Almost a Friday Sweep -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Soccer Falls to Purdue, 3-2

There is a lot to talk about, so I'll get the game I attended, and the negativity for the day, out of the way early. I was fully prepared to start today's article talking about how bad the women's soccer team looked last night. However, after their first goal, I realized that the scoreline was affecting how I had viewed the game. Yes, Louisville's normally stout defense was extremely porous.

Picture courtesy of JC1

In fact, Louisville is lucky to have only been scored on three times, as Purdue had other chances missed wildly in pure scoring opportunities. On offense, for the majority of the game, it appeared that Louisville was just inept. They dribbled too long and sent long passes to nowhere, but those have been issues for this team all season, and they've worked through them to find the back of the net and win in 5 out of their 7 games so far. Louisville was mostly just unlucky on offense. Their first goal came with less than four minutes remaining in the game, thus preventing them from being shut out for only the second time this season.

First, the really bad. Louisville's defense gave every other team on the schedule a blueprint of how to beat what was previously a very strong defense. Louisville allowed Purdue's redshirt senior captain, Maddy Williams, to roam on the back line. Williams made them pay, putting up a hat trick in the first 48 minutes of the game. All three of her goals came in about the same manner. A ball was sent forward. Williams, standing alone on the back line, would turn and sprint.

With no one to slow her down, she could effectively get a one on one with the keeper, even with central defenders closing on her. I'm still not sure how the first goal got under a charging and sliding Gabrielle Kouzelos, but it did, and Williams jumped over Kouzelos to give chase to the ball and score on the empty net. The second goal looked the exact same from a lead-up perspective, but Williams was a bit farther to her right of the goal, and was able to go back post on Kouzelos, putting the ball into the side netting. Purdue led 2-0 and we went to halftime. Louisville had to be retrieved from the locker room as they were inside well after the halftime clock hit zero. As they rehuddled after coming out of the locker room, the four starting defenders came sprinting out of the locker room, clearly having had their own meeting.

Picture courtesy of JC 1

For what it's worth, they played a little better in the second half, but not much. Purdue only had two shots in the second half, but the first was Williams' third goal. This one was tough to watch. The ball was crossed to Purdue's left side of the field into the box. Gabby Vincent took an unfortunate angle on the ball and misjudged it. It sailed over her head and landed at Williams' feet. Except it didn't. For a senior captain and starting forward, Williams looked extremely uncomfortable with her left foot. She brought the cross down with the outside of her right foot, had to steady herself, and then shoot from just outside the 6 yard box. Kouzelos, perhaps a bit gunshy or not quite in the right head space after the first half, had plenty of time to charge the cross and break up the play, with Williams taking so long. Instead, she was parked on her line, beginning to advance only just before the shot came. Purdue led 3-0. The Boilermakers offense let up in intensity a bit after that goal.

Leading 3-0 in the second half against a team that hasn't really threatened much during the game allows you some leeway. However, if Purdue could exploit Louisville's center defenders like they did last night, much better teams in the ACC can, too. Louisville has to put a body on people floating in the back line. If they're left unmarked, the ball will go over your head, and they'll sprint to it for a one-on-one chance. Having forwards like that checked can slow them down just enough to allow your keeper to make a play or another defender to get back. Hopefully, this is something that is adjusted even before next week's game against Gardner-Webb.

Had the offense not scored once or twice, I may have not realized that I was being unfairly hard on them in my mind before the game ended. There were a few times that I felt they weren't making the most of their opportunities. I think some players, and I won't name names, may find themselves on the bench a bit more after last night's performance. I realized late, though, that Louisville had been extremely unlucky on offense. They had a stretch of four corner kicks in a row in the first half, two of which went off the goalie's hands. Louisville was just unable to finish. The ball always found itself kicked or headed directly into a Purdue player or it scooted all the way through the box, untouched by either player.

With ten minutes left in the game, a crossing ball slipped through the Purdue defense and was just out of reach for a sliding Cardinal to put it in the back of the wide open net. That was the moment I realized that it just wasn't Louisville's night. Louisville scored it's first goal on the exact same play, this time with Mollie Rouse finishing the cross from Alison Price for her first goal of the season and Louisville career. Later, Brooklynn Rivers scored her second goal of the season off of a cross. There were only 24 seconds remaining. Louisville was unable to find it's third goal in the last 3:54. If things had gone just a bit differently throughout the game, I may be writing about a win. If Louisville scores first off of one of its opportunities, or goes into the half 2-1 instead of 2-0, maybe they can string together a win.

