Syracuse tops TEAM CARDINAL in Field Hockey 4-3

SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE COVERS:

-Orange ousts Cards in overtime

-Volley Cards spike Rutgers

-Softball Sweep over Bellarmine

- Walz gets in frequent flyer miles

Tough loss Saturday on the road for Pam Bustin's field hockey team Saturday against #9 Syracuse...falling to the Orange 4-3 in overtime. Louisville fell behind early at J.S. Coyne Stadium...surrendering a couple of goals in the first seven minutes of the game. Lindsay Conrad, sister of Louisville goalie Erin Conrad had two scores for the Orange...who improved to 6-3 and 2-0 in the BIG EAST.

After the shaky start, the battle turned defensive, but Louisville was able to get on the scoreboard near the end of the first half when Hayley turner negotiated the Syracuse defense and smacked home an unassisted goal to put the Cards down by one.

After the break, Louisville drew first blood when Jenna Ahern scored off of a Nicole Youman pass and tied up the contest. The Cards grabbed the lead three minutes later when a penalty corner shot from Youman found its way to Haley Jurich and she slapped it past Syracuse goalie Leann Silver. Louisville couldn't maintain the advantage, though...when Lindsay Conrad tallied off a penalty corner past her sister Erin to tie it.

Syracuse put in the game winner 11 minutes into the 15 minute overtime off a penalty corner. The loss drops TEAM CARDINAL to 6-3, 1-1.

The #10 Cards invite you out to Trager Field Saturday, Oct. 2nd when they host #5 Connecticut. It's been designated as a "white out" game and they're looking to set a regular season attendance record.

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Volleyball used a strong match out of Emily Juhl and Lola Arslanbekova to sweep Rutgers 25-17, 25-16, 25-23 in Cardinal Arena Saturday. Juhl delivered 13 kills and Lola added 12 as the Cards set a season high hitting percentage of .385 against the Scarlet Knights. Louisville led from the start in the first game and handled Rutgers...thanks to four kills by Juhl.

They fell behind early in the second game but rallied behind Juhl and Brooke Mattingly to go on a 9-2 run and down Rutgers by nine. Juhl contributed six kills in the win.

In the final game, the Cards struggled early but drew at 12-12 and got a big finish from Arslanbekova. Lola scored four out of the last five points in the match to give the Cards a two point victory.

Louisville (6-4, 1-0) hosts Seton Hall Sunday in the Arena.

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Sandy Pearsall's softball sluggers swept the Bellarmine Knights in fall softball yesterday 4-0, 1-0 at Ulmer Stadium. Impressive for Louisville was freshman Taner Fowler who had three hits on the afternoon...one of them a solo home run shot in the first game.

Louisville took and early 1-0 lead in the first game thanks to a triple from Jordan Trimble...who scored on Katelyn Mann's single. They added two more in the fourth inning when Fowler doubled, scored on a Chelsea Jordan single and got Jordan to the plate on a sacrifice fly for Tehsa Payton. Fowler ended the scoring in the sixth with her solo shot.

Tori Collins tossed the win, striking out six in just three innings of work and freshman Caralisa finished the final four innings...allowing just one hit.

The second game proved to be a defensive struggle...with a scoreless effort by both squads thru six innings. Louisville grabbed the victory in the bottom of the seventh when Fowler singled, gave way to pinch runner Jennifer Esteban and she scored on a Kristin Austin single.

Connell got the start for Louisville and struck out three in two innings. Collins came on and finished for the win, allowing just two hits and striking out seven over the final five innings.

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If it's Sunday, this must be Germany.

Jeff Walz is spanning the globe in his quest for talent for the Lady Cards basketball team. Walz recently shared with CARDINAL COUPLE that he had visited with Cardinal target Erika Johnson in Seattle while out on the coast attending the Hermiston Roundup. Johnson has listed the Cards, Washington, North Carolina and California as her four schools of interest. From there it was to Europe to have a in-home visit with a post player in Paris and a drive to Germany to in-home with a 6'4" post player who is down to UofL, Gonzaga and Oregon State.

He also has an official visit set up with big time front liner Markisha Wright in Iowa. We've got the feeling that if there were basketball on the Moon...Walz would have a line on a prospect there and head out on a space shuttle for a in-home.

The gunslinger keeps tracking them down. We approve.