Louisville Women's Basketball -- Triumph in Tampa...WBB beats Bulls 66-52. MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

HINES-ALLEN'S 27 LEADS CARDS TO WIN

Louisville women's basketball got 27 points and 12 rebounds out of junior forward Myisha Hines-Allen and the Cards never trailed in an excellent performance in the Sun Dome Sunday...beating the USF Bulls 66-52. 

The Cards never trailed in the contest and led by as many as 19 in picking up their 18th win of the season. #9 Louisville had one of their better defensive performances of the year in holding the #23 Bulls to just 38.5% shooting and leading scorer Kitija Laska to just five points...nearly 15 below her average.

Louisville started the contest fast...jumping to a 7-0 lead in the first ninety seconds. The Bulls withstood the opening salvo, though, and climbed back to within two at 9-7 with six minutes left in the opening period. A Hines-Allen jumper made it 13-9 with 3:10 to play and Asia Durr scored a putback at the buzzer to move the scoreboard to 17-13 UofL. Hines-Allen had six points in the ten minutes, Louisville had a commanding 13-4 rebounding edge but Briahanna Jackson had picked up two early fouls and the Cards were being a bit sloppy in their possessions with five unforced turnovers. 

Hines-Allen went on a 6-0 run to start the second session...scoring inside with 7:30 until to put Louisville up 25-13. A Durr triple had the Cards prevailing 28-16 but Cortnee Walton picked up her third foul at the 4:42 mark. Scores by Mariya Moore and Hines-Allen kept the Cards in control at 36-22 and Sam Fuehring muscled one in from the paint with 40 seconds until half giving UofL a 38-25 advantage after twenty minutes. 

The Cards were shooting a deadly 55% from the floor, Hines-Allen was 7 for 10 from the hardwood for 14 points and USF was an uncharacteristic 1-5 from the charity stripe. 

Hines-Allen keyed a 6-0 start in the third quarter with two buckets but BJ gathered her third foul with 7:11 left. Walton would pick up her fourth foul 90 seconds later...but the Cards held their largest lead of the contest at 44-25 before USF went on a 7-0 run to get within 12. It was time for Hines-Allen to go back to work and two straight scores from her put her at 21 points and two Ciera Johnson free throws had UofL sitting pretty at 50-35. BJ would get her first points of the game with a minute left in the third and Hines-Allen's conversion in the paint with 31 ticks left on the clock gave Louisville a 54-37 edge after 30 minutes of action. 

The final frame started rather slow for both squads. USF drew first blood at the 7:19 mark. It started to a 6-0 run for Jose Fernandez's Bulls and suddenly it was 54-43 with 6:16 remaining. The 2500 in attendance...about 100 Louisville fans...came alive and Louisville needed an answer. 

It came from Myisha with a smooth jumper. USF would get within ten a minute later but a Durr jumper and Hines-Allen putback of a missed Walton shot gave the Cards a 60-47 edge with 3:19 remaining. Durr and BJ would add threes in the final two minutes...BJ's coming as the shot clock was expiring and 18 seconds remaining and the Cards had met the test and emerged triumphant with a 66-52 win. 

Louisville snapped USF's 14-game win streak at home with the victory and had dominated the boards against a strong rebounding Bulls squad 44-23. 


HOW DID FRED DO? 

Activist Fredrick Douglass

FREE THROWS -- The Cards went to the line only six times in the 40 minutes...a rarity in a Joe Vaszily refereed contest...(USF had 16 free throw attempts) but made the most of their trips...hitting 5 of 6. It was the Ciera Johnson show from the charity stripe...a 4 for 4 performance. Hines-Allen took the other two for UofL. 83.3% scores a capital "F" in the category...the foul differential was a bit disturbing, but USF, normally  a very good free-throw shooting squad was just 9 of 16 for a lackluster 53%. 

REBOUNDS -- Thumbs up for the Cards on the grabs. MHA's 12 led all performers. Walton took six, Moore five, Shook and CJ had four each. A 44-23 advantage says capital "R" to us. 

