Louisville WSOC Kicks Off Fall Calendar -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Cards Head to Miami (OH) for Sunday Exhibition

Louisville women's soccer will get the fall season underway for Cardinal Athletics when they take on the Redhawks of Miami University tomorrow at 2PM. As we discussed last week, there isn't likely to be much in the way of coverage on this game, so we'll have to do our best to pick out what we can from various sources. We'll work to bring you as much on the action as we can.

Let's take a look at tomorrow's game from a historical perspective, though. Louisville, as we've discussed at length, is turning over a new roster (for the most part) as they look to improve upon a 6-8-2 mark from last season. The Cards were one of the teams that, a bit surprisingly, didn't see a major uptick in draws with the rule change. Louisville had a pair of 0-0 draws to close out the non-conference slate (at JMU and home against Indiana), but every game the Cards played in which a goal was scored saw a result, one way or the other. Louisville's 13 goals in the season were front loaded, with eight coming in their first four regular season games. It's tough to pull out draws if you can't score, and the Cards suffered only two of their eight losses by more than two goals. On the flip side, Louisville's three conference wins were all only 1-0 victories.

Enough about that. The Cards and Redhawks didn't play last season. In fact, they've not played since 2017. That 2017 game was part of an ok season that disappointed after a relatively hot start. Louisville went 6-2 in non-conference play, beating IU and UK on the road while losing to Purdue and Marquette at home. The real indicator should have been the 3-2 victory they escaped with in the opener against Boston University. The Cards' woes were compounded by another Boston school when they dropped the conference opener at Boston College. Louisville went just 3-5-2 in conference, missing the ACC tournament with a 2-1 loss at NC State after struggling for a point in a home draw against Wake Forest and stealing a point on the road at UNC in the two games prior. 

Before all of that (except the BU game) Louisville won the game against Miami (OH) 2-0 to take a series lead at 6-5. The Cards first played Miami in 1997, dropping the first game 1-0. The two teams are pretty evenly split, with both teams winning three road games and Louisville holding a 3-2 advantage in victories at home. Both the biggest win (3-0) and the smallest win (3-2) for Louisville have come in Oxford. That said, Louisville also has a 3-0 win (2005) and a 1-0 win (2009) at home. Emina Ekic and Gabby Kouzelos were both in their debut seasons for Louisville in 2017 after Kouzelos redshirted in 2016 and Ekic joined as a true freshman. Ekic had two shots on goal in 48 minutes in the Miami game. Gabi Vincent and Alison Price both played all 90 minutes and scored for Louisville. 

In 2022, Miami slumped a bit early after starting with a 0-0 draw against Austin Peay. They won on the road at Loyola Chicago 1-0 before dropping their next two against Wright State and Purdue. The Redhawks closed out their non-conference slate, though, with three straight wins. Two of those were on the road, with one coming in Louisville against Bellarmine. 

Miami ultimately finished the season 9-5-6, a fair shout better than Louisville. The competition was different, to be sure, but Miami was able to capitalize on the new overtime rule and finish more games tied than behind. Whether you agree with games ending in draws or not, I think we can agree that, since they exist, finishing tied is better than losing. Miami advanced to the MAC tournament after finishing the regular season 8-4-6, but they had to play their first two games on the road. After a 1-0 win against Ohio, they lost their rematch (0-0 tie in the regular season) against Buffalo 1-0. I wouldn't want to play in Buffalo, New York on November 3rd, so more power to them.

Miami Athletics: Makenna Morrison scored five
goals and added an assist as a sophomore in '22.

Despite the number of overall draws, Miami scored 21 goals last year, with 20 coming in the regular season. Only three of their six draws were scoreless, and five of their 20 goals came in games which did not see a winner. Miami also only gave up 14 goals, with 13 coming before the MAC tournament. Although the Redhawks are replacing all 1800 goalkeeper minutes from last season, they return their top five points earners and nine of their twelve points earners overall. The top five accounted for 75% of the team's 58 total points and 11 of their 21 goals. It is safe to say that Louisville's new look defense may have their hands full.

Regardless of tomorrow's outcome, it's exciting to be talking about games for Louisville women's athletics again. The summer, while it can seem so long in the midst of it, really flies by once you reflect on it at the end. We'll see what the women's soccer team can do with their spot at the front of the schedule before other teams get underway shortly after.

No Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

For various reasons (vacation, event travel, work), the majority of the crew is out this week. Let's look at it as the calm before the storm, as it should be our last week off from the show for quite some time as the seasons get underway. We'll be back in your feeds next week, barring something unforeseen.

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Ekic Gets National Call Up -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

If you listened to the show last week, you may remember that I mentioned writing about the Louisville women's soccer 2023 roster this week. Here's the thing, reader, that didn't happen. I could say I just didn't have time to get into it with a busy work week but the truth is--and this is a big secret so don't tell--I forgot about it until I actually didn't have time to get into it. With some shuffling around of the schedules, though, I'm set to write Tuesday, so look for an in-depth roster dive then. There was still some interesting soccer news this week, however.

