NINE SCORERS IN 15-6 LAX WIN OVER DUKES
Duquesne sent their duchess contingent to Louisville Tuesday and they got "duked" by the Louisville Lacrosse team 15-6 yesterday. A win that looks great on paper but wasn't that phenomenal...according to coach Kellie Young:
"We could have won this game 8-2 and I would have been very happy if we had followed our game plan. We kind of get distressed, get frustrated and then get emotional and make bad decisions. We have to stay invested in the game for 60 minutes at a time. We have to understand the scout, play the scout and stay within the system. I know it's crazy to be frustrated...but we are trying to hold our team to a higher standard and we're trying to do great things this season."
One thing that was pretty awesome, if not downright great, was the multiplicity of scorers yesterday for the Lax gals. Jillian Balog got the first net-finder, Meghan Siverson and McKayla Conti received feeds from Madison Hoover and it was 3-0 Cards early. Taylor Webster dove into the scoring pool next and this one looked like it might be a runaway blowout early. The Dukes, though...with no assist from Roscoe P. Coltraine or Daisy Mae...struck back with two consecutive scores and it was a 4-2 contest with six minutes until the half. Elise Koehl acheived net success, Conti poured in another and Balog blogged about her second score to close the half.
It was 7-2 Louisville at the break and Hannah Koloski hadn't scored yet. What separate reality and far-away universe had I been transported to?
Hannah opened the second half with a tally, alleviating my fears that I wasn't at the "Ellis"...it was the first of five straight for the Birds...Ashley Lynch, Allison Ferrara, Koehl again, and Siverson's second score set the margin at 12-2.
The Dukes fired up the General Lee one more time and ran off three straight scores from Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley and JoAnne P. McCallie to make it 12-5. I missed most of those...engaged in a conversation with WDRB reporter Stephan Johnson about the tragic shooting at the Tim Faulkner Gallery over the weekend and the connection to the Louisville lacrosse program. Savannah Walker, who was a Louisville student and played club ball for the Louisville Club Team program died in the incident. Yellow ribbons were distributed at the game and a moment of silence took place before the contest. Johnson was there to do a story on the connection.
I also spent time explaining the basics of Lacrosse to Johnson and we discussed
Backup goalie Lexie Ball took the field for the final 9:37 of the game for UofL. She allowed just one score and the Cards got goals from Julia Schmucker (which allowed me to use the phrase "Schmucker stuck'er in the net!) and second scores from Webster and Koloski to end the game in Louisville's favor 15-6. Ball's going to be a good one, continuing the strong tradition that current starter Brittany Read has established.
Louisville heads to Evanston, IL to face rival Northwestern on Sunday. If the past holds any pitch here...it'll rain and it'll be a tight contest.
THEY SAID IT
Thanks to THE CARDINAL Sports editor Dalton Ray for helping me formulate the questions for Young and McNamara. A man who's beard puts mine to shame. Standing together, we probably look like a couple of roadies from the Grateful Dead tour to the unsuspecting.
KELLIE YOUNG DISCUSSES THE WIN
STEPH MCNAMARA REVIEWS THE CONTEST
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BEARS AHEAD!
As a reader has commented...and I agree with...I am surprised there is no send-off pep rally for the Cards before they head to O.K.C.
Or maybe I'm not. The WBB Cards have one horrible marketing program. Coach Walz and the players deserve better than this. I've seen way better at significantly smaller schools. Combine that with their media relations fails and maybe it isn't any wonder that only 5800 showed up for the 1st and 2nd rounds. I've seen dog racing get more publicity and media assistance. But, their egos are definitely top-five ranked....OK, back to the joy and excitement of UofL women's sports. Excuse the diversion.
As much as I wish I was going to be there, unfortunately financial situations and health are going to dictate that I watch this one in Louisville. We looked good financially at CARDINAL COUPLE going into January...but a few unforeseen expenses, road trips to Martin, Nashville, Murfreesboro and the ACC Tournament...plus donations literally non-existent since January have put us on a tight-rope in order to get through the year with any bank account balance at all. As far as a personal financing by me for the trip...no bucks there either.
Sadly, my knees are getting worse, hip still degenerating and the tendinitis in my IT bands have reached new levels of tightness and making it hard to do steps or any long walking distances. Driving 11 hours is out of the question currently as well. Anyone willing to drop $1000 in the coffers or transplant this brain into a new body, please step forward now.
(Thanks for cheering us all up, Paulie...)
I love the call on radio that Nick Curran and A.J. provide. There have been many a road game this season where I've abandoned the video feed and retreated to my porch to listen to the call and "beverage". Good times...
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| Kim Mulkey also power-lifts players...isn't that special? |
Lindsay Gottlieb, Cal head coach, says this:
"They have a darn good team. I know they have to go to Oklahoma City first...but I think they have a great chance to be playing in Dallas."
A keen eye there, Coach G. Sequential order is of importance in any accurate dissertation this time of year...
Kalani Brown, Nina Davis, Natalie Chou, Kristy Wallace, Lauren Cox. The deadly Alexis factor...Alexis Prince and Alexis Jones. This magnificent seven, along with a little help from their friends...has complied a 32-3 record. UConn early, Texas late in the regular season pinned losses on Mulkey's bunch. Improbable West Virginia in the Big 12 tournament knocked them off.
Poor Texas Southern drew the misfortune of drawing them in the NCAA opener. 119-30 was that outcome. A forty-point drubbing of a Cal team that many questioned deserving an NCAA bid.
But, they run into the mad genius of Jeff Walz next. We all remember 2013 in Okla. City. The biggest upset in women's college basketball. Wanna see that one? Click the link below:
LINK: CARDS DEFEAT BAYLOR
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| Kim is also known for the screaming death stare |
Kim Mulkey. Such a shy and non-controversial soul...She's taken Baylor to nine straight Sweet Sixteen's. She has talent galore. She's played two less-than-impressive teams so far...how will the Bears handle a Cardinal squad with...perhaps...just as good, if not better talent?
The Cards handled a tall and impressive Vols squad with defense, successful shooting and a strong finish. Louisville has faced their share of tough competition in Notre Dame, South Carolina, Maryland and Florida State...who are all still dancing. Asia Durr is putting up fantastic numbers, Myisha Hines-Allen the force in the paint, Mariya Moore has been re-born and exuding confidence and this Cardinal team is playing like a team and not just a bunch of All-Americans.
We'll cover more on this match-up later. The shootout at the OK Corral. It should be a good one...
paulie
xxxxx
