Barnette leaving UK...Lacrosse heads overseas

THURSDAY @ C.C.

Will they let her keep the
chair is the big question?

-Sarah Beth Barnette transferring from Kentucky

-Lacrosse team heads to Europe

2010 Kentucky Miss Basketball Sara Beth Barnette had decided to transfer from UK. Barnette, who attended high school at Lexington Christian, has not decided on where she is headed yet. She played a reserve role on UK head coach Matthew Mitchell's 2010-11 UK squad, averaging 1.7 points, 1.6 rebounds and 6.7 minutes of play. She is the second former Miss Basketball to leave the program over the past two years...Rebecca Gray left the Cats to play hoops and golf at Union College after transferring to UK from North Carolina
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We'll give Gray "thumbs up" for the writing she has done for ESPN Hoop Gurlz over the last couple of years. She's interesting and innovative...skills that didn't translate over to the basketball court for her.

Cartman was originally lined up to anounce the
Barnette transfer but wiser heads prevailed...

WE felt that Louisivlle signee Antonita Slaughter was the best player in the state in 2010 and were surprised when Barnette received the award for Miss Basketball. We also figured that Barnette's role at UK would be limited for the first couple of years.

Barnette released a statement about her decision:

"I've been a UK fan my whole life and I'll always cheer for the Cats. It wasn't a good fit for me personally. I look forward with excitement about my future and have peace about my decision. I wish UK hoops the best on and off the court and I'm grateful for the opportunity Coach Mitchell gave me."

Maybe this will quell the comments we've been receiving from UK fans about the frequency of transfers out of the UofL women's basketball program. It happens everywhere, Big Blue is NOT immune to the actions and...at least Louisville hasn't lost TWO Miss Basketballs...

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Cardinal lacrosse takes the bluegrass
to Merry ol' England.

The Louisville Lacrosse team has safely landed in England and will spend 10 days in England and Europe...their first international trip in the program's history. The Cards will play in several exhibitions while overseas, including matches against the English National team and the U-19 English National team. Louisville will also visit Portugal and Spain during the trip.

The NCAA allows one international tour every four years in each sport. Hmmm, wonder if the Lady Cards hoops team could squeeze in one of these? And, if they need a COUPLE of "special correspondents" to cover the action?

Italy and France sound good to us...

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We think that documentaries are a great idea for all
the Lady Cards basketball players.

WE'VE had several inquires about the next viewing of OFF THE REZ but...as of now...there are no future plans set for a rebroadcast of the documentary or a DVD release date. The documentary...which was about the Schimmel family move to Portland, OR. from the Umatilla Indian Reservation...was shown on TLC. The folks at TLC did respond to an e-mail we sent them...but it was one of those standard "thanks for your interest...blah, blah,blah"...form responses and made no mention of any future showing.

This is a shame. Tons of people missed the initial viewing and would like to see it. Get on the ball, TLC.

We also thought that, if TLC is interested, we could suggest documentaries on a few other Lady Cards. Even have gone as far as to suggest a few titles. Here we go...

-"Give me Mo, Mo, Mo"  (Documentary of UofL fans waiting to see Monique Reid play in her final season at UofL)

Will Jude create a revolution
on the court for the
Lady Cards?

-"Hey Jude."  ( A documentary of Shoni's younger sister and her path to UofL) Maybe they could include some Beatles songs in the film...always a plus.

-"Show me the Monny"  (Documentary on UofL signee Esther Monny Niamke from France) We definitely DON'T want Tom Cruise or Cuba Gooding in this, though.

-"Exploring Asia"  (Documentary on Cardinal forward Asia Taylor. Maybe they could film in the continent and use the Steely Dan song "Aja" in it...a song that I thought was titled "Asia" for years...

-"Inside the Slaughterhouse " (Documentary about home life for Cardinal Antonita Slaughter and maybe they could include her sister Toni, a former Lady Card and her brother A.J. who played at WKU.)

OK...maybe not...and WE'LL stop here..
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To those who took the "presidents challenge in today's header, here are the U.S. Presidents who have been in office since Queen Elizabeth II was crowned:

Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush, Jr, and Obama.