Last night just wasn't Louisville's night. Coach KFD mentioned in her postgame interview that Louisville was just "out of sorts" from the opening whistle and gave credit to Purdue for taking advantage of Louisville's miscues. Hopefully this game will stand out as an aberration and not become the norm. I'll wrap things up with a roster thought. I respect Gabrielle Kouzelos in goal. She has made a few great saves for Louisville this year and helped tremendously in their wins


However, I have seen her make some rough mistakes. She's made them multiple times over multiple games. Last night, she had what appeared to be a heated discussion with senior captain and center defender Inger Katrine-Bjerke. She gets in her own head sometimes, which as a keeper, is extremely bad. I'd really like to see Tori Gabor given an opportunity to show what she has in goal Gabor was the heir apparent to the position this year with the loss of Taylor Bucklin, but Kouzelos won the spot. I think it's important to remember that every position should be up for competition every week. Louisville is back in action against Gardner-Webb in Lynn Stadium next Thursday at 5:30 PM.

Field Hockey Beats American

On the surface, a 2-1 neutral site win over a team named "American" doesn't seem all that great, but the major players in field hockey aren't always what you might expect. The University of Delaware, probably most known for producing Joe Flacco, are the reigning champions. Louisville vs American was a top-20 matchup, and it came in a stadium much closer to the opponent than Louisville. A 2-1 win will do for yesterday, and it would do again against Maryland tomorrow.

All of the goals in this one came in the first half. Louisville opened the scoring on a breakaway with Nicole Woods scoring her fourth of the season. Marisa Martin Pelegrina scored her third of the year off of a penalty rebound to stretch the Louisville lead. American was able to pull one back off of a penalty corner put past Hollyn Barr to make it 2-1. The two teams played the next 55 minutes scoreless. Both teams went 1-1 on corner conversions in the first half and 0-2 in the second. American was only able to get one other shot on goal in the entire game, giving Barr her only save. Louisville kept American's goalkeeper a bit busier, but was unable to find the back of the goal again. Ayeisha McFerran, presumably still nursing her injury, was held off in this one, and Barr played all 70 minutes. With the way Barr has performed this year, it will be interesting to see what Coach Sowry decides to do when McFerran is 100%.

Will the Cards split starts or will an All-American find she's lost her job just by pure happenstance of
being injured? If it's the latter, I assume Barr would be on a short leash come conference play. A poor game could find her losing the starting spot quite quickly. We shall see. Louisville takes on this weekend's host, Maryland, tomorrow morning at 11:30AM. The game will be available on Big Ten Network Plus, which means you can get it, but it's pay blocked. Maryland is ranked 11th in the country.

Volleyball Wins 2 in a Matter of Hours

There wasn't much rest for Coach DBK's team last night after a 3 game sweep of the previously unbeaten UC Irvine, as the Cards jumped right back into action against Weber State. They went on to win that one in 4 games, though they were given a bit more of a run for their money in the second matchup of the evening. Playing two last night will be good for the Cards, who will get a bit of time to freshen up before having to take on the host, UNLV, today at 5PM Louisville time. At worst, Louisville leaves the weekend with an even 4-4 record, but most would hope, and maybe even expect, that they come home two games above .500 for the first time this season.

We'll have plenty more to say about volleyball today on the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour and Jeff will go more in depth tomorrow, but some of the big stats from last night: Melanie McHenry finished the two matches with 26 kills and Tess Clark with 23. Yes, please. The team finished with 18 blocks, but were outblocked by Weber State 12-10. Wilma Rivera assisted on 24 of 35 kills in the first match and 52(!!!) of 63 kills in the second. Wow. Molly Sauer did her thing, and led the team in digs with 26 between the two matches. Through all of that, the statistic that stands out the most to me comes from the first game of the first match. UC Irvine hit -0.071% (woof) and Louisville hit .500. Somehow, the final game score was 25-20. That UC Irvine was able to score that many with that hitting discrepancy blows my mind. Anyway, here's hoping the wide-netters can continue those winning ways today.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

We're back with a full studio today on WCHQ FM. We'll be live on air at 11AM and you can listen in on 100.9 if you're in the signal area or online at crescenthillradio.com or on the WCHQ app. With fall sports in full swing, we'll have plenty to talk about. The Cardinal Couple Radio Hour will take you all the way up until football kicks off at noon against UNC today so tune in and hang out with us!

