Anouk Denton -- ACC WBB Standings -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Anouk Denton Signs with West Ham United

Current Louisville women's soccer player Anouk Denton has signed a contract with West Ham United Women of the Barclays Women's Super League in England. The defender is no stranger to the pros as she spent some time with West Ham United during the 2020-2021 season.

During her first two seasons with the Cards, Denton has been a staple. While primarily playing fullback and making appearances in the defensive midfield, Denton has logged 28 matches and 27 starts. She's also scored two goals in her time. She scored the game winner against ranked Memphis this past season.

Louisville went 7-7-2 and 6-8-2, respectively in her career. She's played alongside players such as Sarah Hernandez, Maisie Whitsett, Karsyn Cherry, and Ravin Alexander on the back line in those two years.

Louisville's spring schedule features friendly matches against Racing Louisville FC, Bowling Green, and Michigan State. The 2023 regular season schedule has not been released yet.

ACC Women's Basketball Standings

Despite losing to NC State on Sunday, Louisville women's basketball remains in the top group in the ACC. Their 6-3 conference record ties them with Virginia Tech for fourth.

Duke and Notre Dame continue to vie for the top spot with each team sitting at 7-1. Florida State is half a game behind at 7-2.

North Carolina and Miami are each 5-3 and NC State rounds out the teams five or more wins at 5-4.

Syracuse and Clemson are each 4-5. Virginia and Boston College both sit at 3-6. Wake Forest is 2-7, Georgia Tech is 1-8, and Pitt rounds out the bottom at 0-8.

Louisville has nine regular season games remaining. They visit Wake Forest and Syracuse next before returning home on February 5 to take on North Carolina.

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!

Jared

Cards Knock Off Tigers and Other Sports in Action -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

WSOC Beats #23 Memphis 3-2

It was an up and down night for Louisville women's soccer in Harrisonburg, Virginia as they took on the Memphis Tigers but it ended on the highest of highs with a 3-2 victory over the 23rd ranked team from down south. Louisville gets redemption after they dropped their ranked game at Lynn Stadium last week against Xavier, and they'll look to carry the momentum against the hosting James Madison Dukes on Sunday.

Erynn Floyd drew the start in goal for the fourth game in as many opportunities, so it seems safe to say that she has won the position battle over Alyssa Zalac. She was put to the test right away as Memphis earned the first shot of the game and the first on goal just 37 seconds in. The shot was low and to the middle of the goal, so it wasn't the biggest of saves, but it could have put Louisville in a terrible position on a neutral field against a ranked opponent if it had gone in.

Fortunately, that wasn't the case, and it was Emersen Jennings--making her second start of the season opposite Patricia Ward--who got the scoring started. Jennings got her opportunity at the start of the sixth minute off a Maisie Whitsett assist and put the right-footed shot into the bottom left of the net. The goal was Jennings' first--of the season and her career--and it came on just her third shot. The assist was Whitsett's third of the season and it stretched her points lead over Karsyn Cherry.

The Cards kept the pressure on after the goal, earning a pair of corners, an offside call, and snagging a shot over the next six minutes. An offsides isn't a positive, per se, but it does show that the offense was working. Lizzie Sexton's shot was saved by the team, and momentum shifted slightly. Memphis was called for an offsides and a minute later forced Floyd into her second save of the night. On the next major charge, Maisie Whitsett nearly put the game squarely in Louisville's favor when she put a shot in the bottom right corner, but the Memphis keeper was able to make the save. After things calmed down a bit, Eef Kerkhof finished the job she had started a few minutes prior and tied the game at one in the 22nd minute. 

So it would stay for the remainder of the half, with both teams putting a bit of pressure on the other but ultimately having nothing to show. Louisville had another corner and Memphis had two, but Louisville was the bigger winner on shots, claiming four more in the half and forcing three more saves from UofM goalkeeper Sarah Bozeman. That would be it for Bozeman and Floyd both, as they seemed to leave their gloves in the locker room for the second half. 

The teams came out of the break a bit chippy, both committing fouls in the first four minutes. Louisville earned a corner in the 50th, but came away with nothing to show for it. After an early off-target shot by Cherry and the inability to grab another goal in the first half, things were looking dire against a ranked team. They looked even more dire five minutes later when Memphis earned a corner. The Tigers were unable to score on the set piece, but Louisville was equally unable to clear the ball. Once the chaos died down slightly, Momo Nakao sent a ball to the top right of the goal to give Memphis a 2-1 lead in the 57th minute.