Cardinal Caravan begins tomorrow, 'Off The Rez' feedback

TUESDAY with CARDINAL COUPLE

-First Cardinal Caravan is Wednesday in Elizabethtown

-"Off The Rez" still generating lots of comments

-David Watson weighs in on "Off the Rez"



Three Putt Willie's at Pine Valley in
Elizabethtown, KY is the first
Cardinal Caravan stop



The 2011 edition of Cardinal Caravan kicks off Wednesday in Elizabethtown, KY. at Three Putt Willie's. This annual event features University of Louisville coaches, players, athletic administrators, the Cardinal Pep Band, the LadyBirds and Louie the Cardinal Bird interacting with fans over food and drink. Louisvillle athletic teams have a significant fan base in the Elizabethtown area and, although we don't know the exact list of coaches and players schedule to address the crowd and mingle yet...you can be assured that Tom Jurich and his staff have lined up a good cross-section for the Cardinal faithful.

Still no mention yet of a Louisville appearance for the Cardinal Caravan.

The event has been held at Captain's Quarters, off River Road, in past years and has proved to be a popular and well attended venue. We do know that the Caravan will land in Jeffersonville, IN. (right across the Ohio River from the KFC YUM Center at Buckhead's) and maybe the Cardinal Caravan planners figure that's close enough for Louisvillians to travel. No harm in gathering with Southern Indiana Cardinal fans at all. Same cause, same team.

The caravan is also scheduled to hit the Shelby County Fairgrounds in Shelbyville.

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We are getting plenty of e-mails and comments about Saturday night's TLC showing of "Off the Rez"..the documentary about the Schimmel family and their move off the Umatilla Reservation to Portland, Oregon.

The documentary was watched all over the nation and we've received responses and comments about it from East Coast, West Coast, Hawaii and many other locations here in the United States. The vast majority of you liked and enjoyed the documentary. It has spurred several of you to go about obtaining UofL women's basketball season tickets for next year. "Off the Rez"  has certainly enlarged the Lady Cards Basketball fan base and even rival BIG EAST bases like Rutgers and Connecticut have had kind words to say about the documentary.

A few people have wondered why more wasn't included about the Jeff Walz recruitment of Shoni and why Walz didn't have a significant role in the film. Remember, coaches can't comment publicly on recruits until they've sent a letter of intent (LOI) to the school or enrolled on campus. The vast majority of "Off the Rez" 

Shoni Schimmel is not a Wildcat...as one
misguided e-mailer to CARDINAL COUPLE
suggested. She's a CARDINAL!  

was filmed before Shoni announced she was going to Louisville. Even though it wasn't shown until after the completion of her freshman year at Louisville. Also, this was a story about the Schimmel's... not the recruiting prowess of Coach Walz. We don't need a documentary to highlight Walz's expertise on bringing talented basketball players to campus...but it would be something fun to watch for Cardinal fans...

There are always a few 'negative Nellies' and 'stupid Steve's' out there, as well. "Off the Rez" was certainly NOT a UofL propaganda film..as one e-mailer insisted. And, let's get one thing straight...the proper spelling of her name is SHONI SCHIMMEL. We've seen that butchered several times. One e-mailer came up with the preposterous theory that Schimmel's decision was "made for her by the Umatilla Reservation tribal council" and she would have gone to Stanford if she had been able to...but her grades were too low to gain admission there. Whatever. We should note that Shoni made the Honor Roll at UofL her first year academically. 

Several of you have lamented the fact that you missed the documentary and wonder when it will be shown again...or if it is available on DVD yet. TLC has not announced a rebroadcast time or date for the documentary yet. We're hoping they do...it has to be more gripping and rating-worthy than "Say Yes to the Dress" or some of the other TLC staples...

We'll end with this communication from Sarah P., of Nashville:

"My daughter and I watched the show "Off the Rez" Saturday night and were so impressed we watched the rebroadcast also that directly followed it. My daughter Karen now has a hero and role model in Shoni Schimmel and wants to be a basketball player. We hope that Louisville's basketball team plays in the Nashville area sometime before Shoni graduates and we plan on driving to Louisville a couple of times in the upcoming basketball season to see her and the Louisville team play.  What a wonderful story and remarkable young lady!"

We have a feeling that "Off the Rez" has created a lot of new Schimmel and Cardinal women's basketball fans across the nation, as several of you have indicated. We can only tell you that you need to catch the Cardinals live in the KFC YUM Center if you get the chance. The fan base is over 10,000 per game, loud and frenetic and the rest of the team beside Shoni is pretty darn good as well. Wonder when the Asia Taylor

documentary is coming out...or the Shelby Harper or Monique Reid? As we've told you since this site was first started..."see the show".

