The nationally ranked 16th Owls (13-6, 3-2) played well enough to win. They should have won. Trying to upset the reigning national champions and 4th ranked team is no easy task, but they were five minutes away from completing the shocker.
UConn (14-3, 5-0) had been losing or tied with the Owls for most of the day until the final minute when they took the lead for good. In Amber Youtz’s final home game, the senior who is leading Division I field hockey in goals, netted her 26th goal of the season. The goal tied her for third place on Temple’s all time goal list with 68.
Freshman, Rachel Mueller scored twice in two minutes to give the Owls a 3-1 lead until late in the half when the Huskies’ Sophie Bowden scored with under a minute remaining to trim the deficit to one. The Owls clung to that one-point-lead until the very end of the second half.
With five minutes left, UConn’s Charlotte Veitner came alive. Veitner is their leading scorer on the season with 12 goals, adding to that total when she tied the game by sprinting through the Owls’ defense and beating goalie Lizzy Millen in a one on one situation. With under a minute to go, Veitner scored one last goal to give UConn the victory and send the Huskies on to the Big East Tournament with the top seed.
The Owls will take on Old Dominion (11-7,4-1) in the Big East Tournament at Providence College at 1 o’clock on Friday.
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