FH Wins in 2OT -- VBall Climbs Again -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 Field Hockey Wins at Ohio State in Double Overtime

I hate golden goal and I will continue to hate it until the day I die, but it worked in favor of Louisville Field Hockey at Ohio State yesterday. Julie Kouijer's goal in double overtime lifted #4 Louisville over #19 Ohio State.

The goal is Kouijzer's fourth of the year and second straight game winner. The junior scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory at #18 Duke Friday.

"Every time we play at Ohio State, it is a tough contest and can go either way," said Coach Justine Sowry. "We had some great periods of play but also we became too frantic and went away from our typical possession play. Hats off to their goalkeeper who came up big for them. Overtime, I was very pleased with how we controlled the play and ultimately were rewarded with a victory. It was another gritty performance by our team on the road."

For a match that featured two ranked opponents you'd think the Big Ten could manage to find a TV channel or free online streaming location to air the Cards vs Buckeyes, but it wound up being on a pay-per-view Big Ten + viewing online. I think Paulie paid to stream it, but most of us were at work and couldn't follow along other than the StatBroadcast check in.

The two foes went into halftime scoreless with very little offensive output from either side. The Cards did have three shots on goal before the break but all three looks were saved. Ohio State did not record a shot on goal in the first half.

At the 38' mark in the third quarter, the Buckeyes broke through with a goal. Louisville, who had managed just two goals over their previous three matches this season, needed to find a way to get an equalizer and a game winner if they wanted to leave Columbus with a victory.

Late in the match, with 8:02 remaining in regulation, Louisville evened the score. Originally credited to Minna Tremonti, the goal credit was later given to Katie Schneider. The scored her fourth goal of the year on an assist by Kouijzer.

With momentum now on their side, Louisville was ready for overtime. In field hockey, overtime is sudden death scoring while playing just 7x7 on the field for ten minutes or a goal is scored. By dropping a handful of players off the field for each team, the pitch really opens up and you hope for a fast break or for the other team to wear down before you.

A scoreless first overtime helped the nerves continue to build as each team traded a flurry of shots. But Louisville was able to control possession for a heavy amount of the second overtime period. Back-to-back shots were blocked and sent wide before Kouijzer took the rebound of a shot and sent it into the cage.

Louisville improves to 9-1 on the year following the win and caps off an extended weekend with a pair of ranked wins on the road. The Cards are now 5-1 against ranked teams.

With #3 Northwestern losing to #10 Rutgers over the weekend, it is expected that the Cards will climb up to that third spot.

Louisville returns home to host #16 Wake Forest on Friday at 4:00 p.m.

Volleyball Climbs to #3

Louisville Volleyball is the hottest team on campus at 12-0 on the year with 10 of those matches being "Sweeps" or 3-0 set wins. A pair of easy victories over the weekend and key losses by Wisconsin and Ohio State helped the Cards move up to #3 in the latest AVCA Poll.

The 12-0 start is the second best start in school history. In 2005, Louisville started the year 20-0 and reached a #6 ranking before finishing the year 31-3 and reaching the Sweet Sixteen. The longest win streak in school history was 2004 when the Cards won 22 straight matches (19 sweeps in that period) en route to a 30-3 season and Sweet Sixteen appearance. 

Based on all the digging I could do dating back to the first recorded season in 1976, the #3 ranking is the highest ranking Louisville Volleyball has ever received. Whether that is the case or not, Coach Dani Busboom Kelly has built a powerhouse of a program and looks to be a favorite for not only the ACC Championship, but also the NCAA Championship.

Louisville visits Clemson this Friday, in which I believe our good friend Arthur and his wife Bea will be in attendance. The Cards will head a little further south on Sunday to square off against #18 Georgia Tech.

Both Field Hockey and Volleyball have been having historic seasons. If you are able, I highly recommend making it out to see both squads this year. Watching on TV/online is fun, but there's just such a good feeling of being in person in the live game atmosphere. Field Hockey is free admission during the regular season, but Volleyball is a ticketed event.

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!
Jared