The field hockey team’s season came to an end today when the Owls lost to Massachusetts in the first round of the Atlantic 10 Championships by a final score of 5-2.
Massachusetts was able to get many different players involved in the game, with four different players scoring their five goals.
This was Temple second loss to the Minutewomen this year, after losing last weekend 4-1.
The Owls jumped out to an early lead behind a goal from senior forward Katie Briglia. It was Briglia’s seventh goal of the year and it came off a penalty corner set up by junior defender Mandi Shearer.
Massachusetts responded in the 15th minute with sophomore midfielder Renee Suter scoring a goal off a pass from junior forward Alyssa Ineson.
In the 20th minute, senior defender Thando Zono began to take over. The South African native scored a goal on a penalty corner, putting the Massachusetts lead up to 2-1.
Five minutes later, senior midfielder Kim Young took a pass from Zono into the circle and scored, giving the Minutewomen a 3-1 lead that they carried into the half.
Sophomore forward Amber Youtz helped to narrow the two point gap by taking a pass from Shearer and scoring a goal early in the second half.
Only minutes after Youtz’s goal, it looked as though the Owls had tied the game 3-3. Temple crowded the circle with an attack, and a shot ricocheted in.
But shortly after, the officials ruled the ball bounced off sophomore midfielder Nicole Kroener’s foot before crossing the line.
After the disallowed goal the Minutewomen scored quickly, squashing any momentum Temple had and widening the margin to two.
Senior forward Nicole Cordero scored after save by sophomore goalkeeper Lizzy Millen bounced off her and onto the stick of Cordero, who tipped it into the cage for a 4-2 UMass lead in the 49th minute.
With a two-point lead, the Minutewomen never looked back. Zono capped off the game, scoring her second goal of the game off a penalty corner.
Massachusetts advances to the A-10 final against top-seeded Richmond.
-Colin Tansits