EFFORT/EXECUTION -- Hines-Allen was All-ACC Sunday and Moore, despite gathering only five points, had a game-high 11 assists. Every time USF seemed to catch fire, someone for Louisville was there to douse the flames. The first quarter turnovers and three starters with four fouls each was a bit trifling...but overall, a 14-point win on the road against a top 25 team will justify a capital "E" in this area. 

DEFENSE -- Another strong effort from Louisville tonight. Shutting down Laska and limiting the Bulls front line starters to just 22 points was the key to victory and the Cards held USF to just 3-14 from the deep (23%) All that makes it an easy choice for a capital "D" on the defensive effort. 

FINAL FRED COUNT:  F-R-E-D   


THINGS WE LIKED

The Return of Myzilla...Call her Myisha Hines-"All The Time" in this one. The reigning ACC POY gave notice that she's still alive and well and has scored double digits in seven of her last eight games. Even her defense was passable Sunday. Hines-Allen on the court = Cardinal "W". 

More from Moore...Yes, the California junior can do more than just bomb threes. Her 11 assists were impressive, she fought well on the boards and led the Cards with 37 minutes. The shot was a bit off Sunday...but the knockdown three to start the second half was a momentum-starter for the Cards. 

Seeing Ciera...A solid nine minutes in relief for the 6'5" freshman...the four free throws an unexpected pleasure...but she also grabbed four rebounds and scored a basket. On a night where Cortnee played only 16 minutes...Johnson, Shook and Fuehring maintained the post presence very acceptably. 


THINGS TO WORK ON 

Jose points out the turnover he wants. 

Close the Bakery on Sunday.  The Cards had 14 turnovers...that's a few more than we (and Coach Walz) would like to see. Especially in the first ten minutes...when the Cards looked pretty inept. 

Slamming the door. Louisville had a 19 point lead and possession in the third and it would have been a great chance to build on it. Instead, the Bulls run off seven straight points. The lack of productivity to start the fourth (going over four minutes before scoring) won't fly against the Notre Dame's and NC State's ahead. 


SO...

Myzilla confronts a defenseless, falling-back Mariya
 while Paulie looks on
curiously...

Overall, a very good win for Louisville in several aspects. It was the Cards first road win against a top 25 opponent. The bench came in and gave Louisville a lift and that's important, especially on the road, showing opponents that just because starters are sitting...the attack and effort hasn't taken a seat. 

Hines-Allen came through on an afternoon where the Cards weren't getting the kind of outside productivity they usually can depend on. 13 for 17 from the floor is a number she and Walz would take each game....and only two fouls in 35 minutes a stat we'd like to see repeat itself over and over the remainder of the season. 

Briahanna Jackson's homecoming to Tampa was a win...even if her night wasn't the most productive in the history of her career. The three at the end of the game a "feel-good" moment for her and her fan-base in attendance. 

Former UofL head football coach Charlie Strong was in attendance and spoke with Walz before the contest. We're not sure if Strong...now USF head football coach...planted a bug in Walz's ear about going to Jurich and asking for a football series or maybe a chance to have Paulie come down and set him up on some media questions. 

We'll see if Joe Hill chimes in later in the comments section. He was purported to be at the contest with his bride. 



THEY SAID IT:  

Head coach Jose Fernandez on the difference in rebounds:

“This week, we talked a lot about rebounding with our kids.  That is the one thing we have been stressing. How the game ended, is how the entire game went. They beat us to the glass. Here is the thing, we were at home; that shouldn’t happen at home, or anywhere. When a shot goes up, you have got to be individually accountable and we weren’t.”

Head Coach Jeff Walz on the Cardinals bench. 

"I thought our bench really came in and gave us a lift," Louisville coach Jeff Walz said. "And we're really going to need them as we continue on throughout the season because they just bring a different dimension to us. That's one thing I like about my ball club is, that we've got a lot of different parts that we can throw out there depending on how we're being guarded. 

😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁

Paulie picks

I went 7 for 8 yesterday in Paulie Picks. Syracuse dealing me my only loss in a surprising, huge win over Miami. Sykes with 29 for FSU. 

-- Notre Dame handled UNC without much trouble  in a 77-55 win at Chapel Hill.
Brianna Turner with 24 for the Irish. 

-- Florida State handed Virginia Tech their third conference loss with a 82-55 shellacking of the Gobblers in Blacksburg. 

-- Pitt held the upper hand over visiting Virginia...getting a 62-54 win and improving their conference mark to 3-3.

-- Louisville taking a road victory 66-52 over USF. Myisha Hines-Allen pouring in 27 for the 18-4 Cards. 

-- Duke prevailing with a 67-44 win at Boston College. They remain tied with the Cards and NC State at 5-2 in conference. 

-- NC State holding strong at home with their 65-53 win over ACC-winless Clemson. 

-- Wake Forest getting an ACC road win at Georgia Tech 70-65. Wake at 3-3 in ACC play. 

Overall, I am 40-9 (81.6%). A sparking 13-1 for Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday! 

Paulie
xxxxx 

MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- Louisville women's swim team downs Ga Tech.

- Charlie Strong? Long(horn) gone

An impressive outing for Arthur Albiero's women...winning 202-60 in the first meet of the new year

Here is a race by race recap:

The women started the meet out on the right foot with a win in the 400-medley relay. Krissie Brandenburg led off with a 56.53 split, Andrea Cottrell boarded a 1:03.71, Kelsi Worrell’s leg was 53.48 and Breann McDowell anchored with a 51.30 for a 3:45.02.

 

 In the grueling 1000 free, Abigail Chin touched first with a time of 10:14.45.

Breann McDowell won the 200 free with a time of 1:51.51, with Abigail Houck touching third in 1:53.07.

 

 Louisville took the top two spots in the 100-back led by Mackenzie Buss’ win in 57.54. Mary Mittel surged to second with a 58.34.  

In the 100-breast, U of L swept three of the top four spots, led by 

Andrea Cottrell’s 1:04.16. Lucy Kramer was second in 1:06.29 and Giselle Kohoyda was fourth in 1:07.56.

Tanja Kyllianen left the field in her wake with a 2:01.54 win in the 200-fly. 

Teammate Devon Bibault was second in 2:05.83.

In the 50-free, Kelsi Worrell posted her first individual win in 23.15 with

Krissie Brandenburg finished in hot pursuit, touching in 23.75.

Caryle Blondell hit third with a 20.91 and Pedro Coutinho was fourth in 21.35.

In the 100-free, Krissie Brandenburg powered to a win in 51.26, out-touching 

teammate Breann McDowell’s 51.88.

In the women’s 200-back, Cardinal Mackenzie Buss was into the wall first 

with a time  of 2:05.65. Kristin Steins was second in 2:05.90.

Andrea Cottrell won the 200-breast, going 2:20.10 with teammate Gisselle Kohoyda

taking second in 2:21.74. Lucy Kramer was third in 2:24.08.

In the 500-free, Tanja Kylliainen picked up her second individual win with

a 4:55.52. Abigail Chin was second in 5:01.18.

Kelsi Worrell put up an NCAA B-cut time of 54.43 to win the 100-fly.

Brittany Robinson was second in 56.71 and Mary Mittel was third in 57.39.

In the 200-IM, Tanja Kylliainen picked up her third individual win with a

2:02.85, five seconds ahead of the field. Erica Belcher was second in 2:07.56.

The Cardinal women won the final event with a 1:37.21 in the 200-free relay. 

Alexandra Sellers (24.90), Mackenzie Buss (24.10), Hanna Cowley (24.24) and Rachael Lewis (23.97) took the win.

(Thanks to UofL SID Nancy Worley for the results.)

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Like we mention here a CARDINAL COUPLE occasionally, we usually don't cover men's sports at UofL. There are plenty of capable and knowledgeable journalist out there who do that quite nicely. We do realize, however...that some of our readers do follow the pursuit of Pitino's, McDonnell's and Lolla guys. And the football team. I'm one of them.