Emina Ekic to Play for Bosnia and Herzegovina

While she is no longer wearing red and black for the Louisville Cardinals, Emina Ekic is still someone we watch with great interest. It's not difficult, since she is from Louisville, played for UofL, and was drafted by the professional women's team in Louisville. That said, it may be a bit more difficult to follow Ekic's national team career, as she has withdrawn herself from the USWNT roster pool. Ekic announced earlier this week through various social media channels and the Racing Louisville communications team that she has declared for the Bosnia and Herzegovina Women's National Team. The announcement came coupled with the announcement that she has been called up to the senior team for two friendlies against Hungary and Greece next weekend during the brief international break.

You may be thinking to yourself: But Emina already played for the USWNT, how can she play for another country? Also, isn't she American?

Those are good questions, but the world of international soccer has some quirks. I'll answer the latter first. While Emina is American, both of her parents are from Bosnia (which may not come as too much of a surprise given her last name). FIFA rules allow a player to be eligible for a country that is not the same as their natural citizenship for a variety of reasons. One of those is that a player may declare for the country of origin of either parent. There are some others that can get a bit more complicated, but there's no need to dig into those since Ekic obviously fits into that slot nicely. (As an aside, that is one of the reasons the USMNT struggles to retain some of the best American talent. If their parent is an immigrant from a country with a better team or a better playing opportunity, US Soccer has to convince that player to choose them.) As she said herself, representing the country where her family is from means a lot to her.

As for the first question, that comes down to a matter of level of play. While Ekic has represented the US on the international stage before, she has not done so on the senior level. The rules of eligibility have gotten more complicated over the last few years, making it easier for players to change teams than it was in the past, but Emina would have been eligible for this change even under the old rules. Effectively, Ekic isn't changing which national team she plays for because she never technically played for the USWNT, she only played for the US U-23 Women's Team (and other junior categories). Long story short, because Ekic hadn't been called up to the senior team before, she was still able to declare for any other country in which she could claim eligibility. Clear as mud, right? Welcome to international soccer...

Ekic is still recovering from the ankle injury she suffered in Australia over the winter, but she has made two appearances for Racing this season, coming on as a sub in both matches. I have to imagine that part of the decision to play for Bosnia is also that she will have a much better opportunity to get international experience. The USWNT is one of the top teams in the country and the roster pool is not lacking in depth. While Ekic has shown she can be good enough to earn a spot on that team, she will likely get many more chances at being called up and getting playing time elsewhere. We'll be following her international career with interest, even if we're less likely to be able to watch the games, and we wish her all the best!

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

The Three Musketeers (or Stooges, depending on who you ask) are back at it again as we're without Daryl and Jared this week for the show. Early July can be a bit slow as far as Louisville news goes, and we may be begging for the return of the Cardinal Couple Quiz. However, we'll endeavor ever onward to bring you the joy and excitement of Louisville Women's Athletics. As always, you can check out the live stream of the show by going to the Cardinal Couple YouTube page and clicking on the live video. Jeff usually creates that about an hour before the show, which officially starts at 11 AM Eastern. If the live time doesn't work for you, there are plenty of playback options, so be sure to check out whichever is best for you!

Cardinal Couple YouTube: Link

Anchor (podcast host): Link

Apple Podcasts: Link

Google Podcasts: Link

Overcast (free account required): Link

Pocket Casts (free account and app required): Link

RadioPublic: Link

Spotify: Link

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Summer Seasons Roll On -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Cards in the Pros

As we hit July, we get a decent look at how some of Louisville's former stars are performing at the next level. Some of those players are getting chances for the first time, as is the case with Morgan Jones and Chrislyn Carr. The other day, Louisville women's basketball boosted the announcements of the two signing with AC PAOK of Greece and the Tokomanawa Queens of New Zealand, respectively. We'll keep an eye on both of these players who, while they weren't Cardinals for long, quickly made their presences on the court known. 

Another player getting another chance is Emina Ekic. Ekic has been out since around Christmas after fracturing her ankle in a game in the W League in Australia during the NWSL offseason. Ekic returned to the pitch for Racing Louisville FC in their home game against Houston on June 14th. Ekic subbed on late in the game and recorded no stats, but her return has been much anticipated by fans of the Cardinals and Racing alike. We're excited to see the former star in red and black return to form for her hometown team.

Moving into the WNBA, some former Cards are doing their best to make the most of their opportunities. 

Liz Dixon has played in two games since being picked up by the Connecticut Sun in late June. In games at Minnesota and Chicago, both times seeing her former teammates on the floor, Dixon combined for six minutes, four points, and one rebound. She's definitely being utilized as a role player, but will surely add production as she is given more time. At the beginning of the year in Phoenix, she had ten points, four rebounds, an assist, and a block in two games where she played more than ten minutes. 

