Challenges and planning -- the process of Louisville women's sports. THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

ANOTHER #1 APPEARING ON CAMPUS

We discussed the challenges ahead for Louisville women's soccer in yesterday's column. If Justine Sowry, the affable Louisville Field Hockey coach and women's soccer chief Karen Ferguson-Dayes decided to get together and discuss scheduling nightmares...one could hardly blame them.

24 hours after #1 North Carolina women's soccer visits the "Ville" tonight...the #1 Syracuse field hockey squad will do battle with "The Flock" at Trager Stadium. 

A chance to discuss the fifth ACC contest of the year with Coach Sowry yesterday revealed several items. 

-- ACC Field Hockey is the gold standard...the top of the mountain in college Field Hockey. Winning the ACC Tournament Championship is a tougher task than winning the NCAA Field Hockey Championships...and the field will be full of ACC schools. 

-- All seven ACC participating schools are in the top 11 in the NCAA rankings and RPI ratings. This is the Elite Eight...and adding former ACC member Maryland into the mix makes it a dominance like no other in any other NCAA Division I sport. 


-- The goal is to elevate the Cards to the top of this super-conference. The progression to that status could take some time. If there is anyone that can accomplish it...it is Justine Sowry and her hard-working players and staff. 

The illustrious former head football coach at Louisville...Howard Schnellenberger once said:

"We are on a collision course with the national championship. The only variable is...time."

Justine Sowry is on that same collision course. And don't bet against her on achieving it. 

Be sure to catch our exclusive Justine Sowry interviews on the Saturday CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR on WCHQ 100.9 FM at 11 a.m.

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SWINGING FOR THE FENCES AND FILLING THE GAPS.

I have to admit that I enjoying interviewing all of the UofL women's sports coach a great deal...but my professed favorite of the group is Sandy Pearsall...the UofL head Softball Coach. 

(...and HAVING SAID THAT...I'M SURE THE MESSAGES AND E-MAILS from the other dozen UofL women's sports coaches are on the way...)

Maybe it's because she was our first coaches interview in the fledgling days of CARDINAL COUPLE...when we were having a hard time getting in any doors and getting any respect or credibility.

Maybe it's because I respect and admire her straight-forward, "shoot-from-the hip" and "tell it like it is" style.

Maybe it because she came onto campus 17 years ago and built a softball program and has always gone out of her way to provide us access to personal and player interviews and invites to the softball banquets. I will never forget Crystal Bustos' heart-felt and inspirational keynote address last January.

Regardless of the reason, a planned 5 or 6 minutes of commentary always turns into 15...plus the 5-10 minutes of side discussion that never reaches the airwaves. It's hard to leave her office because of the level of sincerity and genuineness. 

A great visit was had Wednesday with the original "Coach P" and it will be broadcast in its entirety on the Saturday morning CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR.

Some teasers to listen for:

- What malady has struck the post-fall schedule Cards squad?

- Which popular ex-Card will be gracing the field in 2016?

- Who was impressive in the "Hit and Pitch" Cards 6-0 fall season slate? 

paulie
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