Temple University Athletics
A New Season Means New Opportunity for Field Hockey
8.21.18 | Field Hockey
"We have done a tremendous amount of learning in our past three seasons," said fourth-year head coach Marybeth Freeman, "and we have never been a team that has shied away from competition because of any transition or the experience level on the team. So in 2018, we're looking to apply the lessons that we've learned in these transitional years to where we are now. We've done a lot to cultivate leadership off the field and set the precedent that everyone on this team is a leader in their own right. We're looking for a new glance at what Temple will be in the future starting in the 2018 season."
Last year's Owls had some scattered success including a couple key overtime victories, but were unable to come out on top in any BIG EAST Conference games. Two of those seven contests were decided by a single goal, and while Temple's defense was strong overall, it was on the offensive end where the Owls really struggled.
"We're going to be focusing on our overall team attack," said Freeman, "and that starts in the backfield. Where we'll get the numbers is from everyone training for everything. We still train specific positions, but in 2018 we are going to place a major focus on our team attack. That's not to say we'll spend less time on team defense, but we have to be able to generate numbers in our front field and that starts in the back. Though we don't have the stats coming back per se, everyone is going to be prepared to generate that attack. Every year, different people step up and people who maybe didn't have opportunities in years past will shine and take advantage of new opportunities."
The spring season saw marked improvement with regards to offense, and many players on the brink of being goal-scorers last season are likely to step up. Juniors Kathryn Edgar and Lucy Reed are the only returners with multiple goals, scoring two apiece last year with Edgar adding a team-best five assists.
The Owls spent a lot of time together away from the turf this past spring, working on team bonding through various activities and experiences.
"We did a lot of off-field learning about each other, about what our goals are and what our expectations are," said Freeman. "We worked a lot with the mental component of the game while doing some really fun exercises. I think it's so important that we take those opportunities to learn about ourselves and our teammates off the field to generate as much success as we can when we're together on the field. We did a great job of that this past spring."
The Owls will look to their 2018 team captains for leadership - Edgar and seniors Nellie Doyle and Maris Stern. Doyle has been a standout in the backfield, known for her physical play, while Stern is a fifth-year senior and has been a consistent starter for Temple.
"We have a good balance of personality and positions represented in our captaincy," noted Freeman. "Nellie in the backfield has done a very good job of learning and being a student of the game. She really leads by example in that sense. Kat came into Temple with a very high level of fundamental skills, so her work rate is something for our team to look up to as well. Maris, the most senior individual on the team as a fifth year, is going to provide us with that experience for the underclassmen and be able to exhibit the philosophy that our team is trying to instill. If you look at all three of them, it's very well-balanced and I know that all of them are looking forward to leading in different areas of the game."
Freeman's philosophy involves learning from the past but not being tied to it. Throughout the preseason and each week during the regular season, anyone on the team can earn expanded roles through their efforts.
"The great thing about a new year is that there's new opportunity for everyone on the team," she said. "We do not carry over what has happened in the past. We start anew. That's not to say we forget about what has happened – we learn from it – but when we start a new season it's a fresh take. Those that didn't start before know that the opportunity is out there. Whatever the individuals on the team want their season to be is what the season is going to be. That's really exciting as we head into a brand new season."
While many spots will certainly be up for grabs, some young players really impressed Freeman over the past year, including sophomores Dani Batze and Taylor Alba along with junior Cristen Barnett.
"Dani did a great job in the backfield as a freshman," said Freeman. "As a young player she stepped into that role in a very mature way. She's tactically aware, she's driven, and fundamentally is very high-performing with her skill sets. She's done a really good job of developing into the overall student-athlete that we want represented at Temple. I think Taylor has done a fantastic job in her role. She continues to challenge herself and put herself in position reach new heights and kind of break through those glass ceilings that were set in years past. We're looking for Taylor to be influential in the midfield. We've also had some good developments this past spring from younger players like Cristen. If she starts where she left off, she'll be in a good place going forward. From the returning group, we do have some younger players that have done a really good job of stepping into bigtime roles."
Seven freshmen join the Owls for the 2018 season, including four all-state selections.
"We have a very strong freshmen class coming in that's very well-rounded, positionally, ranging from the backfield to forwards," said Freeman. "They have different personalities which will provide a good energy on the team. We've set a standard of who we want representing us in the future, and these individuals really encompass the Temple philosophy that we're trying to teach. We're excited to work with all of them."
The newcomers don't end with the freshman class, as Freeman will also welcome a new assistant coach in Montana Fleming (UConn '17).
"With new freshmen coming in and some new staff coming in, this is a great time for change," said Freeman. "We'll continue to have a staff that is high-performing and tactically knowledgeable about the game. They'll continue to formulate and maintain relationships with our players so that we can provide them with the best experience possible."
Looking at the competition the Owls will face, California is the first stop for Temple in 2018 with a trip to the West Coast just before school starts in the fall. Nine home dates are also on the challenging slate, with the BIG EAST Conference Tournament as the ultimate goal in early November.
"Our schedule has a great balance of new teams, different conferences and a variety of different playing styles," said Freeman. "Along with our competitive conference schedule, I'm excited to put our team in positions that will challenge them and help our overall growth as a team moving through the season. We are fortunate to only have three overnight trips, providing our student-athletes the comfort of being home more often, and in turn, additional time to focus on their academics. We're looking forward to a productive and successful 2018 season."
The Owls' schedule has many of the usual suspects, but begins with the rare trip out west. On August 24, Temple opens the season at UC Davis, and will play at Pacific two days later.
Friday, Aug. 31 is the home opener at Howarth Field, where the Owls will host Penn State, ranked sixth at the end of last season. The Nittany Lions are one of four teams Temple will play who were ranked in the final poll of 2017, most notable among those being #1 and defending national champion UConn.
Temple's BIG EAST slate begins at Liberty on Sept. 14, another team ranked last year, and the host of the 2018 BIG EAST Tournament. Providence is the first home conference opponent for the Owls on Sept. 21, with league games against Georgetown, Old Dominion and Quinnipiac also taking place at Howarth Field.
Of 18 regular season games, Temple will play exactly half at home. Four others are in the immediate vicinity, as the Owls play at Penn on Sept. 30, at Saint Joseph's on Oct. 7, at Drexel on Oct. 14 and at city rival and BIG EAST rival Villanova on Oct. 19.
The four-team conference tournament is set for Nov. 2 and 4 at Liberty University.