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David Watson is a special correspondent for CARDINAL COUPLE. He recently watched the documentary "Off the Rez" and comments on it:

I didn't get to see "Off The Rez" until Monday night. Was involved in a weekend golf tournament and the less said about that the better. My clubs will soon be appearing at a yard sale near you. Those that are still intact. In watching "Off The Rez"(which goes so much faster when you can fast forward through the commercials) I came up with several thoughts. I wondered about the life on the reservation and how I - as a middle class, white American- would adapt to it? I have travelled in areas of our nation where American Indians are not held in very high regard. I have not known the slanders, slurs or experienced the discriminations that still occur to ethnic citizens in the United States. Would I have a chip on my shoulder? Would I distrust the outside world off the reservation? Would I lapse into alcoholism and despair over my situation?

I've had it pretty good so far in life. I've never known hunger, poverty or racial hate. I am sympathetic to all of these and tried to do things in my life to combat them. I will continue to do so. I guess what I wonder is whether one has to experience these things directly to fully know them? Is throwing money, man-hours and unused clothing and appliances at the problem enough of a
contribution to gain understanding and sympathy for the plight? 

I come from a family of five other siblings, so I can identify with a large family. My parents are devout Catholics and did not believe in birth control methods that were not authorized by the church. I have three children, I remain Catholic in name, but not so much in practicing philosophy. I don't know how others feel about the aspect of large families, but I do know that you learn a lot about child raising, responsibility and life when you are the oldest of six children who have two full time working parents. One thing about large families is that you never have to worry about having someone to play with. 

"Off the Rez" reinforced my belief that there are still many problems we need to fix here in our own country before we try to solve the rest of the world's problems. Indian, Jew, African-American or Hispanic...we are all Americans and despite the political rhetoric and 'me first' philosophy that is so prevalent these days...we need to care about each other. Shoni Schimmel made it. So will Jude. How about the rest? Who will do documentaries on them?
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Cards fall to Syracuse 1-0 in BIG EAST Softball Finals.

SUNDAY @ CARDINAL COUPLE

-Softball loses to Syracuse 1-0 in BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP

-'Off the Rez' - Where do they go from here?

-Louisville women's hoops to play Texas A&M in 2011-12 season.

The University of Louisville softball team fell in the finals of the BIG EAST softball tournament yesterday at Ulmer Stadium to Syracuse 1-0. It is the second year in a row these two have met in the finals and the second time Syracuse has won the tournament by

Louisville left ten base runners stranded against
Jenna Caira...who allowed six hits, no runs. 

one run in the final game.

Once again, it was "Card killer" Jenna Caira dealing out the fatal blow to the Lady Cards softball crew...shutting the Cards down without a run for the third time this season...two of them from the arm of Caira.

For the Cards, Tori Collins pitched the type of game that will get you a win nine out of ten  times...allowing just one run and five hits while striking out ten Orange batters.

The third inning proved to be the key at-bat for Syracuse...Kelly Saco taking one to the fence for a double and moving to third on a sacrifice bunt. Before the attempt, UofL catcher Maggie Ruckenbrod apparently picked off Saco on a throw from the plate to second base..but the original call was over-ruled after discussion and complaints from the Syracuse coaching staff that Katie Keller didn't have sufficient possession of the ball when she tagged Saco out.
Stephanie Watts drove Saco home with a single for the 1-0 advantage. Louisville kept the disadvantage to just one when Watts was thrown out at the plate by Kristin Austin after a Lisaria Daniel single.

The Cards got robbed of an apparent run in the fourth when Ruckenbrod singled and got to second when her hit was misplayed. Pinch runner Chelsea Jordan moved to third on Austin's bunt single and crossed the plate on a Taner Fowler ground ball. Umpires once again intervened and sent Jordan back to third...calling Fowler out for runner's interference while
running out her hit. Caira was able to then get the third out of the inning...stranding Jordan at third.

Louisville had a chance to tie it in the seventh after Jennifer Esteban singled and got to third when Chelsea Bemis struck out but got to first safely after Syracuse catcher Ashley Dimon couldn't control the third strike and then hit Bemis with a throw as she was running down the first base line after the passed ball. Esteban would remain at third, though..when the Cards' Alicja Wolny grounded out to end the game.

Caira was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Louisville placed four players on the All-Tournament team...pitcher Tori Collins, 3rd base Chelsea Bemis, shortstop Colby Wherry and catcher Maggie Ruckenbrod. 

We opted to view last night's contest from the right field knoll instead of the press box. For those of you who missed not receive our real-time game commentary, we can only tell you that sometimes we like to be just fans...cheering for the Cardinals. And, that is what CARDINAL COUPLE's mission statement is...to be the fan voice for all UofL women's sports. We missed the commentary and money-shines going on up in the press box...but sometimes, you just want to yell, cheer and interact with the other fans. 

