Speed is one of the key factors that women's lacrosse coach Karin Brower hopes will help the Quakers outplay Temple today. And Ali DeLuca, a new face on the field, has already added significantly to that.
"Ali had a fantastic first game," Brower said of the weekend's 12-4 win over Drexel. "She is 100 percent ready to play."
Not only will DeLuca keep her opponents on the chase, but so will the rest of the freshman class, which Brower claims to be her best-recruited class yet. DeLuca and classmate Barb Seaman already notched their first starts - and goals - in the game against Drexel last weekend.
"The freshman are good athletes and they push people very hard," Brower said. "They are ready to come in and see some time."
Brower hopes the momentum from the win will carry into the game against the Owls. Last year the Quakers crushed Temple, winning 14-6. But the star performers from that game were Ali Ryan and Karrie Moore.
"We clearly miss our seniors," Brower said. "We have a lot more depth in our midfield, which was a problem last year, and we have a ton of speed."
To add to the team's new line-up is goalie Sarah Waxman. Against Drexel she put up a strong defensive front, making nine saves.
"Sarah is playing well in goal," Brower said. "The goals we let in were not our strongest defensive plays."
Along with Waxman, captain Chrissy Muller, notching a hat trick during the Drexel game, is also a force to be reckoned with. The senior has been leading since her freshman year, Brower said.
"She is a calm, composed attacker and has now stepped it up to leading the entire team, an even greater role."
While the first game jitters are out of the Quakers' system, Temple isn't so lucky.
The Owls' first game, scheduled for Sunday against Virginia, was postponed due to inclement weather.
"It is their first game and they have a new coach this year," Brower said. "It is a totally new team."
Bonnie Rosen took the helm at Temple last year, after 10 seasons at Connecticut.
She will lead a team tapped to finish second in the Atlantic 10, with two returning First-Team All-Conference players.
The Quakers, who started off the season ranked at No. 20, will be the clear favorites. But Brower cautions that the ranking might not tell the whole story tomorrow.
"Out of the teams in the top 20 we beat Towson, Syracuse and Penn State last year," Brower said. "A poll at this time of year doesn't mean anything."
