Lacrosse loses to Stanford, Zags prepare for Cards

FRIDAY at C.C.


-Louisville lacrosse loses for the first time.
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-Watson looks at the Saturday night game..
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-Courtney comments..we evaluate...
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-IS the Bria Smith Derby open again?
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-Sideline Announcers Contest rolls on
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Liz Lovejoy (pictured here) and the University of Louisville lacrosse team lost their first match of the season to Stanford University 16-12 at Louisville Lacrosse Stadium Thursday. On a cold, cloudy and raw day for the 400 or so fans and players...the Cards (6-1) took an early lead when Bergan Foley scored and held a 3-2 advantage after another Foley goal before Stanford's Leslie Foard and Sarah Flynn scored back to back to give the Trees a 4-3 lead...a lead they wouldn't lose.
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The Cards got balanced scoring against the Stanford squad but could not put one in the net in the final five minutes of the game after rallying to cut the Stanford lead to four. Besides Foley's four goals, Emily Dashiell had two, as did Lianne Bobal. Four other Cards had one each.
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Louisville begins BIG EAST play Sunday when The UC Bearcats motor down I-71 for a afternoon match. It's about time. I've driven back and forth to Cincinnati way too much over the last few days. Let them wait out the highway construction in Northern Kentucky....both ways.
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(Jeff Walz rocks the black sweater vest in Cincy.)

DAVID WATSON has already got his Christmas list ready for Santa. He's sending it to the NCAA Committee first, though. Our special contributor pleads:
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Dear Santa and the NCAA Women's Basketball Selection Committee:
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Even though I know that you two are at the opposite ends of the scale in granting favors and requests, I'm going out on a limb here and shooting a desperation three. Could you please be nicer to the University of Louisville women's basketball team? We call them the Lady Cards down here and they've been treated as bad as Shirley Temple in some of those 1930 classic flicks. I'm sure Jeff Walz or Tom Jurich, maybe Kenny Klein or whoever you want, would be willing to meet that handsomely dressed man down at the crossroads and sell their soul for a freaking break in tournament seeding and assignment. We know that you've already got the contract of Gonzaga in your pocket. How else do you explain an #11 seed getting four home games as a expressway to the Final Four?
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I'm sure you remember a few years ago when Coach Walz came to Louisville. You rewarded his fine first year coaching job with a post season trip to Bridgeport, CT. When he fooled you and won both games there, you sent him to New Orleans..where the Cajun food and Tar Heels finally caught up with him and sent him home. Two years ago, the folks down in Bowling Green, KY had a nice gym all ready for Louisville to open the NCAA Tournament in. You sent Louisville to Baton Rouge instead, hoping Walz would get indigestion again. Instead, he won both games there, including one in LSU's backyard and then took off to Tobacco Road, even though he doesn't smoke, and flattened the Terrapins and scared the Bears. Last year, the Cards watched the NCAA Selection Show from the campus infirmary since everyone on the Cardinal squad except Louie the Cardinal Bird mascot was either injured or ill.
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So this is how your reward the resurgence of Lady Cards hoops in 2010-11? By making them play the underranked #10 Vandy and then #2 seed Xavier on their home court? No matter, they were disposed of. And next, Gonzaga in Spokane? How about sending Louisville to play Lunar University on the Moon next year? Or Moscow College in Russia?
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Please, please be kinder to my favorite women's basketball team next year. Tia Gibbs promises to not raise her elbows above her waist. Monique Reid promises not to set anymore picks ever again. Shoni Schimmel will even call her shots 15 seconds in advance and attempt them with one hand tied behind her back (or your back if you want).
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Just give the Cards a break next year after they defeat Gonzaga and Stanford in the West Coast classic....ooopppss...Spokane Regional this year. By the way, I've been a very good boy so far this year and that silly little incident with the neighbor and the alleged assault with the snow blower...fagettaboutit. Please.
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Sincerely,
Your little friend David Watson