Emily Engstler is also trying to establish herself in a new team. After being waived by the Fever and added to the Mystics roster, Engstler looked like she had found a new home. In a May 10th game against the Dream, Engstler scored 11 points and added eight rebounds, a steal, and a block in 13 minutes. For some reason, Washington decided they didn't want that kind of production around. After sitting idle for a month, Engstler was signed by the Minnesota Lynx. In her first two games, she combined for 27 minutes, eight points, 11 rebounds, and five assists. In the last two games for the Lynx, though, both against Seattle, Engstler saw just seven minutes of court time. She got up just one shot in those two games, but had a steal and a rebound in each.

After a big game earlier in June, AD has slumped a bit in Atlanta. Durr, who was leading the bench in scoring, scored just 4.2 points per game in four games from June 18th through the 28th. That game on the 28th was the first of a double header in Washington. With a bit more knowledge of the Mystics, Durr got the better of the matchup in game two. They picked up 17 minutes, scoring 15 points on 4/7 shooting, going 2/2 from beyond the arc, and added two rebounds and two assists. 

On the other side of that game was Myisha Hines-Allen. MHA has been working to get resituated with the Mystics after getting a late start to the season, though her role may expand with Elena Della-Donne going down last night. In three games against the Sky and Liberty last week, MHA averaged just under 14 minutes but scored no more than five points and averaged a shade under two rebounds per game. On the 22nd, she added two assists and two steals to her two points, two rebounds, and two fouls, creating quite a box score. Her big game came in the first of the two against the Dream, and it looked like it could be a catalyst. MHA played 17 minutes and scored 16 points, going 3/4 from three-point land, and added three rebounds and a block. However, the second game saw a bit of a fall off. Hines-Allen played 14 minutes last night but took just four shots, scoring two points and contributing four rebounds and an assist. 

Dana Evans continues to be a steady role player for her hometown (ish) Chicago Sky. Evans is averaging almost 20 minutes per game, but her scoring hasn't been quite what you might expect. That said, she is obviously a big part of their team in other ways, as evidenced by her minutes. In the back half of June, Evans scored 31 points over five games, with two big games coming this week against the Sparks. Evans scored 11 and eight points in the last two games. She is averaging about one rebound over the last five games but has dished out 14 assists over the four games she played at least 20 minutes.

We're rooting for continued success for all of our former Cards here at Cardinal Couple, and hope you'll join us in supporting your favorites even after they've moved on from the University of Louisville.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

I'm back this week as my normal July 4th weekend plans have been altered due a friend coming into town. We may even manage a full house as the storms will surely put a damper on any golf or Louisville Bats obligations that would keep Daryl away. Join us as we discuss the happenings of the week, driven mostly by a look ahead at the schedules that have been released. As always, you can check out the live stream of the show by going to the Cardinal Couple YouTube page and clicking on the live video. Jeff usually creates that about an hour before the show, which officially starts at 11 AM Eastern. If the live time doesn't work for you, there are plenty of playback options, so be sure to check out whichever is best for you!

Cardinal Couple YouTube: Link

Anchor (podcast host): Link

Apple Podcasts: Link

Google Podcasts: Link

Overcast (free account required): Link

Pocket Casts (free account and app required): Link

RadioPublic: Link

Spotify: Link

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

It's Quiet Out There - Happy Fathers Day -- Sunday Cardinal Couple

Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all of the fathers out there.  If you still have your father around, maybe take some time to tell him how much he means to you.  If you are a dad, thanks for all you do for your kids, and I hope you're being the best father you can be.

Quiet, Too Quiet

In Airplane, one of the greatest films of all time...well, maybe that's overdoing it slightly...just before the climax of the film, the character Steve McCroskey, played by the inimitable Lloyd Bridges, comments "Sure is quiet out there." to which Captain Rex Kramer, played by the equally inimitable Robert Stack responds, "Yeah, too quiet."

Yes, the dramatic technique is used in more than just Airplane, of course, it's common enough to have a full TVTropes page about it.  https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ItsQuietTooQuiet  But the notion applies at the moment for UofL Sports.

As far as I can tell, nothing particularly noteworthy happened with UofL Athletics yesterday.  Volleyball is still in Brazil, but have completed all of the matches that they were scheduled to play and are now just sightseeing.

Other sports are holding summer camps where they have the opportunity to teach up and coming players to improve their skills, and, to be sure, evaluate those players' skills and attitudes to play into recruiting decisions.  OK, maybe the emphasis really is more on the evaluation part.

 Recruiting is a thing that is happening across sports, but that all happens kind of "in the background" at this time of year, with nothing really to bring to the pages of Cardinal Couple.

It's tempting to write this period off as unimportant, but nothing could be further from the truth, evaluation and recruiting is a critical part of the process of recruiting players to join a sports team, it's just not a very visible part of the process.

I will shout out one clinic that's going on right now, run my Cardinal greats Mykasa Robinson and Peyton Siva Jr., being held at the KFC Yum! Center in conjunction with Norton Sports Performance.  This one is a free clinic, and while I don't have a copy of their agenda of what they'll cover, with Robinson and Siva in charge, I suspect campers will need to bring the Defensive A game.

Cards in the Pros

Let's take a quick look around the Cards in the Pros.  It is father's day, maybe you're taking your day to watch some sports on TV, and if so, here's how you can follow some Cardinals Forever players.

