A Rough Weekend For Two, Not For Three

Temple put up enough yards to win and somehow lost. The Flyers dressed a lineup that looked a lot like the real thing and got smoked by Washington’s kids. Thank God for the Union, who gave us a hat trick, four goals, and at least one reason to enjoy the weekend.

Temple: Army 21, Owls 17

Temple’s 21–17 loss Friday was the kind that sticks in your craw. The Owls gained 459 yards, didn’t turn the ball over, and took a 17–14 lead with 7:38 left. Then Army did exactly what Army does: marched 75 yards in 12 plays, chewed up nearly six minutes, and scored with 1:41 remaining. Temple got to the Army 24 on its last drive, but a fourth-down pass fell incomplete. That’s your conference opener gone. 

The good: Ajani Sheppard threw for a career-high 242 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions, and added 48 yards rushing. His 78-yard touchdown to Sam Brown and 67-yard strike to Colin Chase were the kind of explosive plays this offense needs. Brown was a beast: 96 rushing yards plus that 78-yard catch, giving him 174 yards from scrimmage. Temple also ran for 217 yards as a team. There’s talent here, Cuz. 

The bad: Temple went 3-for-9 on third down and 0-for-2 on fourth down. Army held the ball for 38:01 and ran for 279 yards. When you give that offense the ball for that long, your big plays have to do an awful lot of work. 

The ugly: The Owls had the lead and needed one stop. Instead, Army’s Cale Hellums finished his third rushing touchdown of the game, then Temple’s last chance died at the 24. After last week’s gut-punch loss to Toledo, another close one slipping away feels especially brutal. The Owls are 1–3 and 0–1 in conference play. Enough with the almosts. 

Flyers: Capitals 5, Flyers 1

Saturday was supposed to be a dress rehearsal. Most of the Flyers’ NHL lineup played; Washington dressed only four NHL regulars. The Flyers outshot the Caps 37–24 and still lost 5–1. Jamie Drysdale put Philly ahead 31 seconds into the second period, and then Washington scored five unanswered. That is a lousy way to head toward opening night. 

The good: Drysdale’s goal came from a hard forecheck by Tyson Foerster and Travis Konecny, who both picked up assists. The Flyers had chances, too. Alex Bump hit the crossbar, while Matvei Michkov and Porter Martone ran into big saves. They generated pressure for two periods; the shot total wasn’t some meaningless fluke. 

The bad: Philly went 0-for-4 on the power play, with all four chances coming in the first period. You cannot get that many early looks, fail to score, and expect it not to bite you. Charlie Lindgren kept Washington in it, but the Flyers also had to finish their chances. 

The ugly: Turnovers helped Washington grab the lead, and Aleksei Kolosov allowed five goals on 24 shots. The Flyers had 34 shots through two periods and just four in the third. Washington’s younger lineup got stronger as the night went on while Philly faded. It’s preseason, sure, but a mostly NHL lineup losing this way in its final tune-up deserves more than a shrug. The Flyers finished the preseason 1–3–0. 

Union: Union 4, Orlando City 2

Now that was fun. Milan Iloski scored in the 11th and 19th minutes, Indiana Vassilev made it 3–0 just after halftime, and Iloski completed his hat trick in the 51st. The Union beat Orlando 4–2 despite missing five starters on international duty. They’ve now gone 12 straight matches unbeaten, a club record, and won six straight MLS matches for the first time. 

The good: Iloski was ridiculous: three goals, including an early penalty and a blast to finish the hat trick. Vassilev added a goal and two assists, and Nathan Harriel, Jesús Bueno, and Jovan Lukić contributed assists. Iloski is up to 16 goals this season. With that many regulars away, the Union still jumped on Orlando and made the game look over by the 51st minute. That’s depth showing up when it counts. 

The bad: Up 4–0, the Union let Orlando score in the 78th and 90th minutes. Iván Angulo got the first, and Martín Ojeda added the second. A win is a win, but I’d prefer to spend the last ten minutes enjoying a four-goal lead instead of wondering how comfortable it really is. 

The ugly: Honestly, there’s no disaster to manufacture from a 4–2 win with five starters missing. The late defending was sloppy, and that’s the note to take into the break. But if the worst thing we’re saying is “please finish your four-goal wins more cleanly,” the Union are in a pretty damn good place. 

Temple and the Flyers gave us plenty to complain about. The Union gave us something to brag about. That’s the Philly sports weekend in a nutshell: aggravation, aggravation, and then Iloski showing up with a hat trick to save our mood.

Jawn Kruk/Side Jawn Sports