Friday Cardinal Couple -- UConn? Be gone. Cards win 12-7

FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- Faye Brust's five goals lead LAX Cards to 7th straight win

- Diamond to sparkle elsewhere. DeShields leaving UNC.

- Talk Derby to me



The UofL Lacrosse team comes up with a word at the start of each season. A word that embodies the tone, tenor and mission of the squad for the upcoming schedule.

This year's word is "Finish". The Cards did just that Thursday against the UConn Huskies LAX unit....winning 12-7 to remain atop the standings and undefeated in BIG EAST Conference play.

Faye Brust recorded a contest-high five goals in the win...in fact, it was Brust 4 - UConn 2 with 19:21 remaining in the first half. The Cards took a 7-5 halftime lead and held UConn scoreless for the first 23 minutes of the final half while building an 11-5 lead.

The game didn't quite start out to Louisville's expectations. Kaylin Morissette lost a rare draw control to begin the contest and the Huskies streaked down the field...Jacqueline Jordan flipping the ball by Louisville goalie Ashley Peacock just 10 seconds into the contest.

Peacock was making her first career start. The freshman recovered nicely, though , after lacrosse's version of running the opening kickoff back for a touchdown...

It only served to strengthen the Cards resolve. Brust got her first score with 28:16 left in the half. Two minutes later, she put the Cards ahead...off a nice assist from Jamie Redding. UConn tied the game with 24:11 left in action...but Brust was just getting started.

She scored unassisted four minutes later to give the Cards a 3-2 edge. Brust produced again with 19:21 to go to make it 4-2 UofL.

After the game Kaylin Morissette commented to me:

"I was aware she had all our scores and I told her after the fourth one...hey, if you want five...go for it and I'll do whatever I can to get the ball to you. She's an amazing player and I'm so fortunate to be able to play with her."

The Cards held UC scoreless for 13 minutes before Carly Palmucci got her first score of the contest to make it 4-3 with 13:01 on the clock. Nikki Boltja became the second Cardinal to score on a free position shot and Morissette decided to get in on the action next...receiving a feed from Anna Kopecka to make it 6-3 Louisville at the 5:50 mark.

UConn responded quickly...trimming the margin to two just 16 seconds later with Palmucci's second goal of the half. Boltja countered for the Cards on a unassisted shot on goal to push the Cards lead to 7-4. It looked like the half might end that way, but Karaline Smith got free on a drive and put the score at 7-5 with 24 seconds to go before the break.

Louisville held a 16-10 shot advantage over the Huskies after 30 minutes and had won eight of the 13 draw controls.

The Cards came out strong defensively in the final half. Boltja found Cortnee Daley with a pass three minutes into action and the sophomore found net to give Louisville a three point advantage. The Cardinal defense was denying anything UConn tried to do and Daley added her second goal of the clash with 14:44 displaying on the scoreboard.

Boltja gathered her second goal on a nice unassisted drive to make it 10-5 UofL with 9:19 to go and Morissette baffled the Husky defense with a free position score 90 seconds later.

The Huskies finally changed their total on the scoreboard with 7:12 left in action. Louisville had shut down the powerful UConn scoring machine for almost 23 minutes of action. The Cards kept the BIG EAST opponent quiet for another six minutes...Kacey Pippitt got her second score in a row with 1:35 to play to make it 11-7.

Louisville responded quickly...Morissette winning the draw control after goal...charging down the field and setting up Brust in just nine seconds for her fifth and final goal. 

A huge win for Kellie Young's crew and one that pretty much guarantees the Cards will be in this year's Lacrosse NCAA Big Dance and definitely assures they'll be in the BIG EAST Tournament. 

The Cards outshot the Storrs visitors 31-16 in front of a crowd of over 500 at the Louisville Lacrosse field. Louisville has only lost once at home in the last two years.

After the game, Kellie Young was exuberant and quite proud of her teams' effort.

