The Quinnipiac field hockey team (5-11 overall, 3-3 conference) got back to .500 in conference play with a 1-0 victory over the Temple Owls (0-6 overall, 4-11 conference) at home on Friday afternoon.

[media-credit id=2147 align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]The win keeps the Bobcats in the hunt to make the Big East Tournament.

“We know that our own fate isn’t in our own hands anymore,” Quinnipiac head coach Becca Main said. “To play like we just did today showed a lot grit, showed a lot of guts [and] showed a lot of senior leadership.”

Quinnipiac sophomore forward Marisa Larkin scored the game’s lone goal 14 minutes into the game and just over a minute after she entered the game.

Bobcats senior forward Michelle Federico set Larkin up with a pass near the right post. As Federico centered the pass, Owl sophomore goalkeeper Maddie Lilliock came out of the net to try and stop the pass. But the ball got to Larkin, who had an open net and scored.

The goal was not only Larkin’s first of the season, but also the first of her career.

“I’ve been working on it for a while now,” Larkin said. “It’s one of my goals almost every game, so it feels really great to finally have accomplished it.”

Larkin’s goal came after the Bobcats had six penalty corners in the first 10 minutes with only two shots on goal to show for it.

“I think we controlled most of the game,” Main said. “I think we controlled 75 percent of the game and obviously when you shoot 23 times and you only win 1-0, you can still see that we struggle with attack…We have the defense that can keep us in every game. We have the midfield players that are just dynamic. Today, I thought they put a show on.”

Temple’s best chance to tie the game came with 13:45 remaining. Owls sophomore forward Lucy Reed brought the ball into the attacking box. She was able to get Bobcat sophomore goalkeeper Livy Golini to bite on a fake, leaving her with an open net. But as she shot the ball, Bobcat senior defender Kiera Godusky came in and stopped the shot with her stick.

[media-credit id=2147 align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]“When that happens, it’s a huge team effort. Everyone is in together and that just shows how united we are,” Golini said. “When I come out Kiera (Godusky) knows to come behind me. When Kiera steps out she knows I’m ready for a shot. It just shows how much trust we have with each other.”

Temple would get one last chance to tie the game in the final minute when they had a penalty corner. As the designed play unfolded, Temple freshman midfielder Dani Batze took a strike from the edge of the box with 41 seconds left, but her shot would go wide-left and secure the Bobcat win.

Golini finished the afternoon with four saves and Quinnipiac had two saves as a team. Friday marked the second shutout of the season for Golini and the third of her career. Lilliock had 11 saves and Temple had one team save.

Federico’s assist gives her a three-game point streak. She has also gotten five points in the last five games as she nears the end of her college career.

Quinnipiac is now in fifth-place in the Big East. In order to reach their first ever Big East Tournament, the Bobcats will have to finish the regular season in the top four of the conference.

The Bobcats play a final out of conference game on Monday at Lafayette. They’ll then finish the regular season on Friday at home against first-place and undefeated UConn in a game that could determine if the Bobcats are playoff-bound.