Temple University Athletics
Friday, August 21
Ambler, Pa.
4:00 p.m.
Temple University
vs
Fairleigh Dickinson
Photo by: Wendy Badman
Women's Soccer Opens 2015 Season At Home This Weekend
8.20.15 | Women's Soccer
PHILADELPHIA – Temple women's soccer kicks off the 2015 season with a pair of home matches this weekend. The Owls will host Fairleigh Dickinson on Friday, August 21 at 4:00 p.m. and Delaware State on Sunday, August 23 at 1:00 p.m.
After a tremendous 2014 season, the Temple women's soccer team will be looking for even more in 2015. Last season, the Owls finished 11-8-1 overall and 3-5-1 in the American Athletic Conference. With their 11 victories, the 2014 team tied the program mark for wins, held also by the 1991 and 2003 teams.
This season, the goal is to just keep growing as a team and make sure that when American Athletic Conference play begins in the later part of the season, the team is ready to show their true colors.
"The expectation for this season is to build upon the success we had last year. We felt like we took a huge step forward last year. It might sound greedy, but we didn't feel like the games we played in October really showed what we were capable of," said head coach Seamus O'Connor. "We had just picked up a couple of major injuries by then and we didn't have the depth to overcome those injuries."
Only one spot was left vacant when defender Alyssa Kirk graduated, but a group of strong seniors will be filling in senior Erin Lafferty led the team in minutes played (1,848) in the 20 games she started in, while senior Taylor Trusky logged 1,629 minutes played and two assists in 19 games started. In addition to Lafferty and Trusky, senior Kaylee Harner also saw significant playing time, compiling 1,682 minutes played and also notching a pair of assists. Senior Paula Jurewicz was sidelined at the beginning of conference play with a season-ending injury, starting in only 13 games, but will be expected to be a major factor in this season. Lafferty and Jurewicz, along with seniors Kelly Farrell and Shauni Kerkhoff, were named to the Big Red Shootout All-Tournament Team.
After a great Spring season, junior Taylor Matsinger, who started nine game, taking eight shots with three on goal, will make the transition to a defensive position. Junior Morgan Elliott, sophomore Cait Jackson, who returns to the team after injury, and newcomers Kelcie Dolan, Katie McCoy, and Olivia Novak will all be looking for time on the defensive line for the Owls this season.
Redshirt-sophomore Kayla Cunningham was one of the key forwards in the 2014 season, starting in all 20 games with four goals and one assist for nine points. For her breakout season, Cunningham was a unanimous selection to the American Athletic Conference All-Rookie team. Sophomore Gabriella McKeown started in 10 games last season, taking 37 shots, which was second on the team, with one assist. Senior Paige Rachel will return to the field for the Owls, after missing the entire 2014 season due to injury, while senior Brendi Ernst and newcomer Lauren Benner will add depth to the forward position.
Farrell will be making the change from forward in 2014 to midfield in 2015. In 2014, she led the team with nine goals and two assists for 20 points in the 18 games she started. Farrell returns after a season that saw her lead the team in shots and shots on goal, while being named to the American Athletic Conference second-team. Senior Shannon Senour also returns to anchor the midfield, after starting 19 games and tying for first on the team with four assists.
Another player who is coming off a great Spring season, Elana Falcone, will be someone that the Owls will be looking to for a key role in the midfield. Also returning to the mix at midfield are redshirt-junior Gina DiTaranto and junior Elaine Byerley. DiTaranto started in nine games, with four goals, including game-winnings goals against Binghamton and St. Joseph's. Byerley started in all twenty games, scoring a goal against Rider. Delia Trimble returning from an injury which kept her out last year will provide depth in the midfield.
The goalkeeper position is firm in the hands of Kerkhoff, who ended the 2014 season on the American Athletic Conference second team all-conference list. Kerkhoff finished the season with a 1.13 goals against average, .775 save percentage, 79 saves, and six shutouts on the season. Kerkhoff ranks first all-time in save percentage (.806), goals against average (1.15), and shutouts (17). She was also named the American Athletic Conference Goalkeeper of the Week twice last season. FreshmanJordan Nash is coming off winning a National ECNL Championship with her PDA team and will compete for the starting position with Kerkhoff. Nash was a four-year start at St. Rose High School, where she helped her team win state sectional championships in 2012 and 2013 and was selected first team all-conference.
FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON NOTES...
Fairleigh Dickinson comes off a record-setting season, where they finished the season 14-5-1 and finished first in the Northeast Conference with a record of 6-1-1. The Knights lost to Central Connecticut State in the NEC Tournament Championship Game.
The Knights also set numerous other records last year, including wins at home (7), goals in a season (43) and goals in a game (eight against Saint Peter's.) First-Team All-NEC players Rachel Hoekstra, Carly Tice and Amanda Goulet all return to the roster this season.
DELAWARE STATE NOTES...
Delaware State finished their third season under head coach Kerri Scroope, who was named 2014 Independent Coach of the Year by College Sports Madness with a 6-12-1 record. The Hornets won the Independent Conference Tournament crown with a 2-0 win over NJIT. With the five game win increase from the 2013 season, the Hornets were one win shy of tying its program-best seven wins.
The Hornets welcome back nine letterwinners, after losing five key starters, including top scorer Chelsea Bouesiquot and College Sports Madness Independent Rookie of the Year Paige Wilcox. Returning for Delaware State are College Sports Madness Independent Second-Team honorees Julia Bossert and Tere' Crawford.
ALL-TIME SERIES…
Temple and Fairleigh Dickinson have faced each other twice before, splitting a series 1-1. The last meeting was in 2005, where the Knights beat the Owls, 4-0.
Temple hold a 4-0 series record over Delaware State. The last meeting was in 2014, when the Owls defeated the Hornets 1-0 in Dover.
UP NEXT…
The Owls continue their four-game home stand with matches against Loyola on August 28 and Rider on September 1, both at 4:00 p.m. at Ambler Sports Complex.
2015 Women's Soccer Quick Facts | Game Notes | Live Stats | Live Video
After a tremendous 2014 season, the Temple women's soccer team will be looking for even more in 2015. Last season, the Owls finished 11-8-1 overall and 3-5-1 in the American Athletic Conference. With their 11 victories, the 2014 team tied the program mark for wins, held also by the 1991 and 2003 teams.
This season, the goal is to just keep growing as a team and make sure that when American Athletic Conference play begins in the later part of the season, the team is ready to show their true colors.
"The expectation for this season is to build upon the success we had last year. We felt like we took a huge step forward last year. It might sound greedy, but we didn't feel like the games we played in October really showed what we were capable of," said head coach Seamus O'Connor. "We had just picked up a couple of major injuries by then and we didn't have the depth to overcome those injuries."
Only one spot was left vacant when defender Alyssa Kirk graduated, but a group of strong seniors will be filling in senior Erin Lafferty led the team in minutes played (1,848) in the 20 games she started in, while senior Taylor Trusky logged 1,629 minutes played and two assists in 19 games started. In addition to Lafferty and Trusky, senior Kaylee Harner also saw significant playing time, compiling 1,682 minutes played and also notching a pair of assists. Senior Paula Jurewicz was sidelined at the beginning of conference play with a season-ending injury, starting in only 13 games, but will be expected to be a major factor in this season. Lafferty and Jurewicz, along with seniors Kelly Farrell and Shauni Kerkhoff, were named to the Big Red Shootout All-Tournament Team.
After a great Spring season, junior Taylor Matsinger, who started nine game, taking eight shots with three on goal, will make the transition to a defensive position. Junior Morgan Elliott, sophomore Cait Jackson, who returns to the team after injury, and newcomers Kelcie Dolan, Katie McCoy, and Olivia Novak will all be looking for time on the defensive line for the Owls this season.
Redshirt-sophomore Kayla Cunningham was one of the key forwards in the 2014 season, starting in all 20 games with four goals and one assist for nine points. For her breakout season, Cunningham was a unanimous selection to the American Athletic Conference All-Rookie team. Sophomore Gabriella McKeown started in 10 games last season, taking 37 shots, which was second on the team, with one assist. Senior Paige Rachel will return to the field for the Owls, after missing the entire 2014 season due to injury, while senior Brendi Ernst and newcomer Lauren Benner will add depth to the forward position.
