Sunday Cardinal Couple

Field Hockey Gets In

The NCAA Selection Show for Field Hockey was last night at 10pm.  The massive field of 12 was announced and UofL was able to get one of the very few at-large bids for the tournament.

With nine automatic qualifiers for a 12 team tournament, only three at-large bids were available.  The top two teams in the NFHCA poll were UNC and Michigan.  Both got the automatic qualifier bid for their conferences (ACC and Big 10).  Ranks three through five are UofL, Iowa, and Northwestern (ACC, Big 10, Big 10) and these are the three teams that got the at-large bids for the overall tournament.  Ranked 6th is Liberty, who did not get into the tournament.  With the at-large bids exhausted, the Big East AQ bid went to UConn, ranked 7th.

(I should point out here that the at-large bids were not based on the NFHCA poll, but they did track perfectly with the poll, and I use it here to highlight the absurdity of the NCAA's decision-making with respect to field hockey.)

UofL will play Sunday, May 2nd at 3pm.  They will be playing the winner of UConn vs Rider (Northeast Conference).  The 1st and 2nd rounds will be hosted by Penn State, while the semifinals and finals will be hosted by UNC.  There is no information available that I've been able to find for live streaming the first and second rounds, but the semifinals will be on ESPN3, and the finals will be shown on ESPNU. A good guess would be ncaa.com , they hosted the selection show. 

Lacrosse vs Notre Dame

UofL closed out the season in a loss to Notre Dame, 15-11.

The Irish were in control for most of the game, stretching out an eight goal lead at 10 minutes into the 2nd half.

The Cards went on a 6-1 run to narrow the lead to only three before Notre Dame got a goal in the closing minute of the game to reach the final score.  The hero of the run was Nicole Perroni.  The Canadian sophomore (Whitby, Ontario) got the first hat trick of her career in the run.

Caroline Blalock also got a hat trick in the game, while Hannah Morris put a pair in the back of the net.  Single goals to Ally Hall, Kylea Dobson, and Kokoro Nakazawa would account for all of the scoring from the Cards.

Paulie caught up with Louisville Lacrosse head coach Scott Teeter post-game and you can those remarks below: 

POST NOTRE DAME SCOTT TEETER

Next up for Lacrosse is the ACC tournament.  All eight teams in the ACC will participate in the tournament, with UofL getting that 8th seed.  That matches the Cards up with top seed UNC in the first round of the tournament also hosted by UNC.  The game will be at noon on Wednesday, presumably on the ACC Network Extra, but that has not yet been confirmed.

Today's Activity

Things are starting to calm down slightly from the crazy spring of sports that this has been with the extra load of fall sports also playing in the spring.

Only two games on the slate for today and they're both Softball finishing up their weather-altered schedule with FSU.  Their double-header will kick off today at noon with the 2nd game at 2:30(ish).  The first game will be on the ACC Network with the second one shifting over to the streaming on the ACC Network Extra.

A Personal Note

I and my family would like to thank you all, the readers of Cardinal Couple, and the listeners of the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast, for your expressions of sympathy and support on the death of my father, Charlie McAdams.  My father looked forward to each day's article, and to the Saturday "radio" podcast.  The staff and readers/listeners were more than just names to him.  As an avid sports fan and UofL fan, you all were kindred spirits to him.

We appreciate your support.

Jeff

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

Speaking of the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast, we were on the air again yesterday as normal.  Missing Case, we did have Daryl join us this week as she had a day off from button pushing... given the rescheduling of the Softball series versus the Noles..

We celebrated Jared and Katy's engagement, discussed the ACC Commissioner's visit to UofL's ACC Network studios, Softball, Lacrosse, Field Hockey, and wrapped up Volleyball for the year.  Check out the fun below!

JMcA