Field Hockey Earns Clutch Win Over Quinnipiac, 3-2

Friday, October 21

Howarth Field

3:00 p.m.

Temple University

(6-10, 3-3BIG EAST)

Quinnipiac

(4-12, 3-3BIG EAST)

Quinnipiac

Temple

Photo by: Tommy Meehan

Field Hockey Earns Clutch Win Over Quinnipiac, 3-2

10.21.16 | Field Hockey

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Video Highlights

PHILADELPHIA – Needing a win as the season heads closer to the BIG EAST Tournament, Temple field hockey got the job done on Friday afternoon with a 3-2 victory against visiting Quinnipiac (4-12, 3-3) at Howarth Field. The Owls (6-10, 3-3) got bigtime performances from freshman Maddie Merton and redshirt junior Sarah Keer, who combined for all three goals as well as two assists in the win.

Temple allowed an early goal and a late goal, but dominated the game in between those, particularly in the first half.

"We saw some interesting things in the first half today," said Temple head coach Marybeth Freeman, "but we were able to pull it together because we played as a team today, which I was happy to see. They really stuck with the game plan as far as what we needed to do on attack, and more importantly what we needed to do on defense. To see us play team defense like that was very refreshing."

Of Temple's four saves in the game, two were defensive saves. Freshman Becky Gerhart added to her impressive total of defensive saves for the season, now seven, while senior Michelle Walsh also notched a defensive save for Temple.

The Owls earned eight penalty corners in the first half compared to just one for Quinnipiac, and they converted on two of those. The Bobcats got on the scoreboard first in the sixth minute after a defensive miscue left Felicia Costanzo open on the right side after Temple's Maddie Lilliock had come out to make a play on the ball.

Temple responded to the goal with increased pressure on attack, and tied the game in the 23rd minute. Junior Hattie Kuhns had the initial shot on a penalty corner, and Merton corralled the ball after a Quinnipiac save and found the lower left corner of the cage.

Less than seven minutes later, Merton earned her third point of the contest when she recorded an assist a corner insert. She sent the ball to Keer who fired a shot that went in between the legs of Quinnipiac goalkeeper Olivia Golini, and the Owls took a 2-1 lead into the break.

Temple was able to keep the ball away from opponent sticks for much of the second half, and the Merton-Keer combo struck again for a 3-1 lead in the 54th minute. Keer fired in a long pass from the right side, finding Merton who made it five total points on the day with her second goal.

The Bobcats made some noise in the final minutes, earning a penalty corner with five minutes left and scoring their second goal with just over two minutes to go. Dayna Barlow knocked it in for Quinnipiac on a quick pass from Valerie Perkins, but the Owls prevented any further chances in the remaining time.

Temple has just one conference game remaining, and will head to Liberty for a 4 p.m. contest on Friday, Oct. 28. Many scenarios are still in play for the four-team BIG EAST Tournament, which could include the Owls regardless of a win or loss on Friday depending on the outcome of other games.

Box Score (PDF) l Video Highlights