Field Hockey Travels to #2 UConn and City Rival Penn This Weekend

Friday, September 28

Storrs, Conn.

6:00 p.m.

Temple University

UConn

Photo by: Trish Sexton

Field Hockey Travels to #2 UConn and City Rival Penn This Weekend

9.26.18 | Field Hockey

PHILADELPHIA – The second and third games of a three-game road stretch are on tap for Temple field hockey this weekend, and include the Owls' most challenging opponent yet in defending national champion #2 UConn (9-0, 2-0) at 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 28. Temple (2-7, 0-2) will then play closer to home, going across town to Penn (4-4) at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 30.

Scouting Temple
> Four different players have scored two goals each for the Owls to lead the team offensively, including junior midfielder Kathryn Edgar who also has a team-best three assists for a team-high seven points.
> Edgar was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Sept. 24 after scoring two goals and adding an assist in the Owls' 1-1 week. Her first goal was the game-winner on a penalty stroke with time expired to lift Temple to a 2-1 home win over Towson.
> Most recently, the Owls dropped an 8-2 decision at Liberty, getting goals from junior Lucy Reed and redshirt senior Maris Stern. It was the second goal for both players in 2018.
> Leading Temple in goal is senior Chloe Johnson with 81 saves and a save percentage of .730. Johnson's 9.38 saves per game rank her second among all players in NCAA Division I. As a team, the Owls also rank second nationally with 9.78 saves per game.
> With 12 defensive saves in 2018, Temple leads all teams in NCAA Division I. Sophomore Dani Batze has five defensive saves (tied for first in the nation) while junior Becky Gerhart has four (tied for third in the nation).
> The Owls' staff was completed on Sept. 18 with the official hiring of assistant coach Ross Gilham-Jones, a native of Great Britain. Gilham-Jones, who will primarily coach the team's attack, most recently spent almost a year coaching the WC Eagles club team out of Pottstown.

Scouting UConn
> The Huskies are undefeated at 9-0 this year, coming off a national championship in 2017. No. 2 UConn is also 2-0 in conference play so far with an 8-0 win over Quinnipiac and a 4-2 win at #11 Old Dominion.
> Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Cheyenne Sprecher recorded three saves in her fourth shutout of the season in the match against Quinnipiac. Sprecher has 31 saves and a .775 save percentage.
> UConn has won 41 straight games on its home field, dating back to 2013.
> Fifth year Cecile Pieper has 10 goals and 26 total points to lead the Huskies, while junior Svea Boker is close behind with eight goals and 22 total points.

Scouting Penn
> The Quakers are coming off a road loss to #12 Syracuse, making them 4-4 overall this season. The teams remained tied through overtime and the game was decided in a shootout.
> Penn had a road win in its conference opener against Cornell. The Quakers were able to score with their first shot of the match and kept the Bears scoreless for the remainder of the game.
> The Quakers returned 17 letterwinners and seven starters from last season including two-time All-Ivy selections Paige Meily and Alexa Schneck. Both have one goal so far in 2018, while Rachel Mirkin leads Penn with three goals so far.
> Ava Rosati has played every minute in goal for the Quakers, making 41 saves and recording a save percentage of .707.

Series History vs. UConn
> UConn leads the overall series 12-2-1 and has won 10 straight against the Owls.

Series History vs. Penn
> Temple leads Penn 33-17-2 all-time, but the Owls' last win was a 4-1 home decision in 2010. The Quakers won 4-2 at Howarth Field last year, and 3-0 on their home field in 2016.