When we started observing women’s collegiate lacrosse starting in the early 1990s, Temple University was a legitimate power in the sport. Between 1983 and 1990, the Owls made the Final Four every year, winning the national title in 1984 and 1988.
This was in an era where there were not a lot of women’s lacrosse teams in Division I. The level of competition was at a time where everybody knew everybody else, and most of the top players were from limited areas of the country. Teams played with wooden sticks with gut and leather pockets. There were no white lines on the perimeter of the field; the only markings were the center circle, the goal circles, and the arcs and fans. Players fell into roles with names borrowed from cricket: point, cover point, third man, and the like. Players could play wherever they wanted on the field, albeit it was seen as unsporting to bring all 12 players into the attacking third.
So, what is Temple doing, sitting on a 7-0 record after yesterday’s encounter with Delaware State?
One thing that they have been doing is taking advantage of graduate-school talent. Amelia Wright, who has missed parts of three seasons due to injuries, is one of the Owls’ leading finishers. She’s one of four players who come from the deep South.
Temple has recruited the usual cadre of eastern Pennsylvania players, which includes leading assister Lexi Culp (Springfield, Pa.) and midfielder Sarah Gowman (Birdsboro, Pa.).
Who is leading this group of merry women? None other than U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Famer Bonnie Rosen. She has stayed the course over the last 20 years on North Broad Street. The Owls were 4-12 a year ago, but have risen to an unbeaten record heading into a stretch of play in the next few weeks starting with a Wednesday trip to Unitas Stadium to play Towson. After hosting Rutgers March 7th, Temple will play six consecutive American Athletic Conference foes. It is this stretch of play which will determine the Owls’ postseason chances; only four teams make it into the AAC bracket in order to play for the conference’s AQ.
Keep an eye on this Owls squad going forward.