SAINT JOSEPH'S WINS FOURTH STRAIGHT, OPEN A-10 WITH 2-1 WIN OVER TEMPLE
PHILADELPHIA (09/27/02) - Freshman Nancy Cook's first half goal proved to be the game-winner as the Hawks won their fourth straight game and opened the Atlantic 10 season with a 2-1 win over visiting Temple.
Saint Joseph's (4-2, 1-0) wasted no time getting on the board on the Finnesey Field turf. In the second minute, freshman Michelle Carmosky threaded a cross from the left side across the box. A streaking Kim Miller wisely let the pass through to senior Katie Watson who beat Owl keeper Jackie Mauro for her first goal of the season.
Watson now has 11 career goals, tying her for third all-time on Hawk Hill with Courtney Kennedy ('01) and Kim Dwyer ('02). Her 24 points also moves her into fourth place all-time at SJU.
The Hawks continued to control the midfield, but couldn't get many shots on goal until Cook took a bouncing pass from junior Anna Marini and chipped it over a charging Mauro for her first collegiate goal. It turned out to be the game-winner.
After one half of play, it looked like the match could turn into an easy win for the Hawks. But Temple (5-5, 0-1) thought otherwise. The Owls held the ball for most of the second stanza and for the last 20 minutes, fired several shots at senior keeper Christy Ganc.
A through ball from Brenda Gore found Samantha Vietry who beat Ganc in the 79th minute to bring TU within one. The goal snapped the Hawks' three-game shutout streak. The Crimson and Gray were just 11 minutes from setting a new program record for consecutive blankings.
Temple continued to pressure the Hawk defense, including a flurry of shots in the final minutes. A direct kick from just outside the 18 gave the Owls an opportunity to tie the game in the final seconds, but was knocked away by the Hawk defense, sealing the 2-1 victory.
“We had a great week of practice going into our last game [Fairfield] and tonight we wanted to make an impact in the A-10. We were looking to make an impact in our very first game, and we did that,” Cook said.
Ganc made five saves for her fourth win on the season, while Mauro needed to stop just one shot at the other end. Temple outshot the Hawks, 11-4, including 7-0 in the second stanza. The physical game also saw a combined 23 fouls and one yellow card.
The Hawks return to the pitch on Sunday when they travel to Villanova to take on the Wildcats at 4 pm. Surprisingly, it is the first ever match-up between the two neighboring rivals.
|
