HARRISONBURG, Va. – Temple scored two unanswered goals in the second half to top James Madison 2-1 on Sunday afternoon at the JMU Field Hockey Complex.

JMU drops to 2-4, having lost three consecutive contests. The Owls move to 4-2 and return to Philadelphia to host UConn on Friday, Sept. 15.

Freshman Azul Covarrubias registered the Dukes’ only goal on the afternoon with an assist from sophomore Alice Roeper. Senior netminder Brandelynn Heinbaugh stopped four shots in 56:37 minutes of action.

The Owls saw goals from Lina Neilson and Kate Miller, while Alizé Maes, Caitlyn Amsden and Tess Muller recorded assists. Temple goalkeeper Molly Frey made three saves in the win.

How It Happened
• The Dukes applied pressure early in the second quarter, ultimately capitalizing on a penalty corner with Covarrubias jumping on a rebound for a quick goal.
• The JMU defense turned away two late corners by the Owls in the final thirty seconds of the first half, highlighted by a clutch save from Heinbaugh.
• Temple broke through on its fifth corner of the third period, with Lina Neilson finding the back of the net with assists from Alizé Maes and Caitlyn Amsden.
• Just over five minutes in the final quarter, Tess Muller connected with Kate Miller for a deflection goal to take the lead, 2-1, with 9:37 left in the game.
• The Dukes pulled their goalkeeper for an extra attacker with 3:17 remaining, however, they could not place a shot on net before time expired.

Game Notes
• JMU leads the all-time series against Temple, 7-1.
• The Owls held the advantage in shots (11-8), shots on goal (6-4) and penalty corners (7-5). So far in 2023, JMU has seen its opponents earn 37 corners compared to its 17.
• Covarrubias has tallied three goals thus far in her freshman campaign along with one assist for seven points. Seven points tie for the team lead with senior Tori Carawan (3g, 1a).
• The Dukes have fallen in three consecutive games for the first time since dropping road matchups at Old Dominion (6-1, Sept. 2), #12 Virginia (3-2 OT, Sept. 4) and #5 Louisville (1-0, Sept. 9) in 2022.
• Since 2022, James Madison has lost eight games by one goal, four of which were decided in overtime. Additionally, five of those eight losses came at the hands of ranked opponents.

Quoting Head Coach Christy Morgan
“Disappointing today but better play today against a better opponent than Friday’s game. We are still playing as individuals – when we shift to playing together, our performance will be better. We have some more amazing challenges ahead! We have amazing people on this team and these bad losses really hurt their souls. My hope is that we grow and look for the opportunity in the challenges!”

Up Next
The Dukes are set for the conclusion of their three-game homestand as they welcome #16 Boston College for a noon contest on Sunday, Sept. 17. Fans can stream the game live on ESPN+.

— JMU Athletics —