Monthly Archives: September 2012

Martinelli earns back-to-back rookie honors

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Freshman midfielder Jared Martinelli was named the Atlantic 10 Conference and Philadelphia Soccer Six Rookie of the Week for the second consecutive week.

Martinelli scored six points in games against Saint Peter’s and Howard last weekend with a pair of goals and assists. He scored five points in the previous week.

“We knew when we recruited [Martinelli] we knew he was a special player,” coach David MacWilliams said. “He’s been every bit of what we expected and more.”

“Contributing in such a big way has been unexpected,” Martinelli said. “Coming in I just wanted to start and be productive on the field.”

Martinelli has helped Temple (3-3-1) win two games in a row to climb back to .500 after losing two games in a row.

-Joey Cranney and Tyler Sablich

Youtz named A-10 Player of the Week

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With two hat tricks in two games this weekend, sophomore Amber Youtz was named as the Atlantic 10 Conference Field Hockey Player of the Week.

Youtz is currently ranked among the Top 15 in the NCAA Division I in both goals per game and points per game.

This award is a first for the forward from Dauphin, Pa. She leads the A-10 in goals (12) and points (30).

Youtz posted a total of 13 points this weekend in wins against Colgate and Bucknell. She also added an assist that led to a game-winning goal on Sunday.

-Colin Tansits

Ice hockey escapes Lehigh with win

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It took 65 minutes of play and a shootout, but Temple ice hockey eventually escaped Lehigh with its third win in as many games.

Freshman Dave Brewer put in the go-ahead goal in the shootout and sophomore goalie Eric Semborski made the final savefor a 3-2 shootout win over Lehigh University Sunday.

Freshman forward Greg Malinowski scored in his Temple debut to get the Owls on the board in the second period.

Lehigh then had back-to-back goals in the third, the latter goal coming with 5:09 left to play. Semborski then replaced starter Chris Mullen, who was tagged with a 10 minute game misconduct after the second Lehigh goal.

Junior forward Joe Pisko responded about a minute later with a game-tying tally that eventually forced overtime.

Malinowski and freshman forward Jason Marbaich also scored for Temple in the shootout.

Temple improved to 3-0 after the win, and capped a weekend sweep after beating the College of New Jersey 5-2 on Friday night.

Though the Owls are rolling with three straight wins to begin the season, they will be challenged next weekend when they take on Montclair State and Penn State Universities on Saturday and Sunday respectively, both at Northeast Skatezone.

Saturday’s contest is slated to start at 8:30 pm.

-Drew Parent

Women’s soccer set to take on Marist

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             Following the 1-0 loss to Siena on Friday, Sept. 21, the women’s soccer team hopes to grab the second match of the weekend on Sunday, Sept. 23 against Marist at 4 pm.

            “[Marist] is a team that likes to get in your face a lot,” coach Matt Gwilliam said. “To this point, they have had a great season.”

            The Owls will look to grab their first win of the season on the road, as well as their first win since Sept. 7, when they faced Iona at the Ambler Sports Complex.

-John Murrow

            Since the 1-0 win against Iona at home, the Owls have been shutout in four straight matches, three of which resulted in 1-0 losses and one match which ended in a 0-0 tie.

            On the year, Marist has 16 goals in comparison to Temple’s 4 this season. The problem for the Owls is not the defense, but it is scoring the ball when the team has their opportunities, Gwilliam said.

            “We have our defense down,” freshman goalkeeper Shauni Kerkhoff said. “We are creating chances but we just are not finishing.”

            “Marist is in the process of building their program,” Gwilliam added. “They have been riding some good results this season.”

            Entering Sunday’s match, Temple enters with a 2-6-2 record and an 0-4-1 record on the road. Marist will begin Sunday’s match with a record of 6-4-0 and 3-0-0 record when playing at home.

            “Marist is another good team on our schedule and I expect a good competition,” Kerkhoff said.

            For the Owls, the team will have their last chance at a non-conference opponent against Marist before the Atlantic-10 conference matches begin on Saturday, Sept. 29 against Saint Joseph’s at the Ambler Sports Complex.

Volleyball hosts Fordham in A-10 play

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The volleyball team will be looking to keep a 12-set winning streak alive against visiting Fordham tonight, after coming off a straight-set sweep of Atlantic 10 Conference rival Rhode Island.

Temple opened up conference play Friday with a 3-0 victory against the Rams, despite a slow start that saw them fall behind 7-1 before rallying back. The team hopes they can get off to a quicker start against Fordham.

“Do not start off the way we started [against Rhode Island],” senior libero Chelsea Tupuola said. “Really focus in on that first game. Momentum does carry out throughout the rest of the games and sets, but we need to start off really strong, right then and there.”

Last year the Owls lost both meetings against the Rams, each by scores of 3-1. This time they just want to get out of the gates quickly.

“I think we’re going to come up with a new cheer, something, anything to get us pumped up,” junior outside hitter Elyse Burkert said.

-Jake Adams

Ice hockey expects win against TCNJ

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After defeating Millersville University handily in the season opener, the ice hockey club will be looking for more of the same when they take on The College of New Jersey in the home opener.

