Temple University Athletics
Head Coach Michelle Vittese
Bringing an impressive background of international playing experience at the highest levels, Michelle Vittese joined Temple field hockey's staff as an assistant coach in March of 2019. She was promoted to associate head coach in December of 2019 and interim head coach in August of 2021 before the interim tag was removed from her title in November of 2021.
Vittese, a three-time All-American at the University of Virginia, had an eight-year career with the United States Women's National Field Hockey Team. She played in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics and earned a total of 211 international caps.
Full Bio
Assistant Coach Carissa Vittese
Two years after earning her master's degree at Temple and leaving to play for Team USA, Carissa Vittese returned in 2019 as a volunteer assistant for first-year field hockey coach Susan Ciufo's staff. In January of 2020, Vittese was promoted to assistant coach. Michelle Vittese, Carissa's older sister, is also on staff as an associate coach for the Owls.
The younger Vittese previously spent two years as the program's director of operations from 2015-17 while working toward her master's degree in educational leadership. Just before her time at Temple came to an end, Vittese was named to the U.S. Women's Field Hockey National Team.
Full Bio
Founded in 1914 as part of the Women's Athletics Association (WAA), the Temple field hockey team has a long history of success. From undefeated teams, to six appearances in the NCAA Tournament since 1982, to 10 appearances in conference final games and two A-10 Titles, Temple's foundation is solid. The squad has been led by legendary coaches such as Anne Volp and Tina Sloan-Green and trailblazing players who brought the sport of field hockey to Philadelphia and beyond.
Awards
30 All-American Honors
81 Mid-Atlantic All-Region Honors
102 All-Conference Honors
12 NFHCA Senior Game Participants
Alumni
Cherifa Howarth, '97
The namesake of Temple field hockey's home venue, Cherifa (Nouri) Howarth donated $500,000 to aid in the construction of the of the Temple Sports Complex (TSC). Howarth is a 1996 First Team Mid-Atlantic All-Region honoree. Her 33 career goals tie for 10th in program history, and she was a member of the 1994 A-10 Championship team and help lead the Owls to four-straight A-10 Tournament appearances from 1994-97.
Katrina Ross, '97
Another donor to to TSC, Katrina (Wolfe) Ross has also helped lay the foundation for the success of Temple's program. Ross came off the bench in the 1994 A-10 Championship game and scored the game-winner in the 1-0 upset over sixth-ranked Massachusetts.
Gina Whalen, '97
Gina (DeFazio) Whalen is one of Temple's most decorated alumnae and the field hockey locker room donor. An A-10 First Team All-Conference, All-Tournament, and two-time All-Academic honoree, Whalen was also a member of the 1994 A-10 Championship Team and previously served as an assistant coach for the West Chester field hockey program.
Academics
Resnick Center
The Resnick Center is located on the first floor of Pearson-McGonigle Hall. Student-athletes can visit the Resnick Center to focus on developing the competencies of Oral and Written Communications and Career Management. This academic center has become a place for educating student-athletes about diverse perspectives in the professional industry. Students are provided with tutorial programs in a variety of courses, as well as degree planning. It is a priority for the Resnick Center's team to meet all of the needs of their student-athletes, with each student-athlete receiving individual attention from their advisor.
Temple Academic Info
Temple is an accredited university with 93 different majors represented by our student athletes. The five most popular majors at the university include business, communications, performing arts, health professions, and biomedical sciences. Temple is a diverse university that thrives at putting student needs first. In 2016 Temple was ranked in the top-25 for NCAA student-athlete graduation rates, and set a new school record in 2019 for with a 90% graduation rate.
Academic Awards
COSIDA Academic All-District
Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area
Big East Team & Academic Excellence Award
Zag Field Hockey/NFHCA Division I National Academic Squad
Zag Field Hockey/NFHCA Division I Academic Team Award
Zag Field Hockey/NFHCA Division I Scholars of Distinction
Ranked top-25 in NCAA student-athlete graduation rates
Facilities
Howarth Field at Temple Sports Complex (TSC)
TSC features two playing surfaces for Temple athletics. Howarth Field, named in recognition of a gift from field hockey alumna Cherifa Howarth, is utilized by the field hockey team as well as the lacrosse team. The $22 million project, which also serves as the home venue for the men's & women's soccer teams, men's & women's cross country, and the outdoor track & field squad, includes an 11,000-square-foot locker room facility, stadium seating, a digital scoreboard, and press box on both fields.
Training Room
A goal at Temple is to make sure that the student-athletes are getting the best training and rehabilitation possible. The Sports Medicine Team and the Team Physician collaborate in order to coordinate, provide and deliver the appropriate preventative services, rehabilitative services, and treatment options to each student-athlete in a professional setting. View the Pearson-McGonigle Hall Olympic Sports Athletic Training Facilities, here.
Strength and Conditioning
Temple provides student athletes with a state-of-the-art Olympic Sports Varsity Weight Room within Pearson-McGonigle Hall. The weight room is fitted with sixteen inlaid platforms, twenty-five yards of multi-purpose turf, and twelve power racks with each station featuring all the tools that the Iron Owls need to perform a variety of body weight and free weight exercises including 18,000 total pounds of barbells, plates, dumbbells and kettlebells. Medicine balls, foam rollers, battle ropes, sleds, cardio equipment, plyo boxes and numerous other pieces of equipment assist the Owls in all phases of their training. Learn more about the Temple Strength & Conditioning Mission and Iron Owls Standards, here.