So, Charlie Strong accepted the challenge of coaching the Texas Longhorns football team. It is a blow...check that...a punch in the gut to fans that are tired of Louisville Football being a destination stop in college football head coaches dossier. Just as Corso, Gibson, Schnellenberger, Smith and Petrino before him...CCS (Coach Charlie Strong) has reached for and grabbed the golden ring.

The difference is...with Charlie...the program here is now considered by more than just a few as a final stop on the coaching carousel. The Cards have won the Orange, Sugar, Liberty and Beef O Brady Bowls over the last several years. They were a force in the BIG EAST, came in second in The American and defeated one of the prime members of the ACC (Miami) in the Russell Athletic Bowl a few days ago.

Strong had a future, a following and backing here at Louisville. It wasn't enough. He told Tom Jurich it wasn't about the money. Texas football is a religion. Charlie is the new messiah of Austin. WE wish him well...but will point out that all of the previous coaches we mentioned above never met the measure of success after leaving Louisville that they acheived while at Louisville.

Tom Jurich will respond in typical brilliant fashion. Tom, like Santa, has a list and has been checking it twice. He will bring to the stunned football players and fans a winner. It's what he does. Trust in Tom.

Could it be a former coach that prowled these sidelines several years ago? A rising star in the coaching ranks? An established, successful veteran coach? In Tom's eyes...it's all about the fit. He wants a guy who fits the program, the community, the expectations. He had one in Charlie. He'll find another.

Trust in Tom.

As for Charlie? History shows again and again that coaches who leave Louisville eventually are doomed.

Schnellenberger..."retired" from a laughable FAU program after failing at Oklahoma. Gibson...a failure in the BIG 12. Smith...ran out of Michigan State and canned after one year at Arkansas. Petrino...scandal ridded and forced out at Arkansas. Corso....a bottom feeder at IU before becoming the clown prince of ESPN Football commentary guys. The curse of leaving the Cardinals is strong. Don't say you weren't warned, CCS.

And welcome to the white, hot spotlight of Longhorn media.

Hook 'em 'horns? NOT...Good luck, Chuck. Thanks for the memories.
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Sunday Cardinal Couple - 2 losses and a win

SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Field Hockey falls 1-0 to Michigan

-Volleyball goes down in 4 sets to Pepperdine

-Football handles Cats 27-13

-Soccer today at Cardinal Park


Louisville Field Hockey lost a close battle with the Michigan Wolverines Saturday 1-0 in Ann Arbor, MI. The Big 10 school got the only goal of the game 14:56 in...scoring on a penalty corner.

Justine Sowry comments:

"It was an OK game. In the first half, Michigan really had more possessions than us. We were chasing them around a lot. What we talked about at halftime was our defensive structure...the second half we made some adjustments defensively and we started to compete a little and made a game out of it. We had some opportunities.

Each team had nine shots in the contest, Louisville outshooting the Wolverines 7-4 in the second half.

The flock returns home for their BIG EAST (yes, Field Hockey IS still in the BIG EAST) opener against Old Dominion Friday...a 6:30 contest start.

**************************************************************************

Louisville Volleyball fell to Pepperdine in four sets Saturday
 in Lexington 22-25, 25-19, 25-22, 26-24. Janelle Jenkins led the way for the Cards with 11 kills and Maya McClendon added 10.


I guess it is officially a rebuilding year for Anne Kordes' team now. At 2-6...it's evident how much they miss the foursome of Lola, Gwen, Kaitlynn and Tanya.

At least these losses looked a little closer than the Friday failure against Minnesota.

The VolleyCards probably are glad to be leaving Lexington and returning to the friendly confines of Cardinal Arena...where they'll face Rice Saturday at noon and Virginia Tech at 7:30 in the Active Ankle Challenge Presented by Marriott Downtown.

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A workmanlike win for Louisville Football in Lexington Saturday in Commonwealth Stadium. 27-13 was a lot lower score than most predicted for this one...but I actually figured 33 total points. My prediction was good enough to win the total points jackpot at the 80 Under 80.