Racing Louisville with Emina Ekic back in action will be playing NJ/NY Gotham today at 4pm.  The game is home, at Lynn Family Stadium downtown, so in-person viewing is certainly possible, though with some air quality issues in Louisville at the moment, and a forecast high of 88, I wouldn't blame you for catching this one on the telly.

In the WNBA, Super Sub Dana Evans and the Chicago Sky will be taking on Myisha Hines-Allen and the Washington Mystics at 3pm.  Streaming for this one is apparently on Twitter.  So that's a new one.  It will be via the WNBA's account at https://twitter.com/WNBA.

AD and the Atlanta Dream (and it just struck me that "Atlanta Dream" also abbreviates to "AD") will be playing the not-so-terrible Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis at 4pm.  CBS Sports will have the video if you don't want to make the drive.

Liz Dixon with the Connecticut Sun head out west to play the Los Angeles Sparks at 7:30pm, streaming on NBA League Pass only.

And for the nightcap, Emily Engstler newly with the Minnesota Lynx will be playing at Las Vegas with a 9pm start.  NBA TV is where you'll be able to find this one.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

Less than a week into his marriage and Jared was back with us on the CCRHP yesterday.  Joined by Paulie and myself, we had a great time discussing the world view of Millenials, and the goings on in Volleyball, Softball, and Women's Basketball.

It is, as always, published as a podcast in all the common podcast directories, but you can find it directly at anchor.fm turned Spotify:

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cardinal-couple/episodes/Wedding-Trumpets--local-Softball--foreign-Volleyball--and-local-Basketball--and-Millenials-e25ro1c

-- JMcA

Random Louisville Women's Sports News -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

We've come to the weekend at last, Cards fans! I am no Daryl, as she and I traded days so she could keep working hard with the Louisville Bats. Summertime can be tricky as there is usually minimal news for us to hit, especially with current teams and players.

We do have random news and notes to hit that have happened periodically throughout this past week that we might not have mentioned yet that we for sure want to hit before the weekend officially arrives.

Oh, and for the kiddies...the 80's sensation --  the Lover Boy video "Working for the Weekend" HERE

Louisville Volleyball in Brazil

Louisville volleyball continues their summer trip to Brazil and remained undefeated with a 3-1 victory over the Brazilian U21 National Team. The Cards took the match by winning three straight sets (25-23, 25-17, 25-19) after dropping the opening set 19-25.

Women's Soccer Representation with Indy Eleven

Louisville women's soccer has plenty of representation on Indy Eleven in their USL W League. Last night, Indy Eleven took on St. Charles, but fell 2-0. Current Cardinals Addie Chester and Lizzie Sexton were part of the starting XI.

Cardinal alum Maisie Whitsett entered the match as a substitute. She led the 'Eleven' with five shots. Current Cardinal Karsyn Cherry is also listed on the roster but did not play.

Ekic Back with Racing Louisville

Louisville women's soccer legend Emina Ekic returned to the pitch this week with Racing Louisville following a stint on the inactive list due to injury. She subbed in during the second half of Racing's 3-0 victory over Houston in front of roughly 5,000 fans and nearly 200 dogs.

Engstler Signs with Lynx

Louisville women's basketball alum Emily Engstler is back in the WNBA. She recently signed on with the Minnesota Lynx under a hardship contract due to the Lynx have two players out with injuries.

While Engstler is guaranteed to be on the roster for at least three weeks with multiple other players out, her contract is subject to change as other players return.

She will be eligible to play when the Lynx take on the Los Angeles Sparks tonight at 10:00 p.m. ET. The Lynx will remain out west when they face the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Go Cards !

Jared

Guess Who's Back - Sunday Cardinal Couple

Myisha Hines-Allen Returns

After an off-season knee procedure, Myisha Hines-Allen had been conspicuously absent from the active Washington Mystics roster, but yesterday marked her return to play.

The Mystics played the Minnesota Lynx in a close game, losing in the end 78-80.

Hines-Allen returned only in a limited form, playing only eight minutes, but in that time she did get a layup, a rebound at each end of the floor, and a steal.  Those numbers are expected to go up, of course, as she gets back into full game condition again.

Other UofL WNBA Action Today

Two other Cards in action today in the WNBA.

After yesterday's news that just snuck under the wire to get into Case's article that Liz Dixon joined the Connecticut Sun, they'll be in action today against Dallas at 1pm on NBA TV.  How much court time will Dixon get?  Obviously we all want to see her succeed, but one day after joining the franchise, I'm not sure I have my hopes up that she'll get too much time on the court.

Dana Evans has become a fixture in Chicago, being one of the most productive bench players in the league.  The Sky will have a 2pm game on CBS Sports Network.

Where's Emina?

If you've been following Racing Louisville FC, well first you've probably noticed a significant uptick in their quality of play over previous season, certainly a reason to rejoice.  The squad had their first ever 3-game win streak, for example.  They're still not burning up the pitch, but improvement is there at 4-3-5 on the overall season.

