013, many of whom Janney expects to make an immediate impact.
"We're returning such strong starters like Amber," said Janney, "but we also think our eight new freshmen are really going to help strengthen the depth of our team. I think three or four of them will compete for starting positions. Sarah Keer and Elle Hempt are both strong hitters and we expect them to see some playing time, as well as Katie Foran, a high school teammate of Amber. Those two connect really well. I think Katie will see some time on the front line early in the season.
"Paige Gross will help our depth in the midfield alongside Nicole Kroener and Alyssa Delp. I think Paige will come in with Sarah Deck also and create some options in our midfield for us to play the possession game that we're looking for."
Moving into the BIG EAST Conference provides not only a challenge for Temple, but a great opportunity as well.
"We think it's a nice step up for us," said Janney. "We're in a better position, playing tougher teams to make the NCAA tournament, because you have to win your conference to get the automatic bid. For us the BIG EAST has that automatic bid, whereas the A-10 had a play-in game."
