CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. – In a defensive showdown under the lights at the Proving Grounds, Villanova (4-9) rallied late but fell short against Temple (6-9) by a score of 2-1. The Friday night showdown was the third contest between the cross-town rivals this season as the BIG EAST tournament approaches.
 
Both defenses were prepared and aggressive in the opening half, with Temple owning a 1-0 edge in shots and goals at halftime. The lone goal of the half came by Owls' back Veronika Novakova as she sent a shot on goal coming off a penalty corner.
 
The Wildcats came out of halftime aggressive on the pursuit to even the score. Villanova earned three penalty quarters in the third frame, but the Owls' defense shut down any scoring opportunities. Freshman Sabine De Ruijter (Huizen, Netherlands) ripped the first Wildcats' shot on goal in the third quarter to give Villanova confidence in the attacking zone.
 
In the final 15 minutes of action, Temple struck early and extended their lead to 2-0. Villanova bounced back and capitalized on a penalty corner in the 55^th minute. Emily Clarke (Garden City, N.Y.) took the corner and passed it to Ashley Thomas (Berlin, N.J.) who set up Sabine De Ruijter to rip a shot into the cage. The rookie picked up her fourth goal of the season while Emily Clarke notched her 10^th career assist. Villanova sought opportunities in the remaining minutes, but Temple maintained possession and escaped with the win.
 
Both squads were even finishing with three shots a piece while Villanova dominated the penalty corners 5-1.
 
The two rivals will square off one last time on Sunday, April 11 at Temple with tournament seeding on the line. The match is scheduled to begin at 12:00 ET. This season, the Wildcats are 1-2 against the Owls with Temple owning a 4-3 goal differential. Fans are encouraged to follow @VillanovaFH on Twitter and @villanovafh on Instagram for updates throughout the season.