Becca and Hannah embody what commitment is about -- Sunday Cardinal Couple

SENIORS HELPED FIELD HOCKEY WIN CARDINAL CUP AND SHAPE PROGRAM


Becca Maddock and Hannah Boyle aren't household names when it comes to UofL women's sports. They spent their four years at the University of Louisville helping Justine Sowry build a strong Field Hockey program and excelling at academic and community involvement. It is time their story be told.

Becca...who will be long remembered by field hockey fans for the go-ahead goal against #1 UNC this fall. That 3-2 win qualified as the Upset of the Year at the recent Louie Awards Monday evening at the Palace Theatre.


Hannah...part of the back line defenders that were a steel curtain against opponent's attempts to score. A young women who wanted to be a jockey when she was little. She's in the horse racing industry now as a supervisor of one of Churchill Downs' premier rooms. Still providing assistance and help.

Becca Maddock was the individual CardsCARE Award winner and the Field Hockey squad took the team award. Both are awarded annually for exemplifying a commitment to community service. The squad also won the Cardinal Cup. It signifies the winner of the annual competition among the UofL sports squads that encourages involvement in the Cards CARE program on many levels including life skills, community service, academics, career development and athletic achievement.

Coach Justine Sowry prepares her young stick swingers for life after graduation. Like so many of the UofL coaches, Sowry well knows that the building blocks and fundamentals of life her student-athletes pick up on the Belknap Campus will be the foundation for their life journey and careers. 

An Assumption girl who won a state title and a Rhode Island resident who actually has a dual citizenship in Ireland and the United States. Two girls who overcame sports injuries to be a major part of arguably the best Field Hockey team in the history of the sport at Louisville

Hannah and Becca.

To see them at Churchill Downs on opening night was a extreme treat. Becca remembered when I interviewed her after the UNC win. I remember her euphoric...almost giddy account of the win. I recalled the charging off the bench and the on-field celebration when Louisville Field Hockey defeated Duke and UNC. I told these two young women how exciting that was to see and how proud I was of them on those two days.  Their smiles were wider and brighter than the massive scoreboard out in the Churchill Downs infield.


Hannah and Becca.

Two members of an elite group that won four awards Monday night at the Louies. Part of a team that captured the hearts and admiration of a fan base that will forever be grateful. Two young ladies who have flown out of the Justine Sowry nest and will make an impact on and better all who happen to chance upon them. 

Cardinals.  

paulie

Women Soccer wins 1-0 @ Pitt...Field Hockey tonight! -- Friday Cardinal Couple

KB's first goal of the year gives UofL 1-0 win

Inger Katrine Bjerke picked a great time to score her first goal as a Louisville Cardinal. The freshman defender from Baerum, Norway was there to tap in a blocked attempt from fellow freshman Chatham DeProspo's shot on goal with 7:04 on the clock in overtime to give Louisville Women's Soccer a 1-0 win in Pittsburgh.

The Cards got the free kick opportunity when another freshman Isabella Habuda was fouled in the box in front of the Pitt goal just three minutes into the overtime period.

"KB" was also the subject of one of Paulie's infamous player

interviews several weeks ago. Her smile after last night's score was just as wide as it was during her chat with Cardinal Couple. We're guessing that game-winner was almost as fun as driving around the Belknap Campus in a van full of chimps and bananas...

Cardinal defense dominated in this one early and the majority of the second half featured numerous Louisville drives to the Pitt goal that seemed to just come up short or wide. Louisville took 17 shots in the game...nine on goal...while limiting the Panthers to six shots and just two on goal.

At 7-7-2, the Kickin' Cards stay on the road and head to Notre Dame for their next one. A Sunday 1 p.m. affair that will be on ESPN3. 

I wonder how you say GGGGOOOAAAALLLL !!!! in Norwegian?

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It's hard to believe that this is the final home game of the regular season today for Louisville Field Hockey. 