Emina Ekic has been distinctly absent from the active roster, however.  She is recovering from a fractured ankle (or leg?  Reports were not clear.) that she suffered in January playing in Melbourne Australia.  She did post a picture to social media from Derby with several other Racing players in which she was wearing wedge heals and no cast or brace or anything, so presumably recovery is proceeding well.

Claire Chaussee

Claire Chaussee joins the ranks of "Cards in the Pros", though you may not hear too much about her this summer.  Chaussee signed on with the Grand Rapids Rise, a team in a new professional volleyball league forming here in the states.  The PVF, or Pro Volleyball Federation, has been going through the beginning stages of putting the league together.  At this point we're seeing the announcements of initial franchise locations as ownership groups signing on, including Grand Rapids, San Diego, Atlanta, Columbus, and more.  We've seen some head coach announcements, and the Grand Rapids Rise seem to be ahead of the game as the first, that I've seen, announcement of player signings with Chaussee being one of three to join.

The PVF plans to start play in 2024.

Trent Dilfer, former Super Bowl Quarterback, but known more around here as father of Tori Dilfter Stringer, is a partner in the league, and Tori has been prominently features in much of the marketing materials for the league, though I haven't seen an actual signing of her with a team yet.  I would presume that will happen in due course.

Numerous VolleyCards do play professional volleyball, although nearly all are overseas.  Anna Stevenson Hall, Claire Chaussee, and Raquel Lázaro all played in Italy this past season, and yes they all played against each other.  Tori Dilfer Stringer played in Puerto Rico along with Wilma Rivera, which is, of course, home for her.  And Tess Clark has played several years in Spain.  Unfortunately, news from overseas leagues is extremely difficult to find.  Erin Fairs is the only former Card to play professionally in the US, as part of Athletes Unlimited, but they have a very limited season.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

Former Cards that went pro in other things did get together as usual for the CCRHP.  Case, Jared, and myself were on the call, and...well...it's getting to be summer, and news is thin on the ground, so expect some diversions and tangents.

We did cover some spring sport accolades, including some academic ones, most of the CC crew are keeping up with the rest of the Softball Tournament, even after Louisville's departure, so we chatted about that, some.  Mostly, we're cheering for "Not Oklahoma".  And we chatted a bit about WNBA and other "Cards in the Pros".

Check it out at it's Anchor/Spotify home:

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cardinal-couple/episodes/The-Summer-Slump-Begins-e255mi0

-- JMcA

News Roundup -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Louisville Volleyball Adds Transfer Hitter

After seeing the success of Raquel Lazaro, another player has decided to make the jump from a Pac-12 (soon-to-be Big Ten) school to Louisville. Louisville announced the addition of Charitie Luper, an outside hitter from UCLA, to the roster. Luper just completed her sophomore year, earning honorable mentions from both the Pac-12 and AVCA Pacific South Region with her 256 kill, 184 dig campaign. In 21 matches, Luper played 78 sets and recorded nine double-doubles. As a freshman the year before, Luper was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week four times. It was the most weekly conference awards by a UCLA player since 2014. 

Though she is a bit undersized for an outside at just 5'9", that clearly hasn't impacted her ability to put up impressive numbers. Luper will join a hitting staff that will be looking to replace a significant amount of production with the loss of Claire Chaussee. Having another player on staff that is proven to be capable of playing the whole rotation must have been appealing to Dani Busboom Kelly, as the team struggled some last season with having defense and offense on the floor at the same time. Given her double-double numbers and her high school career totaling 1,500 kills and 1,500 digs, that shouldn't be a concern for Luper.

Cards 4th in Capital One Cup

Through the completion of the fall sports calendar, Louisville finds itself sitting in fourth in the Women's Capital One Cup standings. The Cards have 36 points and sit just ahead of Alabama, who has 34. Louisville joins five other ACC schools among the top ten, including UNC, who leads the way with 62 points. Texas and UCLA are hot on their heels with 60 each. As the Capital One Cup only looks at final results, basketball is not yet included in these rankings, which will likely give Louisville a boost. In addition to a strong finish from basketball, seeing lacrosse and softball both build on their results from last season would be key. If they can manage good results from those three, plus get some standout results in Swim&Dive, track and field, and cross country, the Cards could be on for their second consecutive top ten finish in the rankings. 

Ekic to Miss at Least 2023 Preseason

While she is no longer a player for the Louisville Cardinals, Emina Ekic is still near and dear to us and remains in the city while playing for the Racing Louisville FC squad. Louisville fans got bad news earlier this week when it was announced that Ekic would miss at least the preseason for the upcoming NWSL season. More than just the preseason is in doubt, as Emina suffered a fractured ankle on December 27th while on loan for Melbourne City FC in Australia. Ekic was playing across the world to keep more time on the ball while in the NWSL offseason. Racing Louisville players are set to report on January 23rd, with the season starting on March 25th. Three months is a long time, but a fractured ankle can be a nasty recovery. We're looking forward to seeing Emina back healthy and out on the pitch again.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

I'll be out this week, but the crew returns after having last week off for the first show of the new year. They'll talk holiday season and the most recent basketball games, while looking ahead at the Cards' game against Pitt tomorrow. As always, you can check out the live stream of the show by going to the Cardinal Couple YouTube page and clicking on the live video. If the live time doesn't work for you, there are plenty of playback options, so be sure to check out whichever is best for you!

