Opponent Preview: What to know about Temple

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After going 2-1 on a three-game road trip, Syracuse will return home to square off against Temple in its first game at the Carrier Dome in nearly three weeks. 

In its first road game, Syracuse triumphed over No. 14 Virginia by six goals. Meaghan Tyrrell recorded her second consecutive five-goal game. Emma Tyrrell and Megan Carney each added a hat trick before traveling to face the No. 13 Gators, where Syracuse was handed its second loss of the season.

In the final game of the road trip, Syracuse bounced back with a win against No. 24 Virginia Tech, its seventh consecutive ranked opponent, in a dominant 17-5 effort. Now, the Orange host the Owls, their first unranked opponent in just about a month and a half.

Here’s what you need to know about Temple (7-3, 0-0 American Athletic Conference):

Last time they played:

Saturday’s game will be the first meeting between the two teams.

The Owls Report:

Temple recently dropped games against Princeton and Rutgers, the only two ranked opponents it has played this season. However, the Owls are coming off a 13-10 win over Monmouth on Wednesday and will look to win their third straight game against the Orange.

Temple averages 12.9 goals per game, but the Owls sit 21st nationally in draw control wins with a 55.5% success rate. Junior Belle Mastropietro leads the Owls with 54 draw controls while Maddie Barber has won 35 herself.

Mastropietro and graduate student Quinn Nicolai power the Owls’ offense with a combined 65 goals on the season.

How Syracuse beats Temple

Syracuse has a 151-122 advantage over opponents in draw controls this season. Temple also has 18 more draw controls than its opponents combined. If Syracuse wants to maximize its opportunities against a steady Temple defense, Kate Mashewske needs to outplay Mastropietro at the draw circle.

Converting on free position shots will be important too, as Temple has held opponents to only 12 free position goals this season and goalie Annie Carroll currently has a 42 save percentage.

Stat to know: 36.4% opponent free position rate

Syracuse shoots roughly 50% on free position attempts and has recorded 24 goals from the free position total this season. The Owls have held opponents to a rate that results in more misses than makes.

Against Kennesaw State, Temple gave up nine free position attempts but held KSU to two makes in a 19-11 win. While Syracuse has the advantage against the Owls statistically, if the game remains close this could be a crucial factor if the Orange are held in check by the Temple defense.

Player to watch: Belle Mastropietro, midfield, No. 12

Mastropietro leads the team in points and draw controls, and she is second with 12 assists. Against Rutgers, who was ranked No. 13 at the time, the junior scored five goals on perfect five-for-five shooting. She also added an assist, two ground balls and five draw controls in an attempt to lead the Owls to a win.

Mastropietro has yet to be held under two points this season and will provide a tough cover for the Orange.