Thursday Coupnal Cardpile -- Jeff looks ahead

THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

( After spending the last several days tracking down errant Shoni threes, wide-right net shots by Nikki Boltja and practice balls hit by UofL women's golf team members, staff columnist Jeff McAdams has parked the jeep, taken off the hard-hat and yellow vest and returned to the CARDINAL COUPLE Corporate Headquarters deep below the Parrish House to compose the Thursday edition of CARDINAL COUPLE. Losing a bet to Sandy on how many free-throws Bill The Goat could consecutively hit...Billy drilled 14 straight...Jeff has taken over the role of laundry attendant and catches us up on the Cardinal women's sports schedule and recruiting news. He's also training the staff chimps on proper procedures to follow in the event of a zombie Apocalypse...but all they want to do is run with their hands over their heads and scream. Now on the tee...the southpaw from the scenic Highlands...Jeff McAdams.)    

I'm Looking at You, Weekend

As is frequently the case, not a lot going on mid-week, but there are some other news items to pick up on from over the course of the week that haven't gotten mentioned.

First, though, a little bit of a look ahead to this weekend's activities.

Softball in Florida

After last weekend in Las Vegas and starting off with a 4-1 record, UofL Softball heads to sunny Florida this weekend.  They're really suffering for their sport, you know.  In all seriousness, I can only imagine the toll the travel schedule of an NCAA sport would take on a person over the course of a season or four.

In Jacksonville, the Louisville squad has an early start with a 9:30am first pitch on Friday versus Stony Brook, followed by a noonish...listed at 11:45am, but after the first game of events like this, scheduling always seems to be approximate...start with Bethune Cookman.  

Saturday is apparently UofL vs Ohio State day as Softball starts the second day of the Jacksonville Tournament with OSU at 11:45 or so.  OSU will make another appearance here in a few paragraphs, so hang onto the thought of beating the Buckeyes for a minute.  The evening game for our Cards is 6:30'ish with the home team Jacksonville.  

No staying out late and celebrating though, as Sunday brings another early start, this one at 9am, against Stony Brook again.

Katie Keller was selected BIG EAST Player of the Week for her hot hitting streak in Vegas. Congrats to Kate 'em Up...she ate them up!

Lacrosse Here at Home

Paulie and I enjoyed watching the home opener of UofL Lacrosse beating Canisius...though we do both remain a bit mystified at some of the rules, we're learning a bit at a time.

The second game is Saturday at 2pm, again here at home with Ohio State showing up in the picture again.  With a high temperature barely above freezing forecast for Saturday, you'll want to bundle up for this one.  I've been fighting off a bit of a head cold for the past day, so I doubt I'll make it out for this one, but I will be present at other match-ups later in the season, for sure.

Do I Even Need to Mention Basketball?

1:30pm tip Sunday for the next installment of Walz Ball at the KFC Yum! Center, with DePaul coming in for the return engagement.  The Blue Demons got the W up in the windy city.  McGrath Arena only seats around 3,000...I made the road-trip up there a couple of years ago...let's show them what another 10,000 people cheering can do in a top-notch arena.

This game is the annual Pink Game honoring breast cancer survivors.  Shelby Harper always loves this one...she gets to wear even more pink than usual, and sure enough, she's on the season tickets for this one...wearing pink, of course.

More Commitments

After last week's singing...I mean signing...day, we only had one confirmed commitment to talk about.  We've got a few more that have been announced since then.

Field Hockey

Hailey got game....oh, yeah!

Justine Sowry is taking the slow and steady approach to announcing her commitments, this week announcing the signing of a local, Hailey Netherton, from Assumption High School here in Louisville.

Assumption is, of course, quite well known for Volleyball prowess...you knew I had to get a Volleyball mention in here somewhere...but they also have a stand-out Field Hockey team.  This year's team picked up the runner-up spot in state this year, and Hailey got the team MVP award.  She also has two years worth of All-State selections, as well as a couple of placements on Kentucky Select first teams the past couple of years, and a second team nod the year before.


Basketball

Sydney Brackemyer gave a verbal commitment to Louisville earlier in the week, as most of you reading this probably know. She and her mom will be in attendance at the Sunday game against DePaul. They plan on attending South East Christian for services before the contest and are looking forward to the visit. Sydney is ahead of schedule on her knee rehab and excited about several things...more strength and conditioning, getting her driver's license, getting her (teeth) braces off and cheering on UofL Sunday. If you see her and her mom at the game, give them a big CARDINAL COUPLE howdy!


 

Soccer

Karen Ferguson-Dayes isn't teasing us.  She announced her full recruiting class of six players this week.



Taylor Smith should provide lots
of...hey, wait a second...that's
Taylor Swift. Timmy! To Sonja's
office immediately. Darn chimps.

One local, Taylor Smith out of Christian Academy and the Javanon club.  Out of Aurora, IL, basically Chicago area, is Rachele Armand.  Paige Brown hails from Jackson, MO down around where the Mississippi and Ohio rivers join up.  Caroline Kimble comes to us from Ashton, MD, which about splits the difference between Baltimore and Washington D.C.  Christy Monroy is from what is basically a suburb of NYC in Scotch Plains, NJ.  Lastly, welcome Kari Weinland out of New Albany...no, not that New Albany, this one is in Ohio...a suburb of Columbus.

Welcome, to the newest Cardinals.  You all are gonna love it here !


Outstanding work today by Jeff. As mentioned earlier in here, the Sunday game is the wear your pink for Breast Cancer Survivors. The Cards are facing a dangerous DePaul team that recently defeated Rutgers without star Anna Martin. Whether Martin's knee will allow her to go against UofL or not...we're not sure yet. One thing we're very sure of, though...is that the team needs you to show up in big-time numbers for this one on Sunday. Jeff Walz would like to see the top deck curtains pulled back and fans in the seats in the 300 level. He has personally promised to go up there before, after and during the game to sit with each one of you, bring popcorn, Reese's Cups and a wide selection of beverages. ((OK, that last part isn't true...he's going to be busy coaching...) but please turnout in force for this one, Cardinal fans. There are only three home games left before the BIG EAST Tournament. Show up Sunday! Maybe we can talk Candyce Bingham into bringing the beverages, candy and popcorn up to the 300 level seats... 

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