We could gripe and complain about the two calls that eventually gave Syracuse a run and took one away from Louisville....but the umpires are in charge of game time decisions and have the right to reverse calls. In this case, unpopular reversals. Still, this Louisville softbal team has overcome some mighty large obstacles to get to where they are and WE'RE very proud of Coach Pearsall and her outstanding ladies in every aspect. WE hope they get the chance to continue this amazing journey with an NCAA bid.  

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Shoni Schimmel and her mother Ceci.

Off the Rez premiered last night on TLC and the documentary was hard hitting and gripping at times. When one gets a personal glimpse into the lives of others...you come to realize that the bond of family can be a very strong and guiding force in one's life...either by being present or vacant. In Shoni and the rest of Schimmel family's life...that bond is huge.

The continued success of Shoni after leaving the Umatilla Reservation and going to Portland and then Louisville has come with a dear price to pay...not being able to have the daily interaction with all of the extended family. It makes her successes all that more remarkable and noteworthy. We see a bright and success filled future ahead for "Sho-time", her sister Jude and although neither will be in constant contact on a daily basis with their siblings, parents, relatives and reservation friends...they'll be assured and gain strength from the knowledge that the support is unwavering despite the distance.

And, in the final analysis...that is what life is all about. You eventually leave the care and security of your home to etch out your own niche in the world. The degrees of success you find is metered and determined by the effort and results you create, ignore or achieve. 'Off the Rez' may be a time of adjustment for part of the Schimmel-Moses extended family...but life itself is a series of adjustments. You keep pushing....and we're confident that Shoni, Jude, Ceci, Rick and all the family will be quite successful in the years to come. The University of Louisville fan base is strong and alive in northeast Oregon.

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Part of the Louisville women's basketball schedule has been released for 2011-12 and the second game of the year will have Lousville travelling to College Station, TX. to play Gary's Blair's Texas A&M squad. You remember A&M, right? They won the NCAA Womens Basketball Championship a couple of months ago.

Louisville forward Asia Taylor will go to play against the Aggies.

Other tenative trips include a visit to Florida State and the school is trying to schedule a couple of games up in the Oregon/Washington area, where a strong Shoni and Jude Schimmel fan base exsists...

WE can't wait!


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It's official...Softball Cards in final and Women's Basketball announces the signing of Smith, Schimmel and Niamke

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For the second year in a row
Louisville and Syracuse meet
in the BIG EAST Softball
Tournament final game. 

SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE:

-Walz comments on the Spring Signing Period

-Louisville to face Syracuse in BIG EAST Softball

Tournament final today

-Off the Rez airs tonight at 9 p.m.

It's official...as they like to say at the racetrack after a race.
Jeff Walz has announced that Monny Niamke, Jude Schimmel
and Bria Smith have all signed to play for the University of Louisville next season. They join Sara Hammond to give Louisville a 2011 recruiting class that has been ranked as high as fifth. Coach Walz released a statement about it:

"This late signing class solidifies our back court and will no doubt put us in a position to dial up the pressure on opponents. We couldn't be happier about addressing the needs of our team along with adding wonderful young women who will be great ambassadors to the university and our community."

Dial up, indeed. Most of Louisville's opponents in the 2011-12 won't want to answer that Cardinal call of a back court that will be the deepest in UofL women's basketball history. Here's the official bio on each of the the late period signees...courtesy of the UofL Sports Information Department:

Monny Niamke, 5'5", Point Guard, Paris, France (Victor Hugo)

Niamke has played for the French National U16, U17 and U18 teams the last five years. Last season she helped guide them to a silver medal in the FIBA U17 World Championships. She was also named MVP of the European Tournament in Forgeres (France). Won a gold medal at the 2009 Youth Olympic Games in Finland with the U16 squad. Also won a bronze with the U16 in Italy. She is described by Walz as 'one of the best young guards in  Europe. She brings to the team one element we have been lacking for some time, pure speed. She is very skilled on the perimeter and will utilize her quickness to attack the basket and distribute the ball. She also has the capability to be a lock down defender and cause havoc in our defensive schemes.'

Jude Schimmel, 5'5", Combo Guard, Mission, OR. (Portland Franklin)

Schimmel finished her senior year averaging 28.4 ppg, with 9.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 7.3 steals per game. Gathered 5A first team all state honors this season and finished with 1,546 career points. Game high this year of 51 points. Was Portland All-City and on the Oregon All-Star team for the Northwest Shootout. She has played AAU for the Oregon Reign from 2008-10, Team-Concept Fire in 2009-10 and American Horse from 2002-07. Also lettered in softball and cross country. Walz comments...'We are thrilled to add another Schimmel to our Louisville family. Jude will have the opportunity to impact our game with her athleticism and ability to score off the bounce. She is as hard a worker as I have seen in some time, and will no doubt be on the finishing end of precision plays with her sister.'