Cardinal Couple YouTube: Link

Anchor (podcast host): Link

Apple Podcasts: Link

Google Podcasts: Link

Overcast (free account required): Link

Pocket Casts (free account and app required): Link

RadioPublic: Link

Spotify: Link

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Another Busy News Day -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Verhulst Invited to USA Trials

After the Cards moved into the new Denny Crum Hall earlier this week to get back on campus, Payton Verhulst was packing her bags again right away. Verhulst was invited to the national team trials in Miami this weekend in what is effectively a tryout for the FIBA 3x3 U23 Nations League. The tournament will be played in the Americas conference from August 13th through the 19th. The trials are the 5th through the 8th with training camp beginning on the 9th. It's a a very compressed schedule, but that is why the field is being kept so small. Only 11 players were invited to the trials and only six will make the team. 

This isn't Verhulst's first experience with Team USA, as she was a part of the 2021 U19 World Cup team that won gold and a part of the 2019 U16 team that won gold in the Americas Cup. Verhulst also has 3x3 experience, having played with the Louisville team in last year's Red Bull USA Basketball 3x3 Nationals. In that event, Verhulst joined forces with Liz Dixon, Mykasa Robinson, and Kianna Smith to finish 3rd after being knocked out by the championship winning Force 10 in the semifinals.

As always, we wish all Louisville athletes the absolute best when it comes to getting national team opportunities, as the experience--both on the floor and in life--is unmatched. 

Brooke Gray Commits to Louisville Softball

Image from @brookegray2023

Thursday afternoon saw a big get for Holly Aprile and company when Ballard's Brooke Gray announced her commitment to play for the Cards in 2023. Gray is a pitcher in the class of 2022 and is a key part of the defending state champion Bruins. Ballard went 39-0 last season, and Gray started and earned the victory in 28 of those games. In 29 appearances, Gray was 28-0 with a 0.85 ERA. She threw 15 full complete games, including one that went to 9 innings, and she added five complete games shortened by mercy rule. Gray amassed 350 strikeouts in 165.1 innings last season, good for a K/7 of 14.8. Yes, you read that right. Gray struck out an average of five full innings per game on average. Her best performance came against New Albany, when she pitched a perfect game with 19 strikeouts. She threw three other complete game no hitters and three run-ruled no hitters. 

MaxPreps hasn't listed batting stats for Gray since her eighth grade year in 2018-19, so it is unlikely that she will be a two-way player for the Cards. In that way, she will not be a direct replacement for Taylor Roby. However, we've discussed frequently how much of a strain it puts on a player to be a star at both positions. Tons of the best teams in the country do it without having a star two-way player, so if Gray can continue her success at the collegiate level and Aprile can continue to recruit offense, Louisville may be on to something. We wish Brooke the best of luck in her upcoming senior year.

Will Holt Returns to Louisville

After a brief stint with Indiana, Will Holt has returned to his alma mater to stand by Justine Sowry's side on the bench at Trager. Hot returns as an assistant coach after having served as a student volunteer assistant from 2012-2015. Holt began coaching in 2010 in Europe and returned after graduating to continue his coaching and playing career. He also earned 146 caps with the USMNT from 2014-2017 and scored 85 goals in that time. Coach Sowry calls Holt "a tireless worker" and says he is "the perfect addition" to the staff. 

Cards Face Off in NWSL 

Gaby Vincent returned to Louisville yesterday as a part of the Washington Spirit when they took on the hometown Racing Louisville. After a hot start and a brief stint near the top of the table, Racing has cooled off quite a bit and last night's match was between the 9th and 10th placed teams in the league. The two played to a draw last night, with Louisville taking the lead shortly into the second half and Washington scoring the equalizer 10 minutes later. A draw is the same result the teams played to in June, though they scored a pair of goals each in that one rather than just one apiece. Ekic came on in the 90th minute of last night's match in an effort to provide a spark in the five minutes of stoppage time, but Racing was unable to find a go-ahead goal. Vincent was available as a substitute for the Spirit but did not make an appearance in the game. 

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Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

We'll be without Daryl this week, but I'm finally back after my time away. We'll have plenty to talk about after taking last week off, so we'll do our best to bring you a great show. As always, you can check out the live stream of the show by going to the Cardinal Couple YouTube page and clicking on the live video. Jeff usually creates that about an hour before the show, which officially starts at 11 AM Eastern. If the live time doesn't work for you, there are plenty of playback options, so be sure to check out whichever is best for you!

Cardinal Couple YouTube: Link

Anchor (podcast host): Link

Apple Podcasts: Link

Google Podcasts: Link

Overcast (free account required): Link

Pocket Casts (free account and app required): Link

RadioPublic: Link

Spotify: Link

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

News Roundup -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

There aren't a ton of major stories happening in Louisville athletics, so let's use today to briefly check in on some upcoming and recently announced events as well as some ongoing stories in the area.

