• Box Score (PDF)

PHILADELPHIA - Temple used a three-goal run to close out the game and take the 9-7 decision to spoil the home opener for the La Salle lacrosse squad at McCarthy Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.

Alanna Diffendal led the Explorers with two goals and one assist, and Erin McCabe added a goal and assist. The Explorers (1-1) also got goals from Katelyn Fay, Allee Ilgenfritz, Brittany Edwards, as well as Rachel Ceplo who netted the first of her career.

Temple (3-0) got nine goals from nine different goal scorers, with Nicole Barretta adding an assist to her one goal.

Both teams came out firing to a 3-3 tie just 10 minutes into the game. Ilgenfritz got it going with a goal at 25:44. Fay found the back of the net, taking a pass from Diffendal just over a minute later to give the Explorers a 2-0 lead.

That lead was short-lived, as the Owls answered with back-to-back goals. Macie Hauck got one at 23:23, and Megan Pinkerton scored just 31 seconds later to knot the score at 2-2.

Diffendal kept the flurry of goals going with a tally at 21:38, only to be answered by Temple's Barretta at 19:47 to put the score at 3-3.

Both defenses clamped down after that as the offenses went cold. Ceplo snapped the game's 17-minute scoring drought with the first goal of her young career with 2:32 remaining until halftime. Temple's Nicole Tiernan responded with a goal a minute later and the squads took a 4-4 tie into the halftime break.

Claire Andrews found McCabe out of the gate in the second half to go up 5-4. But much like the first half, the teams traded goals over the next six minutes. Morgan Glassford scored just 21 seconds after McCabe's goal. Diffendal responded 47 seconds after that to put the Explorers back on top 6-5. Megan Tiernan drained one for the Owls just 56 seconds later.

Edwards gave the Explorers their final lead of the game with a goal at 22:55 on an assist from McCabe, which turned out to be the final Explorer goal of the game.

Temple's Avery Longstaff knotted the game at 7-7 at 19:44, and Kathryn Skahan added one two minutes later to put the Owls on top 8-7. Carly Demato scored her fifth of the season at 13:06 for the 9-7 score, which held up as neither team could generate any more offense down the stretch. 

The squads were evenly matched in every category except for draw controls, which Temple dominated 14-4. The Explorers edged the Owls 21-20 in shots attempts, and scooped up 16 ground balls to Temple's 12. 

Gabby Antonelli stopped seven shots in goal for the Explorers, while Jaqi Kakalecik picked up the win in the Temple goal with six saves.

The Explorers return to action next Wednesday (2/25) when they host Delaware at 7 p.m.