Options, combinations...and domination for Louisville Field Hockey -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

CARDS WIN (pick your score) OVER OHIO

Louisville Field Hockey got the 2016 season off to a roaring start yesterday with a...(1) 7-0...(2) 8-0 or...(3) 12-2 win over the Bobcats of Ohio University at Trager Field. Ah, the complexities of preseason final score determination. 

Exhibition stuff. A lot of factors. The Cards won the 70 minute battle 7-0. They played a seven vs. seven overtime simulation. The Cards won that 1-0. Then, a goalkeeper shootout that UofL won 4-2. And, while the win was nice...head coach Justine Sowry wasn't as concerned with that as much as how the multiple combinations and options she inserted in the match and put together performed on the field during the contest. 

They all looked pretty good from the press box at Trager. 

The charm of Cardinal Couple player interviews continues...with Lotta Kahlert, Nicole Woods and Erin McCrudden scoring five of the eight goals in the 80 minute time-frame. They also had three of the four successful one-on-one goalkeeper scores. We spoke with all three at the Fall women's sports media day. May the force continue to be wih them 

And, after a slow, scoreless start for the squads over the first 22 minutes or so...it was UofL domination. The Cards had four new players to the program in the starting lineup. Three were freshmen, three were internationals. 

Combinations take time. A 2-0 halftime didn't seem to be a true indicator of the first 35 minutes....Louisville had a 11-1 shots lead and 8-1 shots on goal edge.
   

By the time it ended, Louisville had a 24-4 shot edge. A 15-3 shots on goal advantage. Goalkeeper Ayeshia McFerran had time enough to count cars rolling down Warnock Street behind her and categorize them by color if she had wanted to. They don't keep a time possession stat in Field Hockey. That's probably good news for Ohio...who possessed the ball about as much as a turtle outruns Usain Bolt. Things were a little slow down at the south end of the stadium in the first half and by the walking track in the final 35.

The catch of it is that Ohio is not that bad of a team. They'll probably contend for the MAC Conference title this season. They have three Louisville high school players on the roster in Sophia Cristofoli (Sacred Heart), Amy Edgerton (Mercy) and Hannah Kingsbury (Manual). Assistant coach Rachel McCarthy played for UofL. That may have been the reason the Ohio U. fan base equaled Louisville's in numbers yesterday

Things get a bit tougher eight days from now when the Cards travel to Bloomington to face IU in the season opener.

Hopefully, there won't be any need for seven-on-seven silliness or one-on-one with a goalkeeper...

We got interviews with head coach Justine Sowry and mid-fielder Lotta Kahlert after the match and will play them on THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR Saturday. I resisted using the phrase 'a whole lotta Lotta going on'. It's a long season. 

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WSOC FACES IU TODAY IN BLOOMINGTON

Speaking of IU, Bloomington and women's athletics...Karen Ferguson-Dayes' takes the Louisville women's soccer team to the Hoosier campus for a 7 p.m. match tonight that will open the regular season for the Kickin' Cards. 

Louisville went 1-1 in the exhibition season...falling in the final seconds at DePaul 1-0 and shutting out Morehead State 5-0 Saturday at Lynn Stadium.

15 newcomers fill the Cards lineup as they face an IU squad picked to finish 12th in the Big 10 (how is that possible?) 

We wish Gabrielle Vincent, Inger Katine-Bjerke and Taylor Bucklin...as well as the rest of the squad...the best of luck against IU. 

Gotta keep that "interview-with-Cardinal-Couple-and-play-well" streak alive. Since these three are defenders--we expect we'll give a shout-out for a shut-out.

This one can be heard on the radio I'm being told. 

LINK: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/Indiana/#

An interesting concept. Are you listening Louisville AM sports radio? 

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LOUISVILLE WOMEN'S SOCCER WANTS YOU!

A great list of promos below to get you into Lynn Stadium this fall to watch the Kickin' Cards. 

paulie
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