Women's Golf Schedule Announced

Louisville women's golf released their schedule on Thursday, joining the long list of Louisville teams to have done so this week. The Cards will start the fall season on September 12th when they travel to South Carolina for the Cougar Classic hosted by the College of Charleston. Their last tournament of the regular season comes on April 3rd and 4th when they participate in a match play event hosted by NC State. Louisville will play hosts at the Moon Golf Invitational in Melbourne, Florida from February 19th through the 21st, but the Cards will not host an event at the Cardinal Club this season.

TV Reminders

There are multiple things to be on the lookout for this weekend as far as keeping up with the Cards goes. The first comes today at noon in the form of the Lacrosse World Championships women's gold medal match. That matchup, as I mentioned yesterday, is between the USA and Canada, the latter of which boasts 6 Cardinals. The game is on ESPN2, not ESPNU, so tune in after F1 qualifying and Sportscenter (or after you listen to the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast.)

The other TV item was profiled by Jared on Thursday. Louisville's ACC Network takeover will take place tomorrow. Settle in for non-stop Louisville game replays starting at midnight. The day will feature 11 total events and the last four are all scheduled to be women's games. Starting at 4PM, watch basketball and volleyball alternate through the evening with their games against UCONN, Pitt, Michigan, and UK.

Cards at Racing Louisville

Racing's winless streak was extended to six games last night when they lost 2-1 to Gotham FC at home. Emina Ekic scored earlier in the week to help the team draw against Orlando, but couldn't match it last night. She had a 25-yard free kick that she converted into a shot on goal, but the Gotham FC goalkeeper was able to make a diving save. Racing outshot NY 23-9 and led the expected goals rating 1.98-0.91. Sometimes, it's just the way things fall. Allison Whitfield was on the bench for the second straight game after being added to the roster to cover for players on international duty, but she is still awaiting the opportunity to make her debut. 

Ava Jones Family Update

This is a sad story and it's only obliquely related to Louisville women's athletics by way of the fact that it is related to women's athletics and happened in Louisville. Ava Jones, an Iowa WBB commit in the 2023 class, was in town for the Run 4 The Roses tournament when her family was struck on the sidewalk by an impaired driver downtown on Tuesday. Yesterday, the news was released that Ava's father, Trey, had succumbed to his injuries. According to an update from WDRB News, Ava's brother says that while Ava and her mother both remain unconscious, Ava has been displaying movement. Doctors fear she has suffered head trauma. 

Jones' team won their bracket's championship in the tournament yesterday and dedicated their win to the Jones family. We offer our condolences to the family and hope for speedy and full recoveries for those that have been injured. 

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

After being out last week for boat racing, I'm back this week for the show. Daryl will be working to get the swamp turned back into a baseball field after the visit from the Riverfrogs (and the rain) last night. Paulie, Jeff, and Jared should all be in the house, though, as we work to bring you a full hour covering the joy and excitement of Louisville women's athletics. As always, you can check out the live stream of the show by going to the Cardinal Couple YouTube page and clicking on the live video. Jeff usually creates that about an hour before the show, which officially starts at 11 AM Eastern. If the live time doesn't work for you, there are plenty of playback options, so be sure to check out whichever is best for you!

Cardinal Couple YouTube: Link

Anchor (podcast host): Link

Apple Podcasts: Link

Breaker: Link

Google Podcasts: Link

Overcast (free account required): Link

Pocket Casts (free account and app required): Link

RadioPublic: Link

Spotify: Link

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Sunday Cardinal Couple - Soccer Alumnae Inaugurate a Venue

NWSL Turning Left?

Allison

Will Racing Louisville FC's game plan today involve attacking up the left side?  Emina Ekic has been playing as a left side attacker, and they'll be playing in a venue well known for left turns, so let's hope the strategy brings success.

Yes, Racing Louisville FC is playing in a special game against the Orlando Pride today.  It's an away game, so don't head down to Lynn Family Stadium to watch.  If you're in Orlando, well, it's not going to be there, either.

Instead, the teams will be matching up inside the Daytona International Speedway, to take part in The Daytona Soccer Fest.  It is being billed as the "first ever", so there seems to be some expectations that this is an event that may occur again.

Emina

Racing will be playing with two Louisville alumnae on the roster, with Allison Whitfield joining the club after having played for the organization's USL W League team, their pre-professional development side.  Whitfield played in every game for the side until she was signed to the international replacement contract with the main Racing Louisville FC team.

This is a great opportunity for our the NWSL as a whole, not to mention Racing Louisville, and the Orlando Pride, to get some prime-time exposure on CBS Sports at 8pm.  The game will immediately follow the New York Liberty vs Los Angeles Sparks game on the station.  Alas, no UofL rooting interests in that one anymore.

Will we see Whitfield get on the pitch?  She was added to the roster on a short term contract to help replace several players who have been called up to international duty, including Nadia Nadim, Emily Fox, Rebecca Holloway, and Satara Murray.  

