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Men’s soccer adds 11 athletes to roster

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This morning, Temple men’s soccer head coach David MacWilliams announced his additions to the 2013 roster. In total, the 13-year-coach is bringing in eight freshman and three transfers, resulting in a team that will feature 11 new student-athletes this fall for their first season in the American Athletic Conference.

Freshmen Alexander Cagle, Mark Grasela, Steffan Mueller, Matt Mahoney, Miguel Polley, Robert Sagel, Vojkan Tomasevic and Dan White are among those joining the Owls, along with transfers Donovan Fraser, Jonah Williams and Anani Mohammed.

Fraser, a medical redshirt from the University of Maryland, was a two-time National Soccer Coaches Association of America High School All-American, and won the Suffolk League IV Championship all four years of his high school career. Cagle, a sex-foot-four goalkeeper was named to the Second Team All-Conference in his junior year at Brookfield East High School, when he posted a 0.366 goals against average for the season.

“I’m very excited about these prospects and the level of talent they bring to Temple,” MacWilliams said in a press release. “I really believe this i the best incoming class that I’ve had in my 13 years here and that’s no disrespect to any of the previous classes. This group of guys gives us an opportunity to compete in the American Athletic Conference immediately.”

Intramural coordinator honored at banquet

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Ray DeStephanis, who has served as the intramural coordinator of Temple since 2002, was honored by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Soccer Hall of Fame at the organization’s 66th annual banquet.

DeStephanis, a graduate Temple, received the Chick Fallon Award for Service to Soccer. In addition to overseeing the many intramural programs offered by Temple, DeStephanis is currently in his seventh year as head coach of the varsity soccer team at Roman Catholic High School. SEPA Hall of Fame Vice President described DeStephanis as part of the fabric that makes up the regional soccer community.

“Not everybody gets to read the daily paper,” DeStephanis said upon accepting the award. “But we all read emails at work, at home and on our phones. If in some way a simple email with game results, standings and info helps to keep everyone informed, then I feel I am helping the entire soccer community. Soccer has been good to me. It’s only fair that I’m good to the sport in return.”

Temple to host first ever Harrow Cup

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The inaugural Harrow Cup will take place June 8 and 9 at the Owls’ own Geasey Field, where six teams will compete for a $10,000 winner-takes-all cash prize.

The Harrow Cup is a women’s field hockey tournament organized exclusively for post-collegiate women. Mark Hayden, the leader of Harrow Sports, was inspired to create the event during the 2012 National Field Hockey Festival in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Head coach Amanda Janney and assistant coach Charise Yount will represent the Owls, playing together for the Vipers. In addition, graduate assistant coach Kelly Driscoll will be a goalkeeper for the Tembos, while alumni Alli Lokey, Erin Hanshue, and Bridget Settles will also participate.

Another former Hoosier added to Temple Athletic Department

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Pat Kraft was named Temple’s newest Deputy Director of Athletics on Wednesday afternoon.

Kraft, most recently the Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director at Loyola University Chicago, will serve under Interim Athletic Director Kevin Clark. In two years at Loyola, Kraft directly managed the external operations of the athletic department. This included marketing, fundraising, ticket sales and media relations.

Before going to Loyola, Kraft worked on the senior athletic staff at Indiana University, where he oversaw all branding and marketing aspects of the teams. He holds three degrees from Indiana: a bachelor’s degree in sports marketing/management earned in 2000, a master’s degree in sports marketing/administration earned in 2005 and a doctorate in sports marketing earned in 2008. As an undergraduate, he was a linebacker on Indiana’s football team.

Kraft, along with Clark, is the second former Hoosier to be hired to the athletic department since Neil Theobald took office in January.

Evan Cross can be reached at evan.cross@temple.edu or on Twitter @EvanCross.

Men’s track gear up for Navy Invitational

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Heading into the Navy Invitational Saturday, the men’s track & field team will likely count on a budding sprinter and jumper in sophomore Darryl McDuffie to maintain his current hot streak after a career performance a week ago at the Gotham Invitational.

McDuffie was the headliner at the 168th Armory in New York last week, qualifying for the IC4A Championships in the high jump with a personal-best mark of 2.06 meters. McDuffie also posted a personal-best time of 7.28 seconds in the 60-meter dash to cap a successful afternoon.

The Owls will also look for points from a solid field-event core.

Freshman jumper Jamal Williams and junior jumper Gabe Pickett anchored the long jumping unit in New York, placing 17th and 19th with jumps of 6.41 meters and 6.40 meters, respectively.

“Jumpers such as [Pickett] and [McDuffie] have been really good and we’re looking for them to get even better,” coach Eric Mobley said. “We’re looking for some overall team direction and improvement in all of the different events. Some of our top athletes have been in field, but we’re looking for them to spread the wealth around the entire team.”

–Andrew Parent

Volleyball bounces back with first win of season

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The volleyball team defeated UNC-Asheville in straight sets, 25-16, 25-21, 25-20 to pick up its first win of the season in the South Carolina Invitational Saturday morning.

Junior Elyse Burkert led the way for the Owls with 17 kills, while sophomore Tiffany Connatser added 35 assists and junior Gabriella Matuatia held things down on defense with 15 digs.

Temple will have a chance to make it a winning streak later today when it takes on the Akron Zips at 5 p.m. to conclude the weekend.

–Brandon Stoneburg

Mark Ingram named assistant vice president of athletic development

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The Temple athletic office named Mark Ingram the assistant vice president of athletic development, it was announced Wednesday. Ingram joins the Owl community after formerly being the Senior Associate Athletic Director at Tennessee.

Prior to working at Tennessee, Ingram served as the Assistant Athletics Director for Development for the University of Georgia and the University of Missouri.

“We are excited to be able to attract one of the top athletic development administrators in the nation to join the Temple Athletics staff,” Athletics Director Bill Bradshaw said in a press release. “Mark brings a track record of success to Temple, having led not one, but three successful athletic development offices at the highest level of Division I.  He is clearly the right person to lead our efforts as we transition to the Big East Conference.”

Ingram’s resume includes planning and strategizing Tennessee’s Capital Campaign that raised $336 million during his tenure. He was also involved in project management for the $250 million Neyland Football Stadium master plan.

“It is an honor for my family and I to join the staff at Temple University; we couldn’t be happier,” Ingram said in a statement. “I am grateful for the confidence that Bill Bradshaw, Tilghman Moyer [Temple’s Associate Vice President for Development] and other university leaders have shown by entrusting me with this critical position.  Temple is an institution with an excellent reputation nationally, both academically and athletically.  We are excited about our upcoming move to Philadelphia and look forward to becoming part of the community.”

Ingram graduated from Tennessee University in 1996 with a degree in Sports Management and was also a two-year starter on the football team.