Women's soccer looking toward future after another tough season

11/13/2024 02:25 PM

Following a two-win 2023 season, Temple made a hard reset in the offseason by dismissing former head coach Nick Bochette and bringing in Robert Morris coach Chris Shaw to lead the program.

A lengthy rebuild was necessary regardless of who was in charge. Temple hadn't had a winning season since 2015 and Shaw was tasked with remedying a struggling program.

Temple finished its first year under Shaw with an uninspiring 2-17 record and didn't pick up a conference win for the third straight season. Despite the final record, the Owls showed flashes of progress in Shaw's first season and there is reason to believe there may be light at the end of the tunnel.

"As [the players] go we go," Shaw said. "If they want to end on a good note and they want to leave a positive legacy for the next year's class, then it's up to them to really step up. I will say that they are a good group and I think they are heading in the right direction."

The root of the Owls’ struggles this season stemmed from the offensive end, as they only scored 10 goals all year. Temple broke a nearly year-long scoreless streak against Le Moyne on Sept. 5, but followed it up by ending the season on an eight-game goalless streak.

The win against Le Moyne was Shaw's first victory as head coach and it showed the team's offensive attack was capable of improvement. Temple picked up another win a week later against Navy on Sept. 14, but the hope for a season turnaround quickly evaporated after the Owls only scored two goals to end the season on a 10-game losing streak.

Despite its struggles, the offense did show improvement. Forward Shari Atkins spearheaded the unit, using her speed to consistently create offensive pressure. She led the team with three goals and was tied with midfielders Yao Zhao and Carly Steinberg for the most assists on the team with two. However, Atkins didn't score a goal in the final month of the season and nobody else was able to aid her.

That pressure on the defense made goalkeeper Tasmin Bynoe step into the spotlight. She started 17 of the 18 games she appeared in and racked up 115 saves on the season which tied her for 10th in the country. The efforts of the Owls' keeper helped them finish fourth in the nation in saves per game. 

Despite the individual performances, the Owls weren't able to play as a unit. Outside of the wins against Le Moyne and Navy, Temple struggled to play a consistent and aggressive 90 minutes each game. The inconsistencies on the pitch led to losing close contests throughout the season, mostly in conference play.

The Owls scored early against Tulsa on Sept. 29, but they couldn't capitalize on the early advantage and gave up two goals in 10 minutes in a 3-2 loss. Two weeks later against USF on Oct. 17, Bynoe was bombarded with 21 shots but managed to keep the game tied with 10 minutes left. However, a hard tackle from midfielder Fiona Killian handed USF a free kick which they converted to win the game 1-0.

"We can't wait until halfway through each half to decide to switch on and try. We have to come out fast and start the game fast," Bynoe said. "As a team who doesn't get many shots off we can't afford to try and win a game from behind."

The team's greatest heartbreak was on Senior Day against UAB on Oct. 27. The Owls held the lead with six minutes left and seemed poised to break their conference losing streak. But UAB scored two goals in 60 seconds to grab the lead and ruin the Owls' hopes for a win.

These games showed the flaws Temple still had but also displayed promise for the future. Bynoe and Atkins emerged as key building blocks for Temple at two key positions, but their success never rubbed off on the rest of the team.

Shaw's first season was a rebuilding year that was bound to be difficult. Although the record doesn't indicate progress from last season, the Owls showed flashes of improvement on the field. With a glut of young talent expected to return next season, the best might be ahead for women’s soccer on North Broad.

"I think you're seeing an improvement each game," Steinberg said. "We're growing so much as a team and we're really building on what we're working on in practice."

The post Women's soccer looking toward future after another tough season first appeared on The Temple News.