Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Louisville Lacrosse ranked #4 in Inside Lacrosse Poll -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE



LAX CARDS ATOP ACC AT 7-0
We've watched this season as the Louisville women's basketball team got a preseason #8 ranking, struggled early but has eventually climbed back to that #8 position in the latest polls. 

 Move over hoop Cards...someone else on campus wants to share that Top Ten platform with you and it's Kellie Young's lacrosse squad.

 There was an open media day for Louisville Lacrosse (7-0) at the stadium yesterday...as the #4 Cards prepare for a weekend trip to face #15 Duke (3-3).
Several television stations sent sport reporters. A couple of sports websites were there besides CARDINAL COUPLE. It possibly may have been the biggest (in terms of numbers) interviews Brittany Read, Kaylin Morissette and Cortnee Daley have done since they've been on the Louisville campus. It had to be one of Kellie Young's largest group interviews as well. They all performed admirably. 

 When you get a collection of sports reporters who know very little about the actual sport respond to an open call for media interviews...you're going to get a lot of generalized questions focusing on the mindset instead of the mechanics and a few "idiot boy" queries...but the publicity and recognition is always good for the Lacrosse and all women's sports programs...so you take the good with the bad. For a few blessed moments, egos were set aside and attention was focused on the interviewee...not the interviewer. 
So what is going on that has made Louisville a top five contender in lacrosse? Kellie Young sees this: 

 " A ranking really doesn't matter. It's a compliment to the program but we have work to get done and we need to take this game by game. What's working? Most important is our teamwork. Kay on the drive...she totally invested in it." 

 Ask Cortnee Daley what is making a difference this year and she'll tell you:

 " I definitely think it is our confidence, we do so much extra work...and knowing in our mind that there's no doubt we can take down any team. 
Kaylin Morissette, coming off an ACC Offense Player of the Week Award looks back at the last week, where the Cards knocked off Northwestern and Notre Dame...two teams that have rung up an 8-0 record against UofL Lacrosse before the games at the Louisville Lacrosse Stadium: 

 "Last week was incredible. Such a huge confidence booster for us. Just showing ourselves just how good we can be...that's really exciting for us. Everyone is invested in this team. We're all sisters on this team. I feel I could have a conversation with any of my  teammates...from the most serious topic to something totally irrelevant.  We're all very close...from seniors to the freshmen."

 Huge in the win over Notre Dame was goalkeeper Brittany Read..who is now focused on Duke:

 " I'm very excited and I think Duke is a very good team and they can show us anything. It really doesn't matter what team it is that you play or where they're ranked...any team can show you anything anytime of the game and you have to be ready for that."
One game at a time. Team unity and closeness. Hard work. Being prepared. The priorities and principals are in the right place for the Louisville Lacrosse squad. The road tough ahead with Duke, Syracuse, North Carolina and Virginia...all ranked in the top 15. One at a time, all in good time. 

 The Cards were preseason ranked seventh out of the eight teams in ACC Lacrosse. As of today, though, they might to look at changing the references to the sport to:

  ACC"LOU"crosse...

 paulie
xxxxx 
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16 comments:

  1. Anonymous3/09/2016 9:43 AM

    Ha, ha...Loucrosse. I like it, Paulie. I was fortunate enough to be at both the Northwestern and Notre Dame lacrosse games and the excitement on the field and in the stands is something Cardinal fans don't want to miss.

    It should be mentioned that Hannah Koloski and Stephanie McNamara are also players that have had a huge impact on this team this season.

    The Deb Factor

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    Replies
    1. JMcA3/09/2016 10:13 AM

      I'm a big fan of Koloski. There were audible gasps up in the press box a couple of times when Koloski turned on the jets vs Notre Dame. She is crazy fast.

      Delete
  2. Cardinal Couple3/09/2016 11:14 AM

    McNamara is part of a very solid defense in front of Read (Emily Howell, Courtney Boyd and Blair Bernhardt also) that allows Read the luxury to be a little more aggressive and mobile when back in goalkeep.

