Philly girls’, women’s coaches to be inducted as members of two national title lacrosse teams in Temple Hall of Fame

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 10/13/11

Several current Philly lacrosse coaches and their Temple University national championship teams will be inducted together as team honorees into the University Athletics’ Hall of Fame at the Owls’ Homecoming football game vs. Buffalo, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Lottery, on Saturday, Oct. 15.

Kickoff at Lincoln Financial Field is set for 1 p.m.

Temple Hall of Fame Coach Tina Sloan Green led the Owls to National Championships in 1982 and 1984. Temple won the AIAW title in 1982 and the NCAA crown in 1984.

The 1982 squad compiled a 16-2-1 record. Temple defeated defending AIAW champion Maryland, 3-2, to win the crown. The Owls upset Penn State, 6-5 in overtime, in the semifinals.

The 1984 team had a 16-2 record, topping Maryland, 6-4, in the championship game. The Owls trounced Delaware, 13-3, in the semifinals.

The two championship teams featured 10 All-Americans and four Temple Hall of Fame inductees, including players who went on to participate in World Cup competition and earn induction into the U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

Kathleen (Barrett) Geiger (’86), both an All-American and Temple Hall of Fame inductee, was inducted into the U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2001 in the midst of appearing in five consecutive World Cups. Geiger is an assistant coach at Springfield-Delco.

Another Temple Hall of Famer and All-American, Marie Schmucker (’84) still ranks third all-time in career goals for the Owls with 211. Schmucker was the coach at Hatboro-Horsham for many years until 2010.

Chrissy Muller Poplawski (’87), one of the program’s most recent Temple Hall of Fame inductees in 2009, was also a decorated player who earned All-America honors and participated in the 1989 World Cup. Poplawski is a coach in the Philly-based Phantastix Club program and an assistant at Springfield-Delco.

Other All-Americans for Temple from the 1982 and 1984 squads include Jackie Devenney Neary, Barb Bielicki, Denise Bourassa, Sharon Garber, Monica Mills, Carol Schultz, Susie Shirk, and Sue Yeager. Neary is the coach at Cabrini College.

Debbie Kelley (’82) was the team’s goalkeeper for the 1982 championship, making 273 saves that season which still ranks first all-time in a single season. Her 698 career saves rank third all-time.
Other Temple inductees include:

The Class of 2011 consists of Toni Byard-Jenkins (Field Hockey), Pete Dempsey (Baseball), Jack Hubbert (Golf), Carl Imhauser (Men’s Gymnastics), and Alma Kovaci (Volleyball), as well as the 1982 and 1984 Women’s Lacrosse teams.