Photo courtesy of Mark Campbell

Boxscore

PHILADELPHIA -- The University of Delaware women’s lacrosse team netted the game’s final three goals to secure a 10-8 come-from-behind road victory over Temple University at Geasey Field on Wednesday afternoon.

Delaware (2-4 overall) has tallied five consecutive wins over Temple (2-4 overall), but trails the all-time series that kicked-off in 1978, 16-11.

After trailing 5-3 at the half, Delaware outscored the Owls, 7-3, in the second frame to earn its second victory of the 2010 campaign. Junior Ali Libertini (at right) tallied a hat trick for the second straight game to lead the Hens, while senior Emily Schaknowski and junior Julianna Jeffers each added a pair of scores. Freshman Stephany Parcell and sophomore Kelsey Zenuk led Temple with two goals a piece.

The Hens outshot the Owls, 30-22, and won 13 of 20 draw controls to control the game, but Temple scooped up a game-high 25 ground balls to the Hens’ 18.

In a game that was tied on five occasions, the contest opened in a back-and-forth fashion as Temple first got on the board at 26:32. Delaware responded with an unassisted Schaknowski goal before Temple struck again. The Hens knotted the game at the 18-minute mark when Schaknowski netted a free position goal.

Temple went on to notch two consecutive as freshman Charlotte Swavola and sophomore Karly Cohen scored to give the Owls’ a 4-2 advantage. Jeffers broke up the home squad’s scoring with an unassisted goal at 6:58, but Zenuk capitalized on a Chelsea Rosiek pass at 3:34 to close out the half, 5-3, in Temple’s favor.

The Hens opened scoring just 1:42 into the second stint when senior Morgan Marino used a Brittany Griel feed to bring the Hens within one. Temple then answered with a Zenuk score before the Hens’ shots got hot.

Libertini scored back-to-back goals, first on a free position at 20:54 and then on a Morgan Leonard assist at 18:21 to bring the game to a 6-6 draw. Sophomore Blair King was in position to give Delaware its first lead of the action, 7-6, at 14:53. Temple fought back to tally two goals on free position opportunities helped by the Hens out-fouling Temple, 24-10.

In an 8-7 deficit, Libertini tipped off Delaware’s three-goal home stretch to earn the victory. Libertini went unassisted at 8:42 to tie the game at eight, and merely 29 seconds passed prior to King assisting junior Corrine Drost for the game-winning goal. Jeffers finalized all scoring at 6:58, 10-8, as she recorded the Blue Hens last of the day.

Delaware keeper junior Makenzie Worthington made eight stops en route to victory, while Temple’s Jessica Colucci saved 11 and suffered the loss in goal.

Delaware will next return to Rullo Stadium to face UMBC on Sunday, March 21 at 1 p.m.

AGATE:

Delaware............3.....7........10
Temple..............5.....3........8

Scoring Summary:
DELAWARE - Libertini, Ali 3 goals - assists 0; Schaknowski, Emily 2-0; Jeffers, Julianna 2-0; King, Blair 1-1; Drost, Corrine 1-0; Marino, Morgan 1-0; Griel, Brittany 0-1; Leonard, Morgan 0-1.
TEMPLE - Parcell, Stephany 2-0; Zenuk, Kelsey 2-0; Markunas, Stephanie 1-0; Cohen, Karly 1-0; Schweitzer, Melissa 1-0; Swavola, Charlotte 1-0; McWilliams, Allison 0-1; Rosiek, Chelsea 0-1.

Shots: Delaware - 30, Temple - 22; Groundballs: UD - 18, TU - 25; Draw Controls: UD - 13, TU - 7; Clears: UD 13-18, TU 17-22; Fouls: UD - 24, TU - 10; Saves: UD - 8 (Worthington, Makenzie); TU - 11 (Colucci, Jessica); Turnovers: UD - 17, TU - 19; Attendance: 317.