Strange to see empty seats in Commonwealth for this one. Ever since I can remember, it's been a sell out every two years up there.

A nervous first half...the Cats containing the Cards offensively and wreaking havoc on the offensive line and running game.

I wouldn't have wanted to be in Charlie Strong's locker room at halftime. I doubt he was handing out cupcakes and kool aid.

The Cards needed to get Teddy Bridgewater "in the zone" and although the defense held UK to just three points...containing UK's scrambling QB looked to be a chore.

Teddy rose to the occasion in the second half. The running game started to work. Senorise Perry had a thrilling jaunt to the end zone. The "D" had their best outing of the young season.

Looks like a very long season for UK Football fans. All 12 of them. The Cats went 0 for 13 on third down. That isn't gonna get you to any bowl games. Coach Stoops has his work cut out for him. Florida is next.

I do have to comment on the choice of the TV crew for this one. Beth Mowins would be best served sticking with women's college basketball (she does that very well) and Joey Galloway (from THE Ohio State University) who served as color commentator may have played wide receiver for the Buckeyes...but seems to know nothing about the game of football. Nice suit, though...JG.

Someday, technology will be able to sync up radio and television feeds. Paul Rogers knew we scored seven seconds before the TV guys. He must have ESP (or ESPN).

***************************************************************************

Karen Ferguson Dayes' Soccer squad looks to pick up their fourth win of the season in Cardinal Park today when they kick against UTSA at 1 p.m.

The Roadrunners are 1-6 and recently lost to UK 1-0 in Lexington.

Louisville (3-2-1) is led by "Company C" (Charlyn Corral, Christine Exeter and Casey Whitfield)...who have 13 of the Cards 17 scores this season.



-Paulie

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"Floored" ida. Cards upset #3 Gators in Sugar Bowl 33-23

THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- Louisville's fast start leaves Gators toothless

It is the biggest victory in Louisville football history.



The champ.

Just as Muhammad Ali shocked the world with a knockout over Sonny Liston in 1965 to claim the heavyweight boxing title, another Louisville legend -- the Charlie Strong coached Louisville football team -- shocked the world (as least the college football world) with a 10-point win over #3 Florida in Wednesday night's Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

Make that Lou Orleans.

Ali was on hand to see the win. So was a 5 year old cancer patient from Louisville who wanted to see this game with only months possibly left in his young precious life. The champ is smiling. The young man has his belief renewed that miracles can happen.
 

Scoring on the first play from scrimmage in each half, the Cards dominated the air game behind the heroics of Teddy Bridgewater. The Cards shut down the Florida offense for the majority of the contest and pulls off the biggest BCS bowl upset quite possibly in history. They moved the unmovable object. They danced past the gator pit unscathed.  

A 14-point underdog, the #21 ranked Cards proved the Vegas odds-makers wrong...holding off a desperate Florida rally in the fourth quarter. Gator bait? Not tonight.

Sugar Bowl champs. Right here in Derby City.

Charlie wears a Sugar Bowl confetti wig.

A win that proves the ACC chose the right school. Another notch in the totem pole for the best college town in America. A righteous justification for the coach who had been a bridesmaid so very often in the quest for a head coaching job. A testimony that there is no better athletic director in college sports than Tom Jurich. 

Louisville Cardinals. L1C4. Big East 1 - SEC 0.

We'll return to our usual coverage of UofL women's sports Friday. Today's column is for Teddy Bridgewater and his mom, a breast cancer survivor. For Eli Rogers and his mom, an 11-year AIDS survivor. For the 20,000 fans who made the trek to New Orleans and for those who watched on TV or listened on radio. For an athletic director who gave a man a chance. For a coach who urged fans to "get on the train." A coach who believes that when you give your word, you keep it. A guy who turned down the money and the SEC. A guy who kept pointing to the Louisville fan section and telling the world that "this one is for those people up there" -- dressed in red and black.

