Temple will enter the weekend with No. 16 preceding its name.

With a 3-1 start to the season, the Owls earned the No. 16 spot in the first week of the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll.

A 3-1 start at this time last year, that included a 3-0 upset over then-No. 6 Penn State on Sept. 6, put the Owls in the No. 11 spot. They retained a place in the Top 20 rankings up until the end of last season.

This year’s preseason poll left Temple unranked entering the season.

The Owls began their season with back-to-back wins against Northeastern and the University of Massachusetts at the Conference Cup Tournament in Lancaster, then split a weekend road trip with a 6-1 against Rutgers last Friday, then a 3-0 loss to No. 4 Duke.

Temple’s home opener is set for Friday at 3 p.m. with a matchup against Delaware.

Temple will be opening its season at the training site of the USA National Team.

Going into the team’s second year as members of the Big East Conference, 10^th year coach Amanda Janney has announced the Owls’ schedule for the fall.

Temple will open up with the Conference Cup Tournament at The Spooky Nook in Lancaster, Pa., on Aug. 29. The Owls will face Northeastern and the University of Massachussets during the opening weekend, and then go on the road to take on Rutgers and Delaware the following weekend.

Temple will return to Geasey Field for its home opener against Delaware on Sept. 12.

The Owls will begin Big East play on Oct. 3 at Providence and will have conference match-ups against Villanova (Oct. 10), Old Dominion (Oct. 17), Georgetown (Oct. 24) and Connecticut (Nov. 1) as well. The games against Villanova and UConn are at home.

Temple finished 14-6 overall and 4-3 in the Big East last season. The Owls were 17^th in the NCAA’s RPI rankings and fell just short of an NCAA tournament berth after losing 3-0 to UConn – the eventual Big East and NCAA Champions – in the semifinals of the Big East tournament.

“We have seen success with our philosophy of scheduling the best teams to prepare our team for conference play,” Janney said in a press release.

The Owls will face eight ranked teams from 2013 this upcoming season, which include three of last year’s Final Four teams: Duke (away on Sept. 7), Maryland (away on Sept. 14) and UConn (home on Nov. 1).

The accolades keep coming in for junior forward Amber Youtz and senior defender Molly Doyle, as Youtz has been named to the Longstreth/NFHCA Division I All-Region First Team and Doyle the second team.

Youtz led the way for the Owls, offensively, recording 16 goals and seven assists for 39 points. She also led the Big East in points and goals per game, with an average of 2.44 points per game that ranks second in the nation and a goal per game average that is fifth in the nation.

In her final season with the Owls, Doyle had a career year. She scored eight goals and three assists for 19 points and, as one of the team’s co-captains, led a defense that held opponents to 1.60 goals per game.

Both Youtz and Doyle were named to the Big East All-Tournament Team.

Youtz was also named to the Big East First Team and the Preseason All-Big East Team.

Doyle, meanwhile, was named to the Big East Second Team and was selected to play in the NFCHA Senior Game.

Youtz was named Big East Offensive Player of the Week two times this season and Doyle once to combine for three of four times the weekly award has been given to an Owl in 2013.

Senior defender Molly Doyle and junior forward Amber Youtz have been named to the 2013 Big East All-Tournament Team.

The roster was announced Sunday following the end of the conference tournament.

Youtz tallied 16 goals and 7 assists for 39 points to lead the team in scoring for the regular season, despite missing three games with an arm injury along the way. Youtz also led the NCAA with an averaged 2.60 goals per game and finished second in the nation in goals per game with an average of 1.07.

Doyle, one of the team’s co-captains, finished second on the team in scoring with eight goals and three assists for 19 points. She also led a defense that held opponents to 1.60 goals per game.

Both Youtz and Doyle recorded hat tricks in 2013. Doyle earned the first of her career in a 3-1 win over Bucknell back on Oct. 6 and Youtz recorded the fourth of her career in another 3-1 win, this time over Providence on Oct. 11. It was her first game back from her injury.

Temple was eliminated from the Big East Tournament by top-seed and No. 7 ranked Connecticut in a 3-0 loss. UConn moved on to beat No. 5 Old Dominion 1-0 in overtime, clinching the Big East Championship.

Youtz was also named to the Big East First Team, while Doyle and redshirt junior goalkeeper Lizzy Millen were named to the Big East Second Team on Thursday night at the conference’s awards banquet.

Junior forward Amber Youtz has been named to the Big East Conference First Team and senior midfielder/defender Molly Doyle and redshirt-junior goalkeeper Lizzy Millen have been named to the second team.

The three received honors Thursday night at the conference’s awards banquet, just a day prior to the start of the Big East Tournament.

Youtz led Temple in scoring this season with 16 goals and seven assists for 39 points. She leads the NCAA in points per game with a 2.60 average and is third in goals per game with an average of 1.07. Youtz was selected to the Preseason All-Big East Team before the start of the season and was named the conference’s offensive player of the week twice during the year.