Paulie, Jeff, Jared and yours truly. Paulie calls it the "A" team. I'm wondering which one of us is "Mr. T"?

Until next time, Go Cards!

-CH-

Late Edition - Fall Sports Media Day -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Paulie and I have just finished up approximately an hour and a half of interviews and remarks from various members of UofL fall sports programs.  An event now three years strong that always makes for a pleasant day and a chance to catch up with Volleyball, Field Hockey, Women's Soccer, and an addition this year, Cross Country.

The remarks got started with the four coaches making opening remarks.  Dale Cowper lead the pack with remarks about the chance to host the NCAA Championships at E.P. Tom Sawyer Park.  He mentioned that they have re-arranged the course at the park this year, and expects the event to be better than ever.  In perhaps a little bit of one-upmanship, Justine Sowry went next and spoke about how strong the ACC is as a Field Hockey conference (a refrain repeated numerous times, with reason, here on Cardinal Couple), and mentioned that they get to host both the ACC Championships, as well as the NCAA championships.  Karen Ferguson-Dayes came next, talking up the experience of the senior class, as showing some excitement in the attackers, who were mostly freshmen last year, coming back with another year of experience under their belts.  Dani Busboom Kelly spoke about the move of all of the Volleyball facilities to Cardinal Arena, and how it is now a dedicated facility.  She also spoke of how much of a difference the renovation of Cardinal Arena has made and how great it is to be on-campus where they hope to get more student support, and to have a "Volleyball Compound" where they don't have to share court time and access to other facilities with other programs.

In questions from the media, we heard of the challenges that both Sowry and Ferguson-Dayes have with some number of their players not yet returning from International play over the summer.  Busboom Kelly was asked about being picked "sixth or seventh" in the conference (actually eighth) and what that meant to the team, responding that they expected to finish better than anyone expects in conference, showing some confidence that it would be better than sixth as the question alluded to.  Asked about her favorite part of the newly renovated Cardinal Arena, she said that it was the balcony seating in the end-zones, as that should be expected to up the energy level of the crowd.  She did mention that it limits their ability, due to the closeness of all of the seating to the Volleyball court, of chasing down shanked balls, so it ups the importance of digging and passing cleanly, and overall ball control.

Asked about stand-outs that maybe aren't so well known so far in practice, Busboom Kelly mentioned Wilma Rivera, a transfer setter from Penn State who will be competing for playing time with last year's main setter, Kali Eaken.  Also, freshman DS/Libero Alexis Hamilton got a shout-out for her outstanding play so far.  Karen Ferguson-Dayes mentioned some names we already know, in Inger Katrine-Bjerke, and Gabbie Vincent, both Cardinal Couple favorites from interviews in past years, she named a couple of other names, that I didn't catch (listen to the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour tomorrow to hopefully hear more of them), as well as Brooklynn Rivers.  Sowry mentioned Meg Schneider and Mercedes Pastor, both freshmen, as having contributed well so far in practice.  She also mentioned Hollyn Barr, the backup goalkeeper, as having been playing extremely well, and that she would likely be starting in the cage for the first few games due to unavailability of Ayeisha McFerran.  She also spoke of the depth of the roster, and mentioned the likelihood of going 17 deep, which is unsurprising given her penchant for rapid-fire substitutions.

After the session with the coaches broke up, the media moved into the next room to speak with representatives of the various teams.  We first got the opportunity to speak with Tess Clark and Molly Sauer, of the volleyball team.  They re-iterated coach Busboom Kelly's thoughts of Wilma Rivera and Alexis Hamilton being the stand-out newcomers to the team.  Tess confirmed that she will be playing as a left side hitter, and does have some passing and digging duties.  She mentioned that Sauer helped her out a lot by taking a lot of the passes from her.

Moving on, we spoke with Inger Katrine-Bjerke and Gabbie Vincent from the Soccer team.  Paulie asked about KB's trip to China, then her further globetrotting back home to visit with family in Norway before returning to Louisville.  They talked about the importance for the backs in the game of Soccer, how they were most responsible for communication on the pitch, and how they had the best vantage point to see the whole field of play and thus were in the best position to communicate what needed to be done.