Strong? Yeah, you betcha.

Arlo Guthrie wrote a song years ago about a train that rode the rails to New Orleans. "Riding on the City of New Orleans" came true tonight. And, to paraphrase Aerosmith...the train kept a rollin' all night long. Ozzy Osbourne sang about riding on the rails of a crazy train. The Cards have done all that and more with this win. The Cardinal Cannonball.

Down goes Frazier? How about down goes Florida? Gators, you just been "Carded"?

Teddy hits the deck on first UofL offensive play
but Florida ends up on mat in the end.

A win that few...except Cardinal fans...expected. A win that had ESPN announcers stunned, stammering and shuffling for material. A win for a young team that the pundits claimed achieved false success against a weak schedule. A team that would not be able to withstand Florida's vaunted defensive pressure according to the experts. Big East beating the SEC? Impossible...

How does 33 points taste, Florida?

Have some.

A win for the ages. And a victory for underdogs everywhere. A Sugar Bowl shocker.

The team will arrive at 3:30 today back at PJCS. IF you aren't working, go to greet them. A larger celebration is needed. Maybe over the weekend in the house where it started. The pizza oven.

Sugar?

How sweet it is.
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Volleyball wrap-up

THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

(CARDINAL COUPLE staff columnist Jeff McAdams takes us to the net with a UofL VolleyCards wrap-up and a preview of ACC volleyball.) 

 

Volleyball finishes for the year

*** Three named to All NorthEast Region team***

*** ACC Volleyball***

*** Random Trivia***

Three named to All NorthEast Region team

Lola Arslanbekova, Gwen Rucker and Caitlin Welch have been named to the AVCA's All NorthEast Region team.  This great honor makes the three eligible for to be named All American's, which would be a tremendous honor, indeed.

Lola was selected for the All NorthEast Region team all 4 years of her play at UofL, while this is the second year for Gwen Rucker to be selected.  This is the first selection for Caitlin Welch.

ACC Volleyball

Sandy started us off with a look at ACC Softball yesterday, so let's take a look at the competition in the ACC for Volleyball.  Overall I believe its a step up from Big East volleyball, but it is not a powerhouse conference.  No teams from the ACC have made it to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA volleyball tournament, so let's consider the final standings.

At the top of the conference standings is Florida State (28-4, 18-2), Miami (FL) (25-6, 17-3), and North Carolina (26-6, 16-4).  The middle of the pack is NC State (22-10, 12-8), Clemson (21-10, 12-8), Georgia Tech (19-12, 10-10), and Virginia Tech (16-4, 9-11).  The remaining teams (excluding Maryland who's place we're taking) are Duke (15-7, 6-14), Wake Forest (11-21, 5-15), Boston College (10-22, 4-16) and lastly Virginia (9-22, 3-17).

All-time against the teams (in their ACC standings order), UofL's record is: Florida State 5-9, Miami (FL) 2-0, North Carolina 3-4, NC State 1-0, Clemson 2-0, Georgia Tech 2-1, Virginia Tech 16-2, Duke 2-3, Wake Forest 4-0, Boston College 0-0, and Virginia 3-0.

The ACC got 4 teams into the NCAA tournament.  Florida State was the 9 seed, just above us and lost a 5 set match to Purdue (We feel your pain, FSU fans).  North Carolina lost in a 5 set match to 15 seed Iowa State.  Miami (FL) lost - what I feel can only be considered an upset - in a 5 set match to College of Charleston.  And NC State lost 3-1 to Texas A&M.

So, when you consider that Volleyball is, like so many of the programs at UofL, a rapidly improving program, I rather like where we stack up against these teams.  Several of the teams are well regarded in Volleyball overall.

Random Trivia

If I can remember this right, I believe there are five schools that compete in Division 1 athletics that do not have the word "University" in their official school name.  Two of them are ACC schools, Georgia Tech (officially, "The Georgia Institute of Technology"), and Boston College.  The other three are the service academies, Army, Navy, and Air Force.

