A Mixed Bag -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Women's Soccer Defeats Indiana St. 4-0

Louisville's women's soccer team picked up their first win of the 2016 regular season yesterday with an impressive win over the Indiana State Sycamores. The win keeps the Cards unbeaten in the very young season and brings their record to 1-0-1 (W/L/D) after a 1-1 tie against IU late last week.

DICKERMAN CHATS WITH FANS AFTER THE WIN

Despite a meeting running long, and fair traffic holding me up, I was able to make it out to yesterday's game only about 10 minutes after kickoff. It was a near perfect day for soccer, and I arrived not a moment too late. Kaela Dickerman scored Louisville's first goal of the game, and first home goal of the season, on a beautiful header as I sat down with my hot dog and nachos. The 13th minute goal was set up by a wonderful cross by the Canadian freshman, Sarah Feola. Kaela wasn't done scoring, though, and picked up her second goal in the 49', this time assisted by another freshman, Brooklynn Rivers. Dickerman's second goal was a great show of fundamentals as she accepted a pass at the top of the box and worked past a defender clinically before slotting the ball into the side netting.

As a former keeper myself, I have to give credit where it is due. Indiana State's goalkeeper, Brittany San Roman, played a heck of a game, despite allowing 4 goals (it would have been five if not for a spectacular save from one of her defenders). Brittany was all over the goal, and a fantastic save in the 33' caught my attention enough to make note of it. In what was almost a sure goal in a one-on-one situation, the keeper made a great diving save on a ball going across the goal. It was at that point that I realized just how many ISU fans were in the crowd. I'll give them credit as well, because they cheered passionately and intelligently, two things that are great to see anywhere.

WSOC meet and greet with fans

Unfortunately for San Roman, the ensuing corner kick from her great save led to the second
Louisville goal. The 34' goal was brought on by a pair of freshmen as Allison Whitfield played the corner in from the left side and Niamh Nelson knocked it home. Whitfield is a name you should be used to hearing when it comes to UofL women's soccer, and, according to the Louisville head coach, Karen Ferguson-Dayes, it's one you'll continue hearing for quite some time. Ferguson-Dayes had high praise for the freshman, who picked up her second assist when she set up Bridget Stewart in the 74', saying in her post-game interview that Whitfield "is going to be a very good college player.". Her sister, Casey Whitfield, was a very special player at Louisville for five years. Both went to Louisville Manual.  The youth on the team bodes very well for the future of women's Cardinal soccer.

The defense was not to be outshone by the offense in this game. The back line held strong enough that Louisville's starting keeper, Taylor Bucklin, was asked to make no saves. Victoria Gabor, who Coach calls Tori, came on for the last 14 minutes of play, saved the Sycamores' only shot on goal (a shot from about 25 yards out) in the 88th minute. It is not always that both sides of the ball can be clicking so well, as the Cards saw in their less than stellar first half against IU. However, when Louisville plays like they did yesterday, they will be a dangerous team.

The women's team takes the field at Lynn again on Friday, 8/26, against the UAB Blazers as part of a home double-header with the men's team. The women's game begins at 5:30 and admission to one game gets you in to see both.

Hear Paulie's post game interviews with Coach Karen Ferguson Dayes and Kaela Dickerman below:



COACH K. WITH PAULIE

PAULIE WITH KAELA


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Speaking of Men's Soccer...

The men's team finished their preseason with a 1-1 draw against UAB in Birmingham Saturday night in a game that lasted only 40 minutes due to weather. This comes after a 1-1 draw last weekend against Memphis. Louisville was picked by the coaches to finish fifth in the ACC's Atlantic division. We will hope to see head coach, Ken Lolla, help this team exceed those expectations in what seems to be a bridge year for the Cards.

The men open their regular season when they take on Butler in the double header on Friday. I'll be attending both the men's and women's games, and hopefully they'll give me good things to talk about when I join Paulie on the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour on Saturday morning.

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The Wait for Football is Almost Over

Sunday saw the release of the Associated Press Preseason poll, which marks the final major event before college football begins. Due to a scheduling error (I thought the open practice was in the afternoon. It was in the morning. I missed it.), I don't have any insightful personal information to pass along. That will have to wait until after September 1st. However, when Bobby Petrino's Cardinals take the field behind Lamar Jackson, they'll be doing so ranked 19th by the AP, 23rd by the Coaches, and 19th by Sports Illustrated. The Cards will face a host of teams ranked in the top 25, but they'll need to take the season one game at a time if they want to achieve their loftiest goals. I'm looking forward to it, and hope you are too.

Until next time, Go Cards.

-CH-