Finally, visiting with Marigrace Ragsdale, Abby Grimes, and Taylor Stone on the Field Hockey team, we heard about their excitement for hosting both the ACC and NCAA Tournaments at Trager.  We also learned that Marigrace and Abby, both being from St. Louis, have played field hockey together since they were twelve.  We learned how the recruiting process worked to get both of them to Louisville (Abby committed first, Marigrace later asked if it was ok if she also came to play with her at Louisville, an exuberant affirmative being the answer to that.)

Paulie will have much of the audio from these interviews tomorrow on The Cardinal Couple Radio Hour, so be sure to tune in at 11am on Crescent Hill Radio, 100.9 on the FM dial in the central area of Louisville, to hear the recorded audio.  On the plus side, you won't have to listen to us knuckleheads nearly as much as most weeks.

-- JMcA

Harper joins USA U23 squad...WSOC around the corner -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

LINNAE HARPER ADDED TO USA U23 SQUAD

Just in the few times I was able to watch Ohio State guard Linnae Harper perform in the USA U23 trials...I thought she had the stuff to be one of the 12 to make the roster. That happened for her yesterday...as South Carolina center A'ja Wilson is now sidelined with a groin strain and Harper gets added to the roster for the practice sessions and upcoming trip to Japan.

We all remember Linnae...right?  She began her career at UK and was instrumental in helping the Cats beat the Cards in her freshman and sophomore years. Things didn't quite work out for her in Lexington...so the Chicago, IL native decided to move north and join the Ohio State Buckeyes after the 2014-15 season...one of the schools that was in her top five consideration list in high school. She took to Buckeye ball quite well in 2016-17 and was named the Big 10 Sixth Player of the Year in the 2016-17 season as a junior after sitting out 2015-16 under NCAA transfer rules. 

She joins Buckeye teammate Kelsey Mitchell on the squad and also brings an extensive USA and international basketball resume to the roster. She was on the 2011, 2012 and 2013 FIBA World Championship teams playing for the U16, U17 and U19 USA teams. She was on the 2015 USA Pan American team and also played on the 2016 FIBA USA 3X3 squad.

Maybe a bit interesting that the committee replaces height (in Wilson) with guard play (Harper)...but certainly the experience factor Harper has in International play should be beneficial for the team. Erin Boley, at 6'2" impressed me during the medal round games and she can also step out and hit the three. Naturally, I would have loved to see Myisha Hines-Allen get the call...but I'll trust the deciders' judgement here.

With the addition of Harper, three teams now have two players on the roster....UCLA (Monique Billings and Jordin Canada) and Tennessee (Jamie Nared and Mercedes Russell) and Ohio State. Louisville's Asia Durr is also on the squad that includes ACC and Notre Dame's Arike Ogunbowale, Ariel Atkins, Kalani Brown, Sabrina Ionescu and Brittany McPhee. 

USA U23 continues their practice sessions under Jeff Walz in preparation for their August 12th. opener in Tokyo. 

FINALLY, THE COMPETITION IS HERE

We get to see some actual competition in women's fall sports this week...with Louisville women's soccer starting the action off tomorrow with an exhibition game at Ohio State and then returning home to face DePaul on Saturday in another exhibition contest. The DePaul game is part of a double-header at Lynn Stadium...the girls will go first with a 5 p.m. start and the #9 ranked men's team takes on Lipscomb around 7:30 p.m. 

We'll get our first look at some very talented freshmen that have joined Coach Karen Ferguson Dayes roster...including a couple with International backgrounds in Nadage L'Esperance (Canada) and Mollie Rouse (England). There's also some local flair on the roster...with Emina Ekic DuPont Manual) and transfer Kennadi Carbin (2015 Kentucky Player of the Year).

The Kickin' Cards return a wealth of experience on the attack with standouts from last year. Nine of the Cards top 10 scorers return and Ferguson-Dayes will have plenty of options in Shelby Cohen, Daryl Bell, Brooklyn Rivers, Gabby Vincent, Sarah Feola, Alison Price, Kaela Dickerman, Allison Whitfield, Niahm Nelson and Callie McKinney.