The seventh-ranked University of Louisville field hockey team will play host to UC Davis in its home finale on Friday at 6 p.m. UofL will also honor seniors Hannah Boyle, Becca Maddock, Mallory Mason, Rachel McCarthy, Paige Monsen and Alyssa Voelmle in their final regular season home game. Admission is free.

Following Friday’s match Louisville will hit the road to face No. 19 Indiana Sunday at 1 p.m.

SHOE DRIVE FRIDAY: As part of the campus wide sustainability week initiative, Student-Athletes Taking Action (SATA) will be hosting a WaterStep Shoe Drive collection at Friday’s Field Hockey game vs. UC Davis at 6 p.m. Bring in any new, used, or old shoes at the provided bins as part of athletics’ efforts to support the cause.  Donated shoes will support water projects in underdeveloped communities around the world, providing safe drinking water to someone that needs it. It is estimated that 3.4 million people die every year from waterborne illnesses and UofL is looking to collect 34,000 shoes by November 19.

Cardinal Quick Hits

• The Cardinals (12-4) have completed their inaugural ACC season with a 3-3 mark in league play which currently places them fourth in the standings.

• Louisville enters the weekend ranked No. 7 in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association poll released on Oct. 21. This marks the second straight week at No. 7 and the third week in the top 10 after reaching the highest ranking of the season at No. 5 on Oct. 7.

• Senior Alyssa Voelmle leads the team with 21 points and nine goals. Fellow senior Mallory Mason has 19 points with six goals and seven assists while junior Elisa Garcia also has 19 points (5G, 9A). Junior Sydney King carries a 1.40 goals-against average with four shutouts.

Cards against the field

UC Davis

Friday, Oct. 24, Louisville, Ky. – 6:00 p.m.

Series Record: Louisville leads 1-0

Last Meeting: Sept. 13, 2013- UofL won 5-0 in a neutral site matchup at Michigan.

Promotions: Senior Day. Koozies will be given to the first 100 fans and jumpies will be located adjacent to the stadium for children in attendance.

Scouting the Aggies: UC Davis comes into the weekend with a 4-10 overall record after a 3-2 overtime loss to Pacific last Saturday.  Sophomores Agustina Singh and Kayla Wigney each scored a goal in the loss.

• Offensively, the Aggies have a balanced attack as six players have scored at least three goals. Junior Stephie Sabraw leads the squad with five goals. Singh leads the team with 15 points while Wigney adds 14 points on the season.

(Thanks to Lori Korte - UofL Field Hockey SID for the feed.) 

Louisville Field Hockey upsets #1 North Carolina -- Sunday Cardinal Couple

SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- #14 Cards pull off upset over #1 UNC in Field Hockey

"Why not?" 

It's the final chant the Louisville Field Hockey team uses

when they break from a team huddle. When I predicted during a Wednesday interview with Coach Justine Sowry (available later today in the CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO archives) that the team would win 3-2 over UNC... it was her response.

Why not?

#14 Louisville downed #1 UNC 3-2 Saturday afternoon in front of over 600 screaming fans in Trager Stadium. Becca Maddock delivered the game-winning goal with five minutes left in the contest off a penalty corner assist from Alyssa Voelmle to break the tie. 

It was helter-skelter from that point on...UNC pulling their goalie to increase their offensive capabilities and try to tie the contest...but the Louisville defense held firm to preserve the win.

The biggest win in UofL Field Hockey history and in Justine Sowry's coaching career. The most noteworthy moment in 2014 UofL Fall Sports. 

Why not?

The teams engaged in a middle-of-the-field defensive struggle for the first half of the first half before the Cards drew a penalty corner and senior Mallory Mason...whose job it is to deliver the first inbounds shot on penalty corners...took a rebound off a missed Alyssa Voelmle shot and corralled the ball past UNC goalie Shannon Johnson for the first score of the game. 

Louisville's 1-0 lead would hold until the final ticks of the first half...another penalty corner attempt for the Cards and almost the same results....Mason scoring near the net...this time on a feed from Chili Garcia. 