Bria Smith, 5'10", Combo Guard, Massapequa, NY (Christ the King)

The #8 ranked player in the nation by Hoop Gurlz. This season was named a McDonald's and WBCA All-American. Also first team Parade All-American. Miss Basketball in New York state. New York Daily News Player of the Year. She averaged 21.1 ppg, with 7.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists as a senior. Third year for All-State and All-City honors. She also was on the USA team at the FIBA U17 World Championships. Has been invited to the USA Basketball U19 trials. Walz remarks...'This is a monumental moment for our program and fans of Louisville basketball. Bria brings with her a pedigree of success and star status. She is an electrifying scorer with a great basketball mind. Her competitiveness is unsurpassed and her will to win is paramount. She comes from one of the premier high school and AAU programs in the country and will no doubt elevate our program to new heights.'

The cupboard is stocked full of provisions. It's now up to Walz and the coaching staff to mix a entree that will delight Cardinal fans and win games. The players will need to show Walz and the coaching staff their desire to earn the playing minutes with hard work, determination and a willingness to play defense...a Walz staple.

Take a few days and do something with the wife and kids, Jeff. Disney World, skiing...maybe a family cruise or trip to the mountains. You've brought in a bumper crop to go with an already fantastic base. Time for the farmer to go to the barn dance before harvesting the yield.

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Cardinal senior Chelsea Bemis says it's just a matter of
selecting a pitch and driving it against Syracuse
pitcher Jenna Caira. Bemis drove a three run
blast over the fence yesterday in the 6-0 romp over
the Irish.

Here we go, again. Louisville vs. Syracuse in the BIG EAST Softball Tournament final. Despite the gloomy skies that greet us as we write this article this morning...the game should be far from depressing and should feature a great pitching match up between Cardinal killer Jenna Caira and torrid Tori Collins hurling the softball. The plate approachers aren't ready to let this one be a pitcher's duel, though., Syracuse used a bottom of the seventh inning hitting frenzy to advance past Pittsburgh in the quarterfinals and jumped on DePaul early yesterday in the semifinals to get to the championship game. Sometimes, two runs is enough...especially when you have the juggernaut Jenna Caira tossing the orb.

Louisville went ballistic on Notre Dame in the third inning yesterday en route to the 6-0 win. They waited till late to pounce the USF Bulls in the quarters...2-0 with a run in the sixth and seventh. Tori Collins has been barely hittable...holding the Bulls to a couple of singles and the hard hitting Notre Dame squad to just four singles. Someone set up lounge chairs and umbrellas for the UofL outfielders...Collins either strikes them out, gets them to pop up to the infield or ground out.

There is also the irrelevant fact that Syracuse has won the last five games vs. Louisville. Swept the regular season three games series, took one from the Cards early in the season in a tournament in Alabama and won the BIG EAST Championship last year. Matters not. Today is a new day, new game and you can toss streaks and trends into the trash can.

Game time is scheduled for 5 p.m. On ESPN 2 if you can't get out to Ulmer. Should be a doozy! Stay away...rain!

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Just a reminder...the documentary Off the Rez shows tonight on TLC at 9 p.m. A look into the life of Shoni Schimmel and her family as they make the move to Portland, Oregon from the Umatilla Reservation.
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Off the Rez

TLC TO TELEVISE OFF THE REZ MAY 14th.

The Learning Channel (TLC) will premiere the documnetary Off the Rez on Saturday, May 14th. at 9/8c. The film, from director Jonathan Hock and executive producers Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, made it's world debut April 26th. at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film follows current Louisville freshman Shoni Schimmel, a Umatilla Indian, and her family as she pursues her dream of being the first from her tribe to get a college basketball scholarship. Shoni, her mom Ceci Moses-who was also her high school coach-battle together to redeem generations of struggle for their family and their people, but her hoop dreams take an interesting turn when the family leaves the Umatilla Indian Reservation to move to Portland, Oregon...where Ceci has accepted a head girls basketball coaching job at Franklin High School.

We have a nine minute clip from the movie above for your viewing pleasure. Since the film was made, Shoni has gone to the University of Louisville to play basketball...where she was the second leading scorer for the Lady Cards...who advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen this season. Her sister Jude, a talented point guard has signed a letter of intent and will join her at Louisville this fall.

Enjoy.