"I'm so proud of the team effort we displayed today and these players who have come together and played so hard and so well this season. This win puts us in the NCAA Tournament."

Louisville, collectively, held the Huskies' top two scorers Katherine Finelston and Lauren Kahn scoreless for 60 minutes. Young was so involved in watching her teams' defensive sets in the first half that she was not aware until later in the contest that Brust has scored all of the first four Cardinal goals.

A beautiful, sunny 68 degree game conditions for the players as Louisville goes to 10-3 overall and 4-0 in the conference. Rutgers is next...on Saturday @ 1 p.m. It's CAF Appreciation Day and drawings and promotional items will be available for the fans.

It's also Senior Day. The Cards say goodbye to nine players...including Nikki Botja and Monica Negron.

Get out there. There's only two games left before the Cards embark to D.C. for the conference tournament. Help the Cards stay undefeated in BIG EAST play.

 Try Lacrosse.

You're gonna get hooked like we have here at CC...if you like non-stop action, great individual efforts and sudden and unexpected scoring.

Go.

Standings	Conference	Pct.	GF	GA		Overall	Pct.	GF	GA		Home	Away	Neutral	Last 10	Streak
Louisville	5-0	1.000	80	37		11-3	.786	208	119		4-0	7-3	0-0	8-2	W 7
Georgetown	4-1	.800	64	41		7-7	.500	163	148		3-4	4-2	0-1	4-6	W 4
Connecticut	3-2	.600	55	53		8-6	.571	149	143		4-3	3-3	1-0	7-3	L 1
Temple	3-2	.600	57	50		6-8	.429	133	151		5-4	1-4	0-0	4-6	W 2
Rutgers	2-3	.400	59	53		8-7	.533	126	144		5-4	3-3	0-0	5-5	W 1
Villanova	2-3	.400	47	59		7-7	.500	134	140		4-3	3-4	0-0	5-5	L 2
Marquette	1-4	.200	42	52		5-9	.357	120	161		3-2	2-7	0-0	3-7	L 4
Cincinnati	0-5	.000	24	83		6-9	.400	125	190		3-3	3-6	0-0	4-6	L 6

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Cameron Crazies seek to reach out and touch the Diamond.

THE NEWS ABOUT DIAMOND DESHIELDS DECISION TO LEAVE NORTH CAROLINA AFTER A FRESHMAN SEASON THAT GOT THE TAR HEELS TO THE 'GREAT EIGHT' AND GOT HER NATIONAL FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD IS SURPRISING.

AFTER ALL, IT WAS DESHIELDS WHO GATHERED THREE OTHER TOP 25 PICKS IN THE CLASS OF 2013 AND BONDED THEM TOGETHER TO GO TO UNC. DIAMOND NEVER GOT A CHANCE TO ACTUALLY PLAY FOR SYLVIA HATCHELL...WHO WAS OUT THIS SEASON WITH LEUKEMIA.

WHERE WILL SHE GO? NOTHING OFFICIAL OUT OF HER YET ON THE NEW DESTINATION BUT SPECULATION AND RUMOR SAYS TENNESSEE IS A CANDIDATE. SHE WAS TRYING TO GET MERCEDES RUSSELL TO JOIN THE FOUR AT UNC TO CREATE ANOTHER 'FAB FIVE'...LADIES STYLE.

WHEREVER SHE GOES...ASSUMING IT WILL BE A D1 TRANSFER...SHE WILL HAVE TO SIT A YEAR. HMMMM...LOUISVILLE LOSES BRIA AND JUDE AFTER THIS SEASON...

NAH. FORGET ABOUT IT. DIAMOND HAS ISSUES WITH BEING COACHED. JEFF WALZ LIKES TO COACH.


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I've done a little Derby muddling over the past couple of days. Clear as mud. You can look at the horses I'm mulling
over at my seldom-used, highly overrated personal blog.

15 days to Derby.

http://pauliesykes.blogspot.com/

paulie