Senior Inger Katrine Bjerke returns to lead a defense that allowed just 1.11 goals last season. She'll get help from Arianna Ferraro and Bailey Florek in front of the goal. With the graduation of goalkeeper Taylor Bucklin...we've heard the competition between Gabrielle Kouzelos, Tori Gabor and Lana Batson has been intense for the net-keeping spot.  

Admission is free for the exhibition games at Lynn and season tickets get you into both men's and women's soccer....so why not grab a few for the family and enjoy the action on the pitch? 



paulie
xxxxx

Promising spring, incoming class give Ferguson-Dayes plenty to smile about -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

WSOC Opens Home Exhibition Schedule Aug. 8th.

On a sun-splashed Tuesday morning I headed to the Belknap Campus to discuss the Louisville women's soccer program with head coach Karen Ferguson-Dayes. Instead of the usual, yearly in-office, pre-season chat...I was directed to the McDonald's practice field to conduct the interview. (Ever wondered what the name of the soccer field next to the Bass-Rudd tennis courts and across from Trager Stadium and McDonald's was called? You now know.) 

Summer camp was in session for 65 eager young girls dressed in white t-shirts. The Future Cardinals camp is designed to work with the younger players to develop comfortably and control of the ball. I got lucky, the campers were on a re-hydration break when I showed up..so Coach K. and I were able to get about ten minutes in before the whistles started blowing again. And...two UPS planes joined us as well....which you'll notice during the interview we'll play on Saturday's THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR. (We pride ourselves on getting a plane, train or siren during our outdoor interviews).  

Louisville women's soccer begins the exhibition season on Aug 4th at Ohio State. Most the players are already on campus and a few were present working the camp. I kept my questions pretty short and direct for coach. 

You had a very good spring season from all reports: 

We did! It was actually an excellent spring and something we have prided ourselves on. We kept a clean sheet for our goal keepers and didn't give up a single goal all spring (in four games). We felt really good about that defensively. 

What are some of the expectations you take out of the spring as you get ready for the fall. What are some of the things you're looking for? 

We have a lot of returning players who know our language. Know how we talk. Who have played significant roles for us...who will continue to keep us riding the success of the shutouts in the spring. 

Tell us a bit about the returnees. You have five out of your seven top scorers back and a Bjerke back from China...

K.B. is fantastic. One of the best leaders I've ever coached. she's locked in with what our expectations are, making her teammates better. She's a team captain...this will be the third year she's been a team captain and I'm super excited to get her back on campus. She went to Norway from China. 

A lot of freshmen who have become sophomores. That bodes well for you. 

Absolutely! That class is fantastic. A lot of key kids that played significant roles for us. They are a year older, a year wiser, a year stronger, a year quicker and a year smarter. 

You have some adds on this year. A transfer and some talented freshmen come in. 

Kennady Carbin has been with us here. She came in as a transfer (Mississippi St) last spring and it was invaluable for us to have her for that spring schedule. An exceptional athlete. We look for her to provide an impact for us in scoring goals, creating goals.

The team had a unique opportunity to go to Costa Rica during spring break. Fill us in on that. 

It was a wonderful experience for our team. I think we are a very special group. It gave us a chance to get ever closer. there was not a lot of centered media or telephones...so it gave us a chance to hang out together. We got a lot of positives that will help us be successful this fall. 

( For the entire interview, be sure to catch the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Saturday)

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Successful. It is something the Louisville fans want to see out of "The Ladies of Lynn". 

Coach was hesitant to discuss the freshmen at length...even though all but Emina Ekic are already on campus...but the Cards have some very good ones in her, Taylor Kerwin, Nadage L'Esperance and European standout Mollie Rouse all part of the class of eight newcomers. 

Will they, along with "K.B."...a handful of leading scorers back from last year and a new mindset be enough to get the Cards over the 7-7-4 2016 season and the 8-8-2 record in 2015. Can the Kickin' Cards compile an above .500 slate in the highly-competitive ACC? The Cards haven't been to the NCAA Tournament since 2013...something fans bring up to me at times when we discuss the program. 

On a bright, beautiful morning on the Louisville campus...all seemed possible. All sounds well for the UofL WSOC program. We'll find out how it starts when the ball hits the pitch in Lynn Stadium in a little over three weeks when the the Cards host DePaul in an exhibition. The Blue Demons bested the Cards last year. The returnees haven't forgotten that. 

