For the Temple Owls, a week long road trip in California provided more than a break from the student-athlete grind, but also relieved players from the wintry conditions of Philadelphia.
“We always joke about the fact that we’re not really a spring sport,” coach Bonnie Rosen said.
With the lacrosse season beginning in February, inclement weather is expected in Philadelphia.
“It’s not necessarily a wildcard,” senior midfielder Charlotte Swavola said. “It’s something we get used to and have to mentally prepare for”.
The stretch of four straight games on Geasey Field provided nothing but freezing temperatures. For each game of the homestand, the temperature ranged between high 20’s to high 30’s.
“It’s a challenge from a team standpoint, staying warm enough to play well,” Rosen said.
For senior goalie Meghan Clothier, overcoming the string of cold weather games was an even more daunting task, due to the stretches of the games where the goalie did not see shot attempts.
“I try to stay focused, stay in the moment and try not to think about it, but it’s definitely a challenge,” Clothier said. “Especially during those stretches when the ball is on the opposite end of the field and I don’t know when it’s coming back”.
Although the team has become accustom to the cold weather that comes with the beginning of lacrosse in Philadelphia, it couldn’t help but look forward to what promised to be better conditions.
“The warm weather feels great. The sun feels great. So, that helps the team,” Rosen said. “The combination of the weather, seeing new places across the country, spending time with each other without the pressures of school certainly allow us to focus and play great lacrosse”.
The Owls finished their California road trip with a record of 1-2 with their lone win being a 12-7 victory against the USC Trojans. The other two games ended in a four point loss to #16 Stanford and a blowout loss to San Diego State.
Brien Edwards can be reached at brien.edwards@temple.edu or on twitter @BErick1123.