EDITORIAL COMMENTARY:

We take a brief step away from Louisville women's sports here to weigh in on a matter that has many Louisville fans talking:

Charlie Strong.

And, there is absolutely no truth to the rumor that Tom Jurich has offered to change UofL's name to Charlie's College in order to entice the current UofL football head coach Charlie Strong into staying. The Louisville athletic program is getting more attention these days than Barack Obama would if he dressed in a nightgown and sang showtunes to Mitt Romney. Big East to ACC, Bowl bid to New Orleans and the Allstate Sugar Bowl, coaching rumors and drama.

What is important to remember here is that Louisville has many good and successful men and women's athletic programs on campus. Football may be an economic engine, but UofL was a powerhouse in basketball way before football caught fire. WE like the fact that Tom Jurich has already let the coaches know he wants plans and strategy ideas on how Louisville sports team can duplicate the success they've had in the BIG EAST in the ACC. That's forward thinking and we love it.  Louisville has the best athletic director in the nation and he proves it day after day.

As far as the continuing soap opera surrounding Charlie and job opportunities go, to us it's very simple. IF he wants to be here and be a part of it...stay. If not, he certainly wouldn't be the first high profile coach to leave. The program will survive. We remember when Tom Collen left the WBB program to go to Arkansas. We were shocked and surprised. Then, a young assistant at Maryland named Jeff Walz took the job. Turned out pretty well, don't you think?

The Louisville football program has a saying that has grown popular amongst the fans. "Get On The Train". It's time for Charlie to do that. Whether it's a local train or outbound...the speculation and drama concerning this football team, the athletic program...at a time when Cardinal fans should be rejoicing the entry into the ACC and a major BCS bowl game...is ridiculous.

Que sera, sera.

 

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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!

v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v6v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^

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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Sunday Cardinal Couple -- Sunday with Sonja

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SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


- Heyman, Collins tie the knot.


- What'll ya have, Charlie? 


-What I said wasn't what I wanted you to read.


-We're thinking again (you've been warned).


Another Cardinal couple on the block...with UofL softball pitcher Tori Collins marrying UofL football linebacker Dexter Heyman. Heyman has been signed to a free agency contract by the Kansas City Chiefs while Collins finishes up her teaching degree. 

No truth to the rumor that Sandy Pearsall and Charlie Strong have already offered scholarships to the first two kids these two have. 


We'll remember the bone crunching hits that Dexter produced for a long time on the Papa John's Cardinal Stadium turf. Same for Collins domination in the pitching circle. 


Wonder what T.J got them for a wedding gift? Season tickets? 


(Deep in the secret laboratories beneath CARDINAL COUPLE Worldwide, Dr. Giggles laughs and pumps his fist. The first step in creating a super-skilled UofL breeding pool has been established. To the spectrometer, Co-Co!)  

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Makers Mark coming out with a Charlie Strong edition.

This one will be a collector's item...just don't set it too close to your John Calipari decanter.  


We said for years that the distiller made a fortune from UofL fans during the Kragthorpe and Cooper years from just sales of regular Makers' products to drown their sorrows. 

We're still waiting for Pitino to name a horse after the dynamic UofL football coach like he did with Angel, Gorgui and Peyton. We'd like Bill Samuels to create a CARDINAL COUPLE collectable bottle. 


(Yeah, like that's gonna happen.) 

Sales will probably go very quickly on this limited edition. We also expect they'll lag a bit in Lexington...


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"Who's throwing me the ball, coach?
Peyton or Edgar? "

Kudos to the C-J for revealing to us that Edgar Sosa is going to be a senior at UofL this fall. In a recent report about the Dominican Republic winning a qualifying Olympic basketball game, the Courier-Journal broke the news that the guard we all figured had graduated still has a year of playing time left. 


We just wonder who is going to break the news to Peyton Siva?


Misprint? We're not so sure. It could be ground-breaking investigatory journalism about Mr. Sosa and the Cards. Or the Courier-Journal can't tell the difference between Siva and Sosa. We've sent Timmy the Intern down to the Belknap Campus to see if Edgar has a room in Minardi Hall. He's also supposed to bring Chinese carryout back.  