The ACC competition will not get any easier in 2017. The Cards will be challenged with the pre-conference slate as well...with UK, IU, Purdue, Boston University and Marquette as a few of the teams that will test the Cards. 

Fall sports. They're getting closer and the coaches and players (along with the fans) can't wait. 


paulie
xxxxx

Soccer ties NC State...Volleyball beats BC...Field Hockey readies for BC -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

WSOC, PACK battle to two-overtime tie. 

Yep, you guessed it. If it's Louisville women's soccer...there's probably going to be extra time on the field and a 25% chance of a tie. Such was the case last night in Lynn Stadium...where the #21 Louisville Cardinals women's soccer squad went 110 minutes against the #24 North Carolina State Wolfpack and finished tied at 1-1. 

Both teams scored within less than a minute of each other at the start of the second half. The Wolfpack got the first tally 4:24 into play when Kristina Schuster found a gap in the Cardinal back line and send a rocket past Louisville goalie Taylor Bucklin to the top right corner of the net. 54 seconds later, the Cards retaliated on corner kick opportunity..."K.B" (Inger Katrine Bjerke) "using her head" to take a Brooklyn Rivers in-bounds kick and find the back of the net. 

The Cards narrowly missed a chance to get a second goal in the 81st minute-mark...a Rivers inbounds on a corner kick found Niamh Nelson but her header bounced off the top crossbar and back onto the field...where the Pack was able to make the clear. 

Neither squad was able to get the game winner in the double overtime format...the Cards had a clutch save from Bucklin in the final minute of the first overtime and UofL had back-to-back chances on corner kicks in the second overtime but were unable to get a shot off on goal. 

The Cards (7-3-3, 2-1-2) took 21 shots in the match...nine of them on goal and NC State attempted 21 shots...ten of those on goal. Bucklin finished with nive saves between the pipes. 

The home stand ends Sunday when #15 Clemson comes to Lynn for a 1 p.m. contest. We did notice Cardinal WBB players Briahanna Jackson, Kylee Shook and Bionca Dunham in attendance last night, cheering on the Kickin' Cards. (We didn't see Deb Antonelli but it's just a matter of time until she resurfaces...) 


Paulie caught up with Louisville head coach Karen Ferguson Dayes and Bjerke after the game. You can hear those comments below:  

LINK: INTERVIEW WITH KAREN FERGUSON DAYES

LINK: POST GAME INGER KATRINE BJERKE


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VOLLEYBALL RALLIES ON ROAD TO BEAT BOSTON COLLEGE

After losing the third set 25-14 to the Eagles...one wondered if the Cards could break their four game losing streak...on the road and against a scrappy Boston College squad. Louisville responded in fine fashion, though...squeaking out a 26-24 fourth set and taking the final set 15-12 in chestnut Hill. 

Tess Clark provided a strong punch for Anne Kordes' squad...the middle-blocker getting 16 kills and five blocks. The "J&J" juggernaut...Jasmine Bennett and Janelle Jenkins also figured heavily in the win...with 18 and 14 kills respectively. Molly Sauer put in a very big effort with consistent passing, big serves and gutty defense. 



Anne Kordes was effusive in her praise for her squad: 

"That win felt fantastic. It was similar to so many of last year's wins...where we accomplished so much relying on a team effort. Everyone brought something to the floor at different times."

After losing the first set 23-25, the Wide Netters from the Ville roared back for a 25-18 win. After the break, Boston College dominated the third set 25-14 and jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the fourth set. The Cards got it back to an 11-11 tie but found themselves faced with a 21-23 deficit late. Tied at 24, Louisville benefited from a BC error and Molly Sauer's service ace gave Louisville the come-from-behind win. 

UofL jumped out to an commanding 11-5 lead in the final set but had to hold off a determined Eagles effort to get the 15-13 win. At 13-12, kills from Melanie McHenry and Tess Clark gave the Cards the three-point victory. 

Louisville (6-9, 1-4) gets their first ACC win of the season and will head to Syracuse next for a 1 p.m. match against the Orange on Sunday.


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TOP 15 MATCH TONIGHT IN TRAGER IN LOUISVILLE VS BC

"Wait a second, Skipper. Didn't Louisville
just play Boston College?" 

A different group of Eagles fly into Trager Stadium tonight...these being the Field Hockey variety for Boston College as the #8 Cards take to the pitch for a 6 p.m. affair in ACC action.