Student-Athlete Lounge
The New York City Angels Student-Athlete Lounge is located in Pearson-McGonigle Hall. Student-athletes can study and interact in this quiet and relaxing space. The space includes nap pods, gaming consoles, big screen TVs, and unlimited coffee.
Gallery: Field Hockey Facilities
Temple University was founded in 1884 when a Philadelphia minister, Russell H. Conwell, began to tutor students at night to accommodate the schedules of working students. Conwell recruited volunteer faculty to teach at the growing school, and in 1888 he received a charter for incorporation of “Temple College.” As the school began to expand, programs were added until 17 schools and colleges offered more than 150 undergraduate majors at eight campuses located on three continents.
Traditions
The Temple “T,” the symbol of the university, was designed by students in a graphic arts and design class in the Tyler School of Art in 1983. The “T” represents strength and positive character, with open ends that are symbolic of the free exchange of ideas that is the hallmark of a Temple education.
The Owl was adopted as Temple's mascot to honor the school's beginnings as a night school for ambitious young people. The owl represents wisdom and knowledge and is known for being perceptive, resourceful, and courageous. Hooter the Owl is part of Temple's Spirit Squad, while Stella, a great horned owl, has served as the school's live mascot since 2013.
“T for Temple U”
T for Temple U
U-ni-versity!
Fight, fight, fight!
For the Cherry and the White,
For the Cherry and the White,
We'll fight, fight, fight!
Campus
Morgan Hall is perfectly located on Temple Universities campus. It a short walk to campus and is conveniently located adjacent to Fresh Grocer Supermarket, Temple University Fitness, and the IBC Recreational Facility. The SEPTA Broad Street Line station in close proximity for convenient access to explore Philadelphia. The north tower consists of 24 stories and the south tower includes 9 floors of residential living. Both high rises provide students with beautiful views of campus and downtown Philadelphia. Take a virtual tour!
The Liacouras Center is home to the Temple men's basketball team, as well as a venue for concerts, comedy shows, family shows, seminars, banquets, and much more. During the summer of 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Liacouras Center was used as a surge hospital as patient numbers overwhelmed the Temple University Hospital. It was also used as one of seven satellite election offices opened by the City Commissioners to help Philadelphians register to vote and cast their vote by mail during the 2020 election.
Pearson-McGonigle Hall serves as the home venue for Temple's women's basketball, volleyball, fencing, and gymnastics teams. First used in 1969 as Temple's physical education and athletics building, it now also houses the a weight room, athletic training, and strength and conditioning facilities in addition to facilities for teaching, research, and student recreation.
The Charles Library is located at the heart of Temple's campus, and this state-of-the-art learning center is the most modern library in Pennsylvania one one of the most significant new libraries in North America. The library is home to 1.5 million volumes, with 40 meeting and seminar rooms that are equipped with display technology and screencasting to make it easy for users to share what's on their screens.
The Bell Tower has been a constant fixture of Temple's main campus for more than 50 years. The 100-foot tower was built as part of the Paley Library (now Charles Library) construction in 1966, and has since been used as a gathering place to stage protests, concerts, barbeques, and bakesales. A newly landscaped circle at the base of the tower was added in 2017 and named Lenfest Circle in honor of longtime Temple benefactor and trustee H.F. Lenfest.
The Owl Statue at the Founder's Garden is another of the iconic spots on Temple's main campus. Installed as part of O'Connor Plaza, which was dedicated to Board of Trustees Chair Patrick J. O'Connor and his wife Marie, the statue includes a water wall, Temple “T,” and 17 diamond-shaped tablets for each of Temple's schools and colleges.
Gallery: Cityscapes
The City of Brotherly (and Sisterly) Love
Originally settled by Native American tribes, particularly the Lenape, the Delaware Valley area was established as a trading post by the Dutch, Swedish, and English in the early 1600s. King Charles II granted William Penn, the state's namesake, the charter for what would become the Pennsylvania colony in 1681, with the city of Philadelphia was founded in 1682 and incorporated in 1701.
In response to a series of tax acts imposed on the colonies, the Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia in 1774 and independence from the British was officially declared on July 4, 1776. Philadelphians were the first to hear the Declaration of Independence as it was read aloud in the State House yard (now known as Independence Hall). The city briefly served as the U.S. Capital following the Revolutionary War, and was the site of the first Bank of the United States, the first U.S. Mint, and the drafting of the U.S. Constitution in 1787.
Local Attractions
The Liberty Bell
Independence Hall
Museum of the American Revolution
The Betsy Ross House and Once Upon a Nation Steps
Philadelphia Art Museum and the “Rocky Steps”
Eastern State Penitentiary Ghost Tours
The African American Museum in Philadelphia
National Museum of American Jewish History
Reading Market Terminal
The Navy Yard
Kimmel Center for Performing Arts
LOVE Park
Schuylkill River and Boathouse Row
Philadelphia's Magic Gardens
The Italian Market
Pat's and Geno's
The Philadelphia Zoo