Temple (1-0) ambushed Millersville (0-1) for five goals in the game’s first 10 minutes en route to a 6-3 win last Saturday. Despite the win, coach Jerry Roberts emphasized the importance of maintaining a complete, 60 minute effort from now on.

“From our perspective, we have a much broader view of the season,” Roberts said. “We know that the way our team played in the Millersville game won’t cut it in the bigger games we really want to win.”

Sophomore goalie Eric Semborski will start in goal in the place of starter Chris Mullen, who will have the night off.

“In having goaltenders so close in talent and potential, we want to make sure they both have opportunities to make statements,” Roberts said. “We’re giving Mullen the night off and he’ll be in there Sunday [against Lehigh University].”

Freshman Jon Plester will be Semborski’s backup and could see time against TCNJ, where his older brother Jed plays as a forward.

“Completely unrelated to the fact his brother is playing on the other team, there aren’t many chances to get [Plester] ice time,” Roberts said. “We’re hoping our guys play the way we want them to so that we will have an opportunity to get him playing time [tonight].”

TCNJ is coming off of a Great Northeast Collegiate Hockey Conference championship last year, and will open their season with the Temple game.

As was the case last Saturday with Millersvillle, the expectation from Roberts and the rest of the coaching staff is a win.

“[TCNJ] is similar to Millersville,” Roberts said. “They’re in the same conference and they’re an opponent that we intentionally scheduled in the beginning of the season. We’re expecting a win.”

-Andrew Parent

Volleyball begins A-10 play at home

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Offense will be the key for the Owls as they head into their Atlantic 10 Conference season opener against Rhode Island on Friday.

Temple goes up against a URI squad that lacks a big play threat (no hitter ranks in the Top 10 in the conference) and is one of the worst defenders in the A-10. The team has allowed a .228 hitting percentage (10th in the conference) while only hitting .159 (ninth in the conference).

But coach Bakeer Ganes expects a battle in their first conference match of the year at McGonigle Hall.

“I know [coach Bob Schneck’s] team is going to be very well coached, very well organized, and it’s going to be a battle,” Ganes said.

The Owls will be looking to improve to 11-4 on the year. The match begins at 7 p.m.

–Jake Adams

Women’s soccer opens New York series

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The women’s soccer team will be opening up their first of two games in New York this weekend against Siena on Friday, Sept. 21, at 4 pm.

“Our team loves road trips,” freshman goalkeeper Shauni Kerkhoff said. “Away games allow for our team to bond on the bus more than usual.”

The first match of the road trip on Friday against Siena will be one that the Owls plan to match up well against, coach Matt Gwilliam said.

“We played them in a tough match last year at home,” Gwilliam said. “We dropped that game last year and do not know a whole lot about [Siena] this year.”

Nearly a year ago to date on Sept. 25, 2011, Temple fell to Siena 3-1 at the Ambler Sports Complex. In the match, Owls’ midfielder Kate Yurkovic scored her lone goal of the 2011 season, but it was not enough to answer the Sienna offensive attack.

This week in practice, Temple has addressed the offensive attack as the team looks to finish the many opportunities they have been unable to finish to this point, Gwilliam said.

Temple is entering Friday’s match with a record of 2-5-2, while opposing Siena is 3-4-0 on the season.

“Every game is a new game so you never know what to expect,” Kerkhoff said. “We always expect to win every game, so we will see.”

-John Murrow

Martinelli earns Rookie of the Week honors

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Freshman standout Jared Martinelli has been named Rookie of the Week by both the Atlantic 10 Conference and Philadelphia Soccer Six after tallying four points in three games.

Martinelli’s stellar week began with two assists in the home opener win against Manhattan, his first two collegiate points. On Friday in California, he recorded another assist against Cal-Poly, setting up redshirt sophomore Chas Wilson for Temple’s only goal of the game. Against Cal State Northridge last night, Jared Martinelli scored his much awaited first goal as an Owl in the 88th minute.

“It feels good to come in and have an impact as a freshman and just create chances for the team,” Martinelli said.

Martinelli, who attended Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg, Pa., ultimately chose Temple against Pittsburgh.

Despite earning the Rookie of the Week honors, he remains humble and focused on growing as a player.

“Personally, I could contribute to the team more by finishing more chances,” Martinelli said. “I could create more opportunities.”

After losing both of their games in California this past weekend, the reigning Rookie of the Week thinks this weekends home stand could be just what the Owls need to get in some kind of groove.

“This week is big for us to get back on track,” Martinelli said. “With a couple of home games, we can get back to .500.”

Temple hosts Saint Peter’s on Friday Sept. 21 and Howard on Sunday Sept. 23. at Ambler Campus.

-Tyler Sablich

Delp named A-10 Rookie of the Week

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After a two-goal performance this weekend against Drexel, freshman forward Alyssa Delp was named the Atlantic 10 Conference Rookie of the Week.

The Fleetwood, Pa. native scored a total of eight points this weekend in games against Delaware and Drexel.

Delp has started all eight games this season for Temple. She has totaled five goals on the year, including two game-winning scores.

With Delp’s two goals on Sunday, she helped the Owls defeat their first ranked opponent since 2009 when Temple beat No. 10 Massachusetts. The win was also the Owls’ first win over Drexel since 2007.

-Colin Tansits