Not to be discouraged, Louisville reacted immediately. Forty seconds later, the Cards earned a corner, and 30 seconds after that, Karsyn Cherry brought Whitsett's points lead down to one with her third goal of the season. Addie Chester provided the assist and the Cards had brought it back to a 2-2 draw with just over a half hour to play. With the new rules surrounding draws implemented this season, it will be interesting to watch how teams approach the position that Louisville found themselves in: tied in the second half against a ranked team. It wasn't quite late enough to park the bus, but this is a team (although with a different roster) that we've seen put nine players in the defensive third to start a game. 

After all that, though, Louisville didn't have to do much deciding on how they wanted to play as the clock wound down. Instead, the Cards brought on fresh legs to start the 62nd minute and let them go to work. Two minutes later, one of those substitutes earned a free kick, and Louisville took advantage of the offensive opportunity. Not letting the ball get out of their attacking end, Anouk Denton found herself with an opportunity and hammered home the Cards' third goal (her first) to give them the lead with 25 minutes remaining. 

Memphis didn't let the Cards go quietly. They earned a corner kick two minutes after the goal and another six minutes later. A Louisville foul in the 79th prompted more subs to bring the game home and Emersen Jennings' return to the pitch wasn't looked at very kindly by the referee. I'm unsure what she did or said, but Jennings snagged herself a yellow card just 16 seconds after coming back into the game. Given the surrounding events that all have the same timestamp, it could be inferred that she had thoughts about either the foul committed by Memphis or the offsides call on the ensuing free kick. Either way, not the way you want someone to come on with ten minutes left in a tight game. Memphis's next best chance came in the 83rd minute when they earned a corner kick and 20 seconds later drew a foul from Ravin Alexander. Louisville was able to escape without giving up a shot, and the last shot of the game would go to the Cards. Addie Chester put a shot toward goal to ice the game in the 88th but the attempt was blocked. Louisville got a corner out of it but couldn't produce another shot. 

Memphis had one last dying breath, and it's among one of the scariest you can face, especially with no stoppage time and a hard draw rule. The Tigers earned a corner kick with 15 seconds remaining in the match: just enough time to sprint to the corner, get everyone (including your keeper) up to box and send one last hope in. The Cards prevented the shot and time ran out. Louisville wins 3-2.

I'm impressed with the way Louisville played last night, at least on paper. I wasn't able to keep up with this one and was disappointed there was no way to watch. Once I checked statbroadcast with five minutes left and saw the score I figured I shouldn't start watching at that point for fear of jinxing it. No harm, no foul, though as the Cards escaped. Despite being unranked and considered the underdog in the match, Louisville largely dominated. Possession stats aren't available, but Louisville finished with 11 shots to Memphis's five. The Tigers were more efficient, putting four on goal compared to just seven four Louisville, but Louisville put two of their four second half shots in the back of the net, which I'll take over shot-on-goal percentage. Memphis also earned one more corner, but they were largely unable to do anything with their set pieces. Both teams committed eight fouls and Louisville was called for one additional offsides offense.

Louisville will now turn their attention to James Madison for what will be just the second home game of the season for the Dukes. JMU opened the year with a draw at home against VCU before hitting the road to take wins over Morehead State, Charlotte, and La Salle. Their most recent game came on the road last night against Virginia while Memphis and Louisville occupied their home field. The Dukes played tough, holding the Cavaliers scoreless in the first half, but a penalty to open the second broke the seal and the fifth-ranked Hoos went on to win 2-0. JMU finished with no shots or corners on the night, and the penalty came on one of just two fouls they committed. Virginia, on the other hand, teed off on Alexandra Blom to the tune of 22 shots, but they were able to put just seven of them on target. Blom finished with five saves and two goals given up, with one of those being the penalty. Louisville will have some work to do to get past her Sunday. The match gets started at 1PM and will be available on ESPN+.

Volleyball and Field Hockey Back in Action

I'll have plenty to talk about Saturday when the results are in tomorrow, but let's take a quick look at the Friday matchups for the other two fall sports in play. 

Field hockey will get it started with a 2:30PM match against Penn. The Cards have played the Quakers just once and own the only victory. The game was played last season in Princeton and Louisville took a 3-1 win. Penn will be a tough matchup with another year to gel, as they return their top four scorers and all four of their all-conference players from last season. There's not a ton to know about the team other than that, though, as today's game is their season opener. They'll take on the 9th ranked Cards and then get the 2nd ranked Tar Heels, who are hosting this weekend, on Sunday. Yikes. Louisville will take on Princeton Sunday just ahead of that start. Because these games are hosted by UNC, both today's match and the match on Sunday will be available on ACCNX.