2-0 Cards at the half. A huge upset in the making and a sense of guarded excitement from the UofL players and fans. UNC was simply too good to remain shut out and forward Charlotte Craddock scored two unassisted goals in the first two minutes of the final half to tie the game.

Nervous time? Yes, indeed...but the Cards regained their composure and tightened up on Craddock and the Tar Heels.

It looked like UNC had taken the lead with 17:35 remaining when Lauren Moyer slammed one home off a penalty corner attempt...but the goal was waved off since the ball has to leave the circle and come back in on a penalty corner. The ball never left the circle on this particular sequence so the score was disallowed and the Cards retained possession.

The defensive battle continued until Maddock's tie breaker...her fifth goal of the season. 

Statistic to know. The Cards received 5 penalty corners and scored on three of them. UNC received 4 and could not convert on any of them. 

Louisville (5-1) got a yeoman's effort from goalie Sydney King with two saves in the contest. The defense was spectacular in the fact that they allowed just four shots on goal by North Carolina...all in the final 35 minutes of play.

This is the first time that the Louisville Field Hockey program has defeated a #1 ranked opponent and the win also preserved the win streak at Trager...which is now 13 consecutive games. 

The win also shows the rest of the ACC Field Hockey conference and the nation that the Cards are a bonafide contender. The close loss to Virginia last week showed Louisville could compete in the strongest field hockey conference in collegiate athletics. Yesterday's win indicates the Cards just might have a chance in winning the ACC Conference.

Why not? 

paulie
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Field Hockey faces must win at Providence

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FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Post-season on the line at Providence for Field Hockey

-Football in a showdown with UC

The University of Louisville Field Hockey team travels to Providence, R.I. for a Saturday noon match that carries serious post-season consequences.

In short, if the Cards win, they're in the BIG EAST Tournament. A loss drops them into a three-way tie potentially with Rutgers and Villanova. The tie-breaker looks to be more complicated than figuring out ObamaCare or Mitt Romney's route to the ocean from Iran.

Louisville (11-7, 2-3) is on a three-game win streak, last defeating #22 Ohio State. They handled the Friars easily last year in Trager Stadium 6-0. The Cards lead the overall series 8-1.

Amber Thomas leads Louisville with nine goals this season and Becca Maddock follows closely with eight scores. Goalkeeper Erin Conrad allows a scant 1.85 goals per game.

Providence is 3-1 in their last four games and sports a record of 9-7 on the season...3-2 in the BIG EAST. They're automatically qualified for the BIG EAST Tournament as a third seed...but a loss to Louisville would drop them to the fourth seed.

Speaking of the BIG EAST Tournament, it will be held here in Louisville at Trager Stadium. Semifinal games are next Friday and the championship will be played Sunday. The other participants in the Big  East Tournament are top seeded UConn and Syracuse...who face off this weekend to determine who will win the regualr season title.

Good luck to Justine Sowry's flock as they fly north to cook the Friars!

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With no women's athletic events scheduled on campus today, we would draw your attention to a big football game being played at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. The undefeated Louisville Cardinals take on one-loss Cincinnati at 8 p.m. on ESPN.

A contest that has sold out the Pizza Oven. Five things we like about tonight's matchup...

1) UC's quarterback's name. "Munchie" Legaux. Munchie Let-go. Seriously? Got to be one of our favorite opponent names since the days of Baskerville Holmes and Ace Custis...
2) Evening football. Gives one a chance to get stuff done during the day and still get out and tailgate a few hours. Friday is even better, we can now go watch the men's bb scrimmage tomorrow.
3) They play for "The Keg of Nails". That's just a tough-sounding award. Makes me want to grab a ladder and a hammer or something. Ooh-rah!
4) The payback factor. UC beat Louisville last year in Paul Brown Stadium and "Munchie" says he's a better QB than Louisville's Teddy Bridgewater. Harumph!
5) A chance for "two". Louisville Volleyball goes to UC for a Monday match. Chance to beat the Bearcats twice in several days appeals to us! Goooo CARDS!
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