Photos: Zamani Feelings
By: Dominique Vinson
PHILADELPHIA – Wednesday afternoon's matchup between the Temple Owls and Penn Quakers in women's lacrosse proved that not even rain and wet conditions could dampen the competitive spirit on the field. Hailing from different sides of the City of Philadelphia, this Big 5 match-up saw No. 13 Penn prevail 11-6 against a tenacious Temple team.
Temple vs. Penn - PSD Gallery by Zamani Feelings
Temple entered the game with an impressive 4-1 record, and Penn came with an undefeated standing of 2-0, with a most recent 11-10 victory over No. 12 Johns Hopkins. From the opening whistle, both teams showed that they were not going to back down, they prevented the opposing team from scoring deep into the first quarter until Penn junior Gracie Smith got the team’s momentum going scoring the first goal of the game.
Shortly after, Penn senior captain Niki Miles scored the second goal for the Quakers.
On the following draw, Temple’s Belle Mastropietro secured possession and the Owls’ offense continued to fight to get on the scoreboard. Hannah Schrader was able to get the job done, as the senior midfielder was able to secure Temple’s first goal of the game.
The Owls’ fast break attempts to attack their goal were unsuccessful to tie the game early on, allowing Penn to score their third goal and final point of the opening quarter off the stick of Catherine Berkery with only 11.4 seconds remaining.
The Owls did not waste much time in the second quarter before Amelia Wright scored their second goal, the Owls now had an opportunity to get their momentum going. However, neither team was able to get another point on the board deep into the second quarter. Carli Fleisher’s patience in the X allowed her to score one point in the second quarter giving the Quakers a 4-2 lead at the half.
In the third, the Owls struck back quickly as Mastropietro delivered an unassisted shot to once again cut UPenn’s lead down to one. This did not last long, as Penn took the opportunity to broaden the gap scoring twice, first by Anna Brandt and later by Maria Themelis. The Quakers did not allow the Owls to score for the remainder of the quarter.
With the Owls now down 7-3 at the beginning of the fourth unable to get anything going offensively, this left the Quakers with nothing but opportunity. Fighting not only against the relentless rain but also the Quaker’s defense, the Owls struggled to make a comeback.
The Quakers dominated the final quarter, scoring six goals, mostly unanswered by the Owls. Temple was able to get two more points on the board by the end of the game although it was too late. Penn’s persistent pressure left Temple with few opportunities to even attempt shots on goal.
Penn goal by freshman Catherine Berkery #5 - PSD Video by Dominique Vinson
Goal by Temple junior Amelia Wright - PSD Video by Dominique Vinson
The Quakers had created a gap the Owls could not come back from, giving the Quakers city bragging rights as they took home the win 11-6.
In the loss, Mastropietro won four draw controls, bringing her career total to 302. This ranks tenth most draw controls among active Division I players.
Looking Ahead: Temple will host Saint Joseph’s tomorrow afternoon at Noon while Penn plays today against Columbia.