Doyle was right behind Youtz with eight goals and three assists for 19 points, which is second on the team in scoring. Doyle was also named Big East Offensive Player of the Week, after scoring two goals in the 3-0 shutout of Penn State back on Sept. 6 and has played a big role in a defense that has held opponents to 1.53 goals per game.

Millen has started all 19 of Temple’s games this season in the cage, recording five shutouts and posting a .775 save percentage that is 13th in the nation. She made a 100 saves in 2013 to total 299 for her career, which is seventh all-time on the team.

The No. 19 Owls begin postseason play Friday at 5 pm, with a rematch against No. 7 Connecticut in the conference semifinals. Temple is the fourth seed in the tournament, while UConn has the No. 1 spot. Temple lost to UConn 7-0 when both teams met last weekend.

Senior midfielder/defender and co-captain Molly Doyle has been selected to play in the 2013 National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division I Senior Game.

The game will be held at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex on Nov. 23. Doyle is one of 38 seniors selected for the game and one of five coming out of the Big East. She is also the eighth senior that will represent Temple in the past seven years.

“We’re extremely proud of Molly and all her accomplishments,” coach Amanda Janney said in a press release. “She has really developed into one of the best defenders in the nation, and it will be great to see her play with the other top seniors.”

“Throughout the past years, our seniors have been able to show that they are some of the best players in the country,” Janney added. “Katie Briglia (2009-12) had a wonderful Senior Game last year against the US National Team, and we’re excited to see Molly do the same.”

Doyle has played a big role this season on a defense that has held opponents to an average of 1.22 goals per game and has helped to record five shutouts.

Offensively, Doyle is having a career year. She is second on the team in scoring with eight goals and three assists for 19 points, and recorded her first career hat-trick in a 3-1 home win against Bucknell on Oct. 6.

Temple maintained the No. 17 ranking with one game left in the regular season schedule.

This week’s Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I Coaches Poll has the Owls holding on to the same position they held last week.

Temple won both of its games last weekend, defeating Georgetown on Friday 5-1 in the last home game of the year and then Lafayette on the road 3-2 on Sunday.

The Owls will travel to No. 8 Connecticut on Saturday to wrap up the regular season.

Connecticut was ranked No. 4 last week, but a 5-0 loss to now No. 5 Old Dominion brought the Huskies back in the rankings.

After the regular season ends, Temple will prepare for the Big East Tournament, which begins on Nov. 8 and is also in Connecticut.

Along with Temple, Connecticut, Old Dominion and No. 14 Louisville have also clinched their spots in a postseason tournament where the top-four teams make it in.

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Junior forward Amber Youtz has been named Big East Player of the Week for the second time this season.

Youtz scored two goals and an assist in Friday’s 5-1 win over Georgetown.

The assist, which came late in the second half on a goal by freshman forward Katie Foran, was good for the 100th point of her career.

Youtz wasn’t done for the weekend either, as she added a goal and another assist in Sunday’s 3-2 win over Lafayette.

She scored just under 14 minutes into the first half when Temple was down 2-0, which ended up sparking a rally of three unanswered goals en route to a win.

Youtz is averaging 1.14 goals per game and 2.79 points per game. Both averages are the best in the nation.

Her 103 points is tied with teammate Bridget Settles (2008-11) for fifth all-time in points for the program.

Youtz is also seventh all-time in goals with 42, three goals behind Settles in sixth, who has 45.

Although she missed four games due to injury, Youtz leads the team in scoring this season with 16 goals and seven assists for 39 points. Her 16 goals also lead the Big East.

After beating conference rival Georgetown 5-1 on Friday, No. 17 Temple will hit the road for the last two games of the regular season.

The Owls will face Lafayette on Sunday afternoon to wrap up the weekend, and then they will take on No. 4 Connecticut next Saturday.

Lafayette won its last two match-ups via a 4-0 shutout of Holy Cross last Saturday and a 4-3 win against Colgate this Saturday.

With the win against Colgate, Lafayette clinched a spot in its own conference tournament, the Patriot League. Overall, Lafayette is 6-9 with a 3-2 conference record.

Meanwhile, the Owls are looking to secure their spot in the Big East Tournament. They’re 13-4 with a 4-2 record in the conference. Temple is currently fourth in the Big East and the Top 4 teams in the conference make the postseason tournament.

Redshirt junior goalkeeper Lizzy Millen will also be facing her sister, Hannah, in Sunday’s game.

Hannah Millen is a sophomore defender for Lafayette, who has a goal and two assists for four points this season. She has started in all 15 of Lafayette’s games this season.

Lizzy Millen, meanwhile, has been having a great year, starting in all 17 of Temple’s games and posting a .823 save percentage that is among the best in the nation.

Both Lizzy and Hannah Millen played in last year’s match-up between the Owls and the Leopards, which was a 3-0 win for Lafayette on Sept. 9.

Lizzy Millen made seven saves while Hannah Millen entered the game as a substitution.