University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
Temple
43 And Counting: Five-Time Defending A-10 Champs Take Down Preseason Favorite Temple
10/05/2007 | Field Hockey
Oct. 5, 2007
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - The five-time defending Atlantic 10 Champion Richmond field hockey team defeated Temple, the preseason pick to win the conference title, 2-1 on Friday as Richmond won its 43rd-straight game against A-10 opponents.
Sophomore Adrian Pickar put the Spiders on the board just 3:12 into their Atlantic 10 opener, blasting a shot off the goalie's pads and into the back of the cage. Temple tied the game just five minutes later, but Richmond red-shirt freshman Dani Pycroft tipped in her first-career goal with 1:15 left in the first half on a hit into the circle by sophomore Sarah Blythe-Wood.
"The team finally came together with chemistry and hard work, and with persistence on defense," Richmond coach Gina Lucido said. "It all came together, we finally played and competed for an entire contest. We achieved the success that I knew was attainable for us."
Junior goalkeeper Becca Weaver made eight saves in goal for the Spiders, who have beaten Temple (9-5, 0-1 Atlantic 10) in all 13 meetings between the two schools.
The Spiders, who were picked second behind the Owls in the Atlantic 10 Preseason Coaches' Poll, started the year 1-9, but five of those losses were to teams currently ranked in the NFHCA Top-20 Poll. Richmond has now won 34-straight regular-season Atlantic 10 Conference games, and including A-10 Tournament play the Spiders have not lost to a conference opponent in the last 43 games.
Richmond will face another tough test on the road Sunday, playing Saint Joseph's at 11 a.m. The Hawks are 6-5 overall and 1-0 in the Atlantic 10 after a 2-1 victory at Saint Louis on Friday.
"We are thrilled, but we start tomorrow in preparation for Saint Joseph's," Lucido said. "We are going to continue taking it one game at a time, but today was a wonderful day for Spider hockey."