Volleyball looks to avoid an upset when they bring in the Toreros of San Diego (not the Aztecs of San Diego State). USD opened their season in College Station with a stunning 3-2 win over the sixth-ranked Pitt Panthers. They went on to sweep Texas A&M and Hawai'i to finish their 3-0 weekend. Their road won't get easier just yet, as they take on #3 Louisville and #8 Ohio State. Louisville is also undefeated, going 3-0 in their first weekend and making it four straight sweeps with a midweek victory over WKU. The Cards will have home court advantage, but that won't make the task of taking down #15 USD much easier. San Diego returns a 2021 All-Region player (Pacific South - boy, I wonder what other kind of teams are in that region) and they brought in a transfer setter and outside hitter. Grace Frohling, the All-Region awardee, finished the weekend with 35 kills and 9 blocks. Breana Edwards, the transfer on the other side, finished with 36 kills and 7 blocks. The Cards and Toreros get things started on ACCNX at 7PM.

Until next time (tomorrow), Go Cards!

Case

Denton to Compete for England -- NCAA Soccer Rule Changes -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Denton to Compete for England U19 Team

Louisville soccer defender Anouk Denton has been selected to play for the England U19 Team at the 2022 UEFA European Women's Under-19 Championship. The event will be hosted by the Czech Republic from June 27 to July 9.

"I'm really excited to represent my country at the EURO this year. This is our opportunity to show that we are the best team in Europe," said Denton. "I think the group of players that we have are world class and we definitely have the potential to win, so I can't wait to get to the Czech Republic and get going."

Denton was also selected to be on the England U17 Team in 2020 before it was cancelled due to COVID-19.

Her top highlight in her rookie campaign at Louisville came as a penalty kick game-winner against Syracuse on Sept. 23.

NCAA Soccer Rule Changes

Sticking with women's soccer for the moment, the NCAA announced some rule changes earlier in the week that will take effect this fall.

There will be no overtime during the regular season. If the two teams are tied following the full 90 minutes then the match will result in a draw. Previously, teams would go into a pair of 10-minute sudden death overtime periods. The golden goal concept could end a match within seconds of overtime beginning if the ball bounced the right way. Teams would then finish in a draw if the score remained tied after overtime. With the rule change, you can expect shorter regular season matches as well as more ties.

The postseason overtime rules will now follow the professional layout. Gone are the days of golden goal. In postseason, if overtime is needed, then the two teams will go into a pair of 10-minute overtime periods. So, if a team scores multiple goals during the overtime period then all goals will count. If the teams remain tied following both overtime periods, penalty kicks will be the deciding factor.

There was also talk of revising the substitution rules, especially in the second half to prevent re-entry after exiting, but those discussions have temporarily been put on hold.

These rule changes will better reflect the FIFA rules when it comes to regulation and extra time as well as international events like the one Denton will be playing in this summer. Now, if only NCAA soccer would change their clock to count up to 90 minutes, following suit with all levels around the world...

Guess the Athlete

These continue to draw some interest and participation. Between graduation picture season and running into UofL student-athletes at various sporting events, we will do a twofer today.

Athlete #1

I had a blast working with this student-athlete for her graduation photos. Do you recognize her?

Here's some hints: She plays on a spring sports team. Her head coach is Scott Teeter. She wears #9.

Figure it out? The answer is Kristen Pezzullo on the Louisville lacrosse team. Despite graduating this spring, she will return to Louisville next year as she has a couple more years of eligibility remaining.

Athlete #2

I run into this student-athlete quite often at baseball games. Obviously she is not on the baseball team. Do you know who it is?

Hints: She went to high school here in Louisville. You can catch her in uniform in the fall. Jeff followed her and her team to Columbus for the Final Four last year, where she was the starting libero.

Figure it out? The answer is Elena Scott on the Louisville volleyball team. Scott still has three years of eligibility remaining for the Cards.

Happy Thursday and Go Cards!

Jared

Late Goal Lifts Cards -- FH & Vball Today -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 Happy Friday, everyone! I would say "Cards fans", but also have plenty of great folks who tune in here rooting for Kentucky, Clemson, Georgia Tech, and other schools, so I want to wish everyone a Happy Friday.

As always, it's a busy weekend ahead, giving us no shortage of events to cover here for you.