Farrell will be making the change from forward in 2014 to midfield in 2015. In 2014, she led the team with nine goals and two assists for 20 points in the 18 games she started. Farrell returns after a season that saw her lead the team in shots and shots on goal, while being named to the American Athletic Conference second-team. Senior Shannon Senour also returns to anchor the midfield, after starting 19 games and tying for first on the team with four assists.
Another player who is coming off a great Spring season, Elana Falcone, will be someone that the Owls will be looking to for a key role in the midfield. Also returning to the mix at midfield are redshirt-junior Gina DiTaranto and junior Elaine Byerley. DiTaranto started in nine games, with four goals, including game-winnings goals against Binghamton and St. Joseph's. Byerley started in all twenty games, scoring a goal against Rider. Delia Trimble returning from an injury which kept her out last year will provide depth in the midfield.
The goalkeeper position is firm in the hands of Kerkhoff, who ended the 2014 season on the American Athletic Conference second team all-conference list. Kerkhoff finished the season with a 1.13 goals against average, .775 save percentage, 79 saves, and six shutouts on the season. Kerkhoff ranks first all-time in save percentage (.806), goals against average (1.15), and shutouts (17). She was also named the American Athletic Conference Goalkeeper of the Week twice last season. FreshmanJordan Nash is coming off winning a National ECNL Championship with her PDA team and will compete for the starting position with Kerkhoff. Nash was a four-year start at St. Rose High School, where she helped her team win state sectional championships in 2012 and 2013 and was selected first team all-conference.
FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON NOTES...
Fairleigh Dickinson comes off a record-setting season, where they finished the season 14-5-1 and finished first in the Northeast Conference with a record of 6-1-1. The Knights lost to Central Connecticut State in the NEC Tournament Championship Game.
The Knights also set numerous other records last year, including wins at home (7), goals in a season (43) and goals in a game (eight against Saint Peter's.) First-Team All-NEC players Rachel Hoekstra, Carly Tice and Amanda Goulet all return to the roster this season.
DELAWARE STATE NOTES...
Delaware State finished their third season under head coach Kerri Scroope, who was named 2014 Independent Coach of the Year by College Sports Madness with a 6-12-1 record. The Hornets won the Independent Conference Tournament crown with a 2-0 win over NJIT. With the five game win increase from the 2013 season, the Hornets were one win shy of tying its program-best seven wins.
The Hornets welcome back nine letterwinners, after losing five key starters, including top scorer Chelsea Bouesiquot and College Sports Madness Independent Rookie of the Year Paige Wilcox. Returning for Delaware State are College Sports Madness Independent Second-Team honorees Julia Bossert and Tere' Crawford.
ALL-TIME SERIES…
Temple and Fairleigh Dickinson have faced each other twice before, splitting a series 1-1. The last meeting was in 2005, where the Knights beat the Owls, 4-0.
Temple hold a 4-0 series record over Delaware State. The last meeting was in 2014, when the Owls defeated the Hornets 1-0 in Dover.
UP NEXT…
The Owls continue their four-game home stand with matches against Loyola on August 28 and Rider on September 1, both at 4:00 p.m. at Ambler Sports Complex.
2015 Women's Soccer Quick Facts | Game Notes | Live Stats | Live Video
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Soccer
M
/ Women's Soccer
F
/ Women's Soccer
M
/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's Soccer
F
/ Women's Soccer
M
/ Women's Soccer
M
/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's Soccer
GK
/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's Soccer
M/D
/ Women's Soccer
F
/ Women's Soccer
GK
/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's Soccer
M
/ Women's Soccer
M
/ Women's Soccer
M
/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's SoccerMBB Press Conference vs. ECU (Adam Fisher)
Thursday, January 08
Temple Men's Basketball 2025-26 All Access | Game 15 vs UTSA 1.03.2026
Tuesday, January 06
MBB Press Conference vs.UTSA (Adam Fisher, Gavin Griffiths, Jordan Mason)
Sunday, January 04
MBB Press Conference vs. Princeton (Adam Fisher)
Tuesday, December 23