WNBA Check in

Dana Evans played a little over seven minutes with the Sky yesterday in their matchup with the Phoenix Mercury.  She hit a pair of three pointers, got a defensive rebound and a pair of assists in Chicago's 91-75 win over the Mercury.

Emily Engstler and the Indiana Fever are not in action until Tuesday night.  The Fever seem to be showing all of their games on their Facebook page, which is nicely accessible.

For today's UofL rooting interests, you've got a 1pm game with Myisha Hines-Allen and the Washington Mystics and the Connecticut Sun on ESPN, and a 3pm game with AD Durr and the Atlanta Dream hosting the Seattle Storm and the Sue Bird farewell tour on NBA TV and maybe Amazon Prime?

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

( I do what when who gets the what where? Why?)  

Paulie returns, but Case had an early alarm to go watch boats go fast on the Ohio River, so it was a foursome yesterday on the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast.  Daryl, Jared, Paulie and myself covered the news of the week, which was largely dominated by official fall sports schedule releases.  We got a sneak peak of Volleyball last week, but we got a look at Field Hockey and Women's Soccer this week.

You can check out the lightly edited audio at it's podcast home on anchor.fm at:

https://anchor.fm/cardinal-couple/episodes/Schedule-Announcement-Season-and-a-Tall-Basketball-Player-e1knu0a

or at any of your favorite podcast sources.

Close the Book - Sunday Cardinal Couple

 Close The Book

Today we, fairly quietly here at Cardinal Couple, close the book on the 2021-2022 UofL athletic season.

It's not all done for the NCAA as a whole, Baseball will be closing out their SuperRegional events today and tomorrow with the College World Series starting Thursday and running through, potentially, June 27th.

Here at UofL, though, Baseball lost to Texas A&M yesterday, making the Aggies the first team to punch their ticket to the CWS and officially ending the season for UofL Baseball.  Meanwhile, in the Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, a pair of Cardinal athletes, both men, competed yesterday, on the final day of the competition.

That's it.  There are no more events on the GoCards Composite Schedule.

Of course, that doesn't mean there is nothing for us to do over the next couple of months.  There will be news stories about the programs and individuals who are or have been involved with those programs.  And we'll do our level best to bring those stories to you as we come across them.  All of us, the writers of Cardinal Couple, have worked to cultivate an information network to help us try catch them all to help funnel those stories into the pages here at Cardinal Couple.

Being the Sunday writer, it's typically a good day over the summer to catch up with our alumnae in the WNBA, and NWSL.

We will also, of course, start to look a little bit ahead to the fall sports.  It's a little early right now for too much of that, but over the course of the summer we'll start to see the rosters get updated, we'll get some schedule announcements, and for better or for worse, we could still hear some player transfers get announced, both outward and inward.

For now, I think we can say it has been a successful year.  We had two teams, Volleyball and Women's Basketball, reach the Final Four in their 64 team brackets.  We have an individual National Champion in Gabriela Leon.  And we have had many teams perform well, with integrity and pride.

It's been a good year.

WNBA Schedule

(Remember When??) 

Las Vegas and Los Angeles were the only WNBA teams in action yesterday, and with no UofL rooting interests there, we move onward.

Dana Evans and the Chicago Sky visit the New York Liberty, and I must admit it seems a little weird not to have a UofL alumna involved in the Liberty as there have been ties between the programs for a number of years, now.  A 2pm start, you can catch this one via Amazon Prime streaming, or via the Yes App.

Myisha Hines-Allen with the Washington Mystics will host the Phoenix Mercury at 6pm.  I don't see any useful streaming options for this one at all.  Maybe NBC Sports, but I believe it to be regionally restricted.

Emily Engstler continues to see some good court time with the rebuilding Indiana Fever.  You can check them out via their Facebook page, https://facebook.com/indianafever as they travel to the Minnesota Lynx for a 7pm game.

NWSL/Racing Louisville FC

Emina Ekic has been consistently getting some good minutes with Racing Louisville FC, typically entering the game early in the second half.  Last night was no exception, entering in the 51st minute for Alex Chidiac.

It was a back and forth game overall between Racing and Angel City FC (Los Angeles).  The game winner for Angel City came during the nearly 10 minutes of stoppage time in the second half via a penalty kick.

Ekic was a significant presence, attacking on the left wing.  She had several opportunities, including one with an excellent cut-back that left the defender on roller skates, moving the ball towards the center and a strong shot that was, alas, just off frame.

Racing will be in action again Friday at the Washington Spirit.  Paramount+ has the streaming platform for this one for the 7:30pm start.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

There was still plenty to talk about for the CCRHP with Jared, Paulie, and myself on the call.  We talked former Cards, current Cards, Cards to be, Cards that potentially might be, and a National Champion Card.

It's a fun hour...ish of discussion as usual.  Check it out at it's podcast home at anchor.fm, lightly edited this week by yours truly in Case's absence.

https://anchor.fm/cardinal-couple/episodes/Former-Cards--Current-Cards--Future-Cards--Potential-Future-Cards--and-a-National-Champion-Card-e1jqnpl

-- JMcA