Late Goal Lifts Cards

Starting off, we visit a game that happened last night and came down to a last minute goal for the win. Anouk Denton's penalty kick goal with 32 seconds remaining lifted Louisville Women's Soccer over Syracuse 2-1 at SU Soccer Stadium.

Case and Paul helped me with plenty of in-game updates as a photo gig and family dinner at the Melting Pot kept me occupied. That's a heck of a restaurant and always a top choice for me for special occasions. I hear Paul may be taking the Cardinal Couple Crew out there for dinner one night. We may end up scrubbing dishes in the back by the end of the night though.

Denton, who scored her first career goal, was chosen to take the one-on-one standoff. A penalty kick, which is typically a guessing game for the goalkeeper, often falls in favor of the player taking the shot and last night was no different. With the freshman staring down the goal, Denton went to the top right corner of the box with the Syracuse keeper leaping in the opposite direction. The goal was set up by an aggressive attack by fellow freshman Julia Simon, who was able to draw a foul within the box.

Prior to that, Louisville held a 1-0 halftime lead. Delaney Snyder received a pass near the top of the box from Simon, Snyder took it to her right and used a little bit of some nifty footwork to gain enough separation to turn and take a shot from the right side at the 13' minute mark.

It took some time for the Orange to find an answer. At the 68' minute mark, Meghan Root capitalized on a fast break to chip in a shot over a charging Gabby Kouzelos. Kouzelos would end the night with five saves for an .875 save percentage.

This was the third straight match that came down to a last second goal over overtime appearance for the Cards. It's safe to say the 'Cardiac Cards' continue to live up to their name.

Louisville returns home to host #1 Florida State at 1:00 p.m., Sunday. Admission is free during the regular season at Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium.

Field Hockey and Volleyball Today

#4 Field Hockey hits the road for a pair of ranked opponent road matches. The first of those is tonight at 6:00 p.m., against #17 Duke.

Duke is riding last year's struggles as they enter the game 3-4 overall and 0-1 in conference play. Granted, the losses have come to ranked opponents in Maryland, Northwestern, Rutgers, and Wake Forest (wow, the Big Ten hasn't been nice to Duke), but many of the losses have been blowouts.

Most recently, Duke took down James Madison 3-1. Duke has scored eight goals in seven outings while giving up 15 goals on the year.

Current head coach Pam Bustin corralled Louisville Field Hockey from 1998-2010.

Louisville will then travel to #19 Ohio State on Monday for a rare Monday match. This will be the fifth straight ranked opponent and we will break that one down as the time comes closer.

Volleyball Hosts the Hurricanes

There's a hurricane coming to town tonight. Hopefully it'll be more of a tropical storm as #5 Louisville Volleyball hosts Miami (Fla). Miami is off to a hot 9-1 start to the year with the lone loss coming in five sets to UCF.

Despite six of their matches coming from opponents in Florida, the Hurricanes have yet to face the other big two in FSU and Florida. They lined up a weaker non-conference schedule to help offset matches against Louisville, Pitt, FSU, Georgia Tech, and Notre Dame in conference play. That slate of games can quickly ruin any team's season.

Louisville and Miami have played 13 times with the Cards holding a 10-3 advantage. Louisville took a 3-1 win back in April as part of the combined 2020-2021 COVID-19 season.

Then, on Sunday, Florida State comes to L&N Federal Credit Union Arena. The Seminoles are in the receiving votes category and boast a 7-2 record following an upset victory over in-state rival Florida. This game is set for 1:00 p.m., and Jeff will give you the rundown of this one Sunday morning.

Apparently, it's Florida State hate week as Louisville Football visits Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Y'all pray for me as being engaged to an FSU grad will be less than pleasant this weekend.

Oh yeah, we have some unofficial events on campus this weekend too. Lacrosse has a handful of fall scrimmages starting early Saturday morning. Alumnae Weekend will welcome Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Youngstown State to the Louisville Lacrosse Stadium.

Swimming and Diving will occupy Ralph Wright Natatorium today for their annual Red and Black Intersquad Scrimmage today beginning at 3:00 p.m. This is to help get their feet wet (literally and figuratively) before their first official meet next Friday.

We will try to bring you as much in person coverage for as many of these events as we can. Unlike, in the realm of Harry Potter, we can't be in multiple places like Hermione Granger, so having in person coverage at everything isn't always possible and we do try to prioritize in-season sports first.

Happy Friday and Go Cards!
Jared