Order for Cardinal Couple? 

We can relate. WE never could tell the difference between "Bullet" Justice and Gorgui...or Moo Goo Gai Pan and Cashew Chicken. 


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We're now over a month into our "writer's days" at Cardinal Couple and it's gone really well. Just about all the e-mails we've received have been positive and Jenny, Sandra, David and Mark have come up with very creative and informative columns during their days at bat. We pleased with the results on the 'reader submitted articles' on Fridays also.


Admittedly, the summer months are a little slower for Cardinal womens' sports news...but we pleased to announce that our reader "views" and "hits" count are still growing here at Cardinal Couple. 


(Must be a boring summer for all of you).

The Cardinal Couple staff plays for the Heyman-Collins
wedding reception. 

Seriously, we are fortunate to have such great writers on board and thankful for the readership we have. If you have an idea for an article here at Cardinal Couple or just something you like we're doing

(or not doing)


...feel free to e-mail us or leave it in the comments section. 


We are tossing around some ideas for down the road. CARDINAL COUPLE polo shirts -- available for purchase at our cost, a monthly 'Friends of CARDINAL COUPLE' dinner and a few other activities in conjunction with another popular Louisville Sports  website. 

"Where's the Happy Family combo on this menu?" 

Thanks for checking us out and for all your ideas and comments. Eventually, we may just get the hang of this thing and produce a website worth reading...


Thanks for spending part of your day with us. Time to go turn Bill the Goat loose in Waterfront Park and gather up the staff chimps for their weekly spinning session.


Have a great Sunday and GO CARDS! 


--Sonja
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Saturday Cardinal Couple -- Football at 50

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SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Charlie Strong Women's Clinic review.


-Dream put out the Sparks


(We have a reader submitted article today from Sharon Meade. She and her niece recently took part in Coach Strong's camp and she shares her observations with us today. We've known Sharon for over twenty years and she was an integral part of one of the all-time best co-ed softball teams to ever grace the field at St. Martha. She is married to Mike Meade and they have one son, Charlie. They did not name him after the current UofL football coach. Here's her report...)

The 3rd annual Charlie Strong Women's Clinic on June 2nd was a real treat for female Cardinal fans. As a 50 year-old who was once athletic but doesn't work out regularly now, I have to admit I was a little nervous about the "drills". My 20 year-old niece was there with me to participate and for support. 

We quickly got caught up in the energy and enthusiasm of the participants, the presenters, coaches and staff. Stepping onto the football field was an awesome feeling -- one that helped me get through the running, passing, sit-ups and other drills. 

Samantha and Teddy Bridgewater. Sorry, but the chimps
can't figure out how to rotate the photos Sharon sent us.
We recommend you lay on your side while looking at today's
CARDINAL COUPLE pictures. 

During the clinic, I learned about football and the dedication and hard work that the players, coaches and staff put forth. Also, about the feeling of a "football family" that comes through. I think I learned enough to not have to ask my husband so many questions during the games. 

After the adrenaline wore off, I was tired and sore...but it was worth it. After a couple of days, I could actually cross my legs again without wincing in pain.

Sharon and Louie the Cardinal Bird. 

It was an awesome event and I'll be back for it again next year. 


( Great recap, Sharon! If coach Strong needs a emergency player, make sure he knows what section you're sitting in...)


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How about that Angel McCoughtry? Atlanta Dream head coach Marynell Meadors was looking to shake  things up a bit, having seen her team lose three out of the last four. So, she brought Ms. McCoughtry off the bench last night instead of starting #35.


The result? 

Angel, the second-leading scorer in the WNBA this season, went for 31 and the Dream demolished the L.A. Sparks 92-59 in Atlanta...snapping a five-game L.A. win streak. 


Lindsey Harding added 18 for Atlanta and Sancho Lyttle contributed 13 in the 33-point win.


Looks like you might have stumbled on something successful, Marynell. 
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