Temple University Athletics
Photo by: Wendy Badman
A Year in Review: Women’s Soccer
12.17.15 | Women's Soccer
PHILADELPHIA – 2015 was the year for the Temple women's soccer history books to be rewritten. For the first time ever in program history the team, led by third-year coach Seamus O'Connor, recorded back-to-back seasons of double-digit wins. After an 11-8-1 record in 2014, it was 2015 that saw a new program record. Temple finished 12-7-1, 4-4-1 in American Athletic Conference play.
This season, the Owls saw victories over La Salle, a first in 13 years, and Saint Joseph's for the first time in back-to-back seasons. They also captured a 2-1 victory over then-conference leaders Cincinnati and for the first time in five tries, defeated SMU, 3-2. After being seeded sixth in the American Athletic Conference tournament, the Owls fell to third-seeded UCF, 2-1 to end their monumental season.
Nine seniors played in their final games for the Owls and left their marks in the record books. Defender Erin Lafferty set the program record with most games played at Temple with 79, breaking the record of 77 set by Mary Mulvenna (1997-00) and Kelly Lane (2003-07). During her last season at Temple, Lafferty also was a key player on the pitch as she sent in seven goals, which ranked second on the team, going 4-4 on penalty kicks. Midfielder Kelly Farrell also saw her name enter the record books, after notching a team-leading 13 goals in one season, tying for most by an Owl (Patrice Rutland in 1994 and Kim Fitzgerald in 1995). She also notched her first career hat trick against city rival Saint Joseph's back in September. Farrell and Lafferty both earned All-American Athletic Conference honors and were named to the NSCAA All-Northeast Region Team for their performances.
One of the biggest stars coming into the 2015 season was goalkeeper Shauni Kerkhoff, who had all but sealed her spot as the greatest in Temple history. However on September 4, Kerkhoff was injured during the Penn game and saw her career come to an end. So the next woman up in goal was freshman Jordan Nash and she delivered. In the 19 games that Nash played in, she accumulated 70 saves and three shutouts, while her 1.02 goals against average ranks second for Temple in a single season. She was named to the American Athletic Conference All-Rookie team after the season ended.
With the departure of the 2015 seniors, a strong core of returners will anchor the team entering the 2016 season. Junior Elaine Byerley and Taylor Matsinger, redshirt junior Gina DiTaranto, redshirt sophomore Kayla Cunningham, sophomores Elana Falcone, Gabriella McKeown and Delia Trimble, and freshman Sarah McGlinn all saw significant playing time and will continue to help grow the Temple women's soccer team in the future.
2015 Women's Soccer Highlights:
This season, the Owls saw victories over La Salle, a first in 13 years, and Saint Joseph's for the first time in back-to-back seasons. They also captured a 2-1 victory over then-conference leaders Cincinnati and for the first time in five tries, defeated SMU, 3-2. After being seeded sixth in the American Athletic Conference tournament, the Owls fell to third-seeded UCF, 2-1 to end their monumental season.
Nine seniors played in their final games for the Owls and left their marks in the record books. Defender Erin Lafferty set the program record with most games played at Temple with 79, breaking the record of 77 set by Mary Mulvenna (1997-00) and Kelly Lane (2003-07). During her last season at Temple, Lafferty also was a key player on the pitch as she sent in seven goals, which ranked second on the team, going 4-4 on penalty kicks. Midfielder Kelly Farrell also saw her name enter the record books, after notching a team-leading 13 goals in one season, tying for most by an Owl (Patrice Rutland in 1994 and Kim Fitzgerald in 1995). She also notched her first career hat trick against city rival Saint Joseph's back in September. Farrell and Lafferty both earned All-American Athletic Conference honors and were named to the NSCAA All-Northeast Region Team for their performances.
One of the biggest stars coming into the 2015 season was goalkeeper Shauni Kerkhoff, who had all but sealed her spot as the greatest in Temple history. However on September 4, Kerkhoff was injured during the Penn game and saw her career come to an end. So the next woman up in goal was freshman Jordan Nash and she delivered. In the 19 games that Nash played in, she accumulated 70 saves and three shutouts, while her 1.02 goals against average ranks second for Temple in a single season. She was named to the American Athletic Conference All-Rookie team after the season ended.
With the departure of the 2015 seniors, a strong core of returners will anchor the team entering the 2016 season. Junior Elaine Byerley and Taylor Matsinger, redshirt junior Gina DiTaranto, redshirt sophomore Kayla Cunningham, sophomores Elana Falcone, Gabriella McKeown and Delia Trimble, and freshman Sarah McGlinn all saw significant playing time and will continue to help grow the Temple women's soccer team in the future.
2015 Women's Soccer Highlights:
- First team in Temple women's soccer history to record 12 wins in a season and register back-to-back double digit win seasons (finished 11-8-1 in 2014).
- Seniors Kelly Farrell and Erin Lafferty were named second team All-American Athletic Conference, while freshman goalkeeper Jordan Nash was named to the conference's All-Rookie team following the season. Farrell and Lafferty were also named to the NSCAA's All-Northeast Region second team.
- Farrell finished the season with 13 goals, which ties for most in a single season by an Owl, and 29 points, which is third in a season. Farrell recorded her first career hat trick on September 20 against Saint Joseph's. She was named American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week for the week ending September 21 and was also named to the weekly Honor Roll twice.
- Lafferty notched a career-high seven goals this season, including four penalty kicks and two game-winners. She was named American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week twice during the season.
- Nash finished the season with 70 saves, three shutouts, a .805 saves percentage and 1.02 goals against average, which ranks second behind Shauni Kerkhoff for best in single season for Temple. She was named Rookie of the Week and Goalkeeper of the Week by the American Athletic Conference.
- Nash, who took over for Kerkhoff after the Penn game on September 4, and the defensive line made up of Lafferty, Paula Jurewicz and Shannon Senour banded together to allow only 20 goals to be scored against them, a program low (previous was 22 set back in 1995).
- For the first time in 13 years, the Owls defeated city rival La Salle in a 3-0 shutout. Two days later, Temple defeated St. Joe's, marking the first time in back-to-back seasons the Owls won against the Hawks.
- On October 8, Temple hosted Cincinnati, who were then-leaders of the American Athletic Conference. Off of goals from Elana Falcone and Gina DiTaranto, the Owls picked up their first conference win of the season and knocked off the Bearcats, 2-1.
- On October 22, Temple hosted SMU for the fifth time since the American Athletic Conference began in 2013 (the Owls and Mustangs faced off in the opening rounds of the 2013 and 2014 conference tournament and SMU held a 4-0 lead). After a back and forth battle that ended on a last-second penalty kick by Lafferty, the Owl defeated the Mustangs, 3-2 for the first time.
- On Senior Day, Temple took the field at Ambler for the final time and defeated Houston 2-1 off of goals from Farrell and Elaine Byerley. The win helped seal a trip to the American Athletic Conference Tournament and gave the Owls their program-best 12th win of the season.
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