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DAVID WATSON has also set traps to catch the Easter Bunny and goes around smashing pumpkins on Halloween. From his Volvo. While listening to Peter, Paul and Mary. We worry and wonder about the lad sometimes.
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We're pretty sure the Zags expected to play Xavier for the third straight year in the NCAA Tournament. Got the feeling that UCLA expected to be facing the twin towers from the Cintas Center as well...but it is what it is. The Cardinals from Louisville are making that trip westbound on I-90 and bringing lots of "red from the rez" in Oregon to watch. This hasn't gone un-noticed by Gonzaga superstar Courtney Vandersloot. She commented recently to Dave Trimmer of The Spokesman-Review:
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"We had the mentality we were going to play Xavier because that's who was expected to win. Louisville beat a very good team and they deserved to win that game. They have some gamers on their team."
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Eloquently stated, Ms. Vandersloot. Besides gamers, they also have a precocious, freshman guard that played in your vicinity for four years and was the talk of the Northwest. They also bring 3 players from a team that played in the FINAL FOUR two years ago. If I were you, I'd be camping out in front of the DVR , VCR, YouTube or wherever and doing a little research. Otherwise, you just might "get Schimmeled." Easier time against the Cardinals than against the Musketeers? I hope the Zags are thinking that. This isn't an automatic berth in the "Great Eight" for Gonzaga. Beware a team that survived the nightly wars against the likes of Maya Moore, Sugar Rodgers, Liz Repella, Angel Robinson, Keisha Hampton and Skylar Diggins with a 10-6 conference record. Lace 'em up and game on...
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WE got an e-mail about the Bria Smith situation yesterday. Both the e-mailer and WE thought it might make a nice filler while we wait for Saturday....so....here we go. When Virginia WBB head coach Debbie Ryan stepped down at the end of the season, it paved the way for Bria Smith to ask for and receive her release from her commitment to play for the Cavaliers. The Smith Derby is open again and Louisville has a horse entered. According to most in the know, it came down to Georgia, Louisville and Virginal as Smith's final three. No doubt that Jeff Walz would welcome the talented New York senior guard to his stable of fillies. The question is, is there room in the barn? Only two Cardinals turn in their silks at the end of this season...hard knocking Keisha Hines and seldom used, often injured reserve guard LaToya Johnson. Walz has 6'5" center Quaneisha McCurty and 6'2" powerhouse Sara Hammond already headed to the paddock and a very probable third gamer (who we are sworn to secrecy on). So, where do the extra one or two schollys come from?
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Keep in mind that Walz had had multiple transfers out of the program each year since he became head coach at Louisville. WE speculated several weeks ago that if that situation happens again at the end of this year...possible candidates for departure would be Rachel Story, Polly Harrington and Charmaine Tay. With Tay being "reborn" lately and out of the Walz doghouse..we're scratching her from that list. Obviously, nothing is set in stone and there is absolutely no facts or data to support our conspiracy theories. Smith would give Louisville incredible depth at the guard or wing positions and is a bonafide top ten senior. Stay tuned...
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Pam Oliver made a last minute charge to advance in the Sideline Reporters Bracket challenge and advances to the FINAL FOUR. We didn't see this one coming, Oliver was trailing Alex Flanagan when we signed off last night to watch men's NCAA hoops, but late voting got Oliver the win. We suspect that David Watson has something to do with it, but we can't prove it. Today's match up, the final one of the "Great Eight" has Eamon McAnaney taking on Andrea Kramer. We're seeing a blow out here and Kramer advancing with ease. Quite frankly, we're not sure how Eamon made it to the Great Eight...a voting shocker. Paul, Sonja and David are all casting lots with Andrea. So are Tony Soprano, Syl, Paulie, Big Pussy and Chris from our New Jersey affiliates office. We have no idea who Bill the Goat likes here...we got a text message from him late last night that he had met two dancers from The Rockettes while in the Smoky Mountains and had convinced them to drive him to Spokane for the basketball games Saturday. Hmmmm. You can choose
your reporter here in the comments section or e-mail it to cardinalcouple@insightbb.com .
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Choose wisely.
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