    Paulie

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous3/09/2016 11:39 AM

    Off topic but latest Charlie Creme Bracketology has Lou WBB as a #3 seed in Lexington region. So Car is #1 and Maryland #2. I'll take that seeding. Anyone else?

    Blue Lou

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous3/09/2016 11:41 AM

      Better than a #2 in UConn bracket. Potential of first four games in Louisville and Lexington? Hell, yea!

      Curtis Franklin

      Delete
    2. Anonymous3/09/2016 11:49 AM

      I think it is crazy that the NCAA women won't let a school play in a regional in it's home town now. The Cats aren't going to draw anyone in Dallas, Sioux Falls or Bridgeport but they would ensure sellouts in the Lexington region. Your little birdies might bring 2000 at the most. If they even get there. Stupid rule!

      Matthew Mitchell For Governor

      Delete
    3. Cardinal Couple3/09/2016 12:11 PM

      Gov...the very fact that Creme hAS NINE sec TEAMS getting in and only siz ACC teams going obviously means the man doesn't have a good grip on the pulse of women's hoops.

      I see Louisville, FSU, Miami, Syracuse, NC State, Notre Dame, Duke and Virginia all getting NCAA bids. I'll take a #3 seed but to see UK get a #3 seed?

      That's just wrong.

      See you in Lexington, if you aren't grieving UK bowing out in the first/second round in Lexington.

      Paulie

      Delete
    4. Mike D3/09/2016 1:57 PM

      Gov, the Cats can't play in Lex if South Carolina is the #1 seed there. Committee won't allow top 16 seeds from the same conference to meet before the Elite Eight. If Cats hadn't been edged by SC in the SEC Tourney, Notre Dame would have been #1 in Lex and Cats would have played at home.

      Did I just say "edged"???

      Delete
    5. Wade3/10/2016 1:47 AM

      Paulie, Virginia? C'mon 😎

      Delete
    6. Wade3/10/2016 1:52 AM

      Yikes SC and Maryland will both lick our tails though they both are weak at point guard. Can you imagine Maryland if they held onto Lexie Brown? They would contend with UCONN.

      Delete
    7. Wade3/10/2016 1:55 AM

      Oopsie typo above. Meant kick our tails

      Delete
    8. Wade3/10/2016 2:01 AM

      I agree with Guv. Dumb rule. I like seeing fans in seats

      Delete
    9. Cardinal Couple3/10/2016 8:13 AM

      If attendance is the prime objective for NCAA WBB Tournament locations...then the tournament should schedule the regions each year in Louisville, Knoxville, Columbia SC and Hartford, CT. This, of course, would be unfair to the Midwest and West regions.

      I don't see the difficulty of scheduling a good team in their own region either...but fans of the teams who aren't usual participants in this regionals will cry favoritism and setting the deck for the "usual suspects" to succeed.

      The NCAA Tournament Committee already has a lot of difficult issues to deal with each March. Do we want them vested additionally with the responsibility of having to seed and send with the premise of attendance, regional or home court assignment or viability?

      Paulie

      Delete
    10. Anonymous3/10/2016 8:27 AM

      Paulie I see your point. The top eight in NCAA WBB right now are UConn, MD, SC, Baylor, Maryland, Oregon St., Texas, Louisville. The region sites are Lexington, Sioux Falls, Bridgeport and Dallas. Let's say they stay this way and then you have the top seed UConn and Louisville (presumably the lowest #2 seed) meeting in Bridgeport. Notre Dame and Texas head to Lexington. South Carolina and Oregon State maybe to Sioux Falls and Baylor and Maryland to Dallas? The attendance in Lexington and Sioux Falls will be minimal.

      Keep Louisville in Lexington. If it means dropping them to a three seed, do it.

      The Deb Factor

      Delete
    11. Anonymous3/10/2016 8:29 AM

      Yeah, but you are assuming the NCAA might do something logical. That never happens.

      Curtis Franklin

      Delete
  4. Anonymous3/09/2016 8:13 PM

    Edged? More like nuked.

    ReplyDelete

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