Don't let the 4-6 record for the Bostonians fool you. They've been competitive in each game this season and do own wins against #18 Stanford and #3 North Carolina this year. They're currently on a three game slide...but the competition has been stout with contests against top 25 foes Virginia, UMass and Duke. 


Louisville (10-2) is in the middle of a five game home-stand...defeating Iowa 2-1 last Sunday.  

The teams last met in Chestnut Hill last October...the Cards getting a 3-2 come-from-behind win. Current Cardinals Stephanie Byrne and Nicole Woods scored late goals to propel the Cards to that victory. Both of those players, in addition to leading scorer Minout Mink and goalkeeper Ayeshia McFerran will be counted on for big performances tonight. 

It's FRIENDS OF JACKLYN night at Trager, so get out and help support this very worthy cause from an organization that promotes improving the quality of life for children with brain tumors and other childhood cancer by pairing them with a sports team. 

If you can't make it, the contest will be shown on the ACC Network Extra...the indefatigable and eloquent Sean Moth handling play-by-play.


paulie
xxxxx  

Options, combinations...and domination for Louisville Field Hockey -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

CARDS WIN (pick your score) OVER OHIO

Louisville Field Hockey got the 2016 season off to a roaring start yesterday with a...(1) 7-0...(2) 8-0 or...(3) 12-2 win over the Bobcats of Ohio University at Trager Field. Ah, the complexities of preseason final score determination. 

Exhibition stuff. A lot of factors. The Cards won the 70 minute battle 7-0. They played a seven vs. seven overtime simulation. The Cards won that 1-0. Then, a goalkeeper shootout that UofL won 4-2. And, while the win was nice...head coach Justine Sowry wasn't as concerned with that as much as how the multiple combinations and options she inserted in the match and put together performed on the field during the contest. 

They all looked pretty good from the press box at Trager. 

The charm of Cardinal Couple player interviews continues...with Lotta Kahlert, Nicole Woods and Erin McCrudden scoring five of the eight goals in the 80 minute time-frame. They also had three of the four successful one-on-one goalkeeper scores. We spoke with all three at the Fall women's sports media day. May the force continue to be wih them 

And, after a slow, scoreless start for the squads over the first 22 minutes or so...it was UofL domination. The Cards had four new players to the program in the starting lineup. Three were freshmen, three were internationals. 

Combinations take time. A 2-0 halftime didn't seem to be a true indicator of the first 35 minutes....Louisville had a 11-1 shots lead and 8-1 shots on goal edge.
   

By the time it ended, Louisville had a 24-4 shot edge. A 15-3 shots on goal advantage. Goalkeeper Ayeshia McFerran had time enough to count cars rolling down Warnock Street behind her and categorize them by color if she had wanted to. They don't keep a time possession stat in Field Hockey. That's probably good news for Ohio...who possessed the ball about as much as a turtle outruns Usain Bolt. Things were a little slow down at the south end of the stadium in the first half and by the walking track in the final 35.

The catch of it is that Ohio is not that bad of a team. They'll probably contend for the MAC Conference title this season. They have three Louisville high school players on the roster in Sophia Cristofoli (Sacred Heart), Amy Edgerton (Mercy) and Hannah Kingsbury (Manual). Assistant coach Rachel McCarthy played for UofL. That may have been the reason the Ohio U. fan base equaled Louisville's in numbers yesterday

Things get a bit tougher eight days from now when the Cards travel to Bloomington to face IU in the season opener.

Hopefully, there won't be any need for seven-on-seven silliness or one-on-one with a goalkeeper...

We got interviews with head coach Justine Sowry and mid-fielder Lotta Kahlert after the match and will play them on THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR Saturday. I resisted using the phrase 'a whole lotta Lotta going on'. It's a long season. 

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WSOC FACES IU TODAY IN BLOOMINGTON

Speaking of IU, Bloomington and women's athletics...Karen Ferguson-Dayes' takes the Louisville women's soccer team to the Hoosier campus for a 7 p.m. match tonight that will open the regular season for the Kickin' Cards. 

Louisville went 1-1 in the exhibition season...falling in the final seconds at DePaul 1-0 and shutting out Morehead State 5-0 Saturday at Lynn Stadium.

15 newcomers fill the Cards lineup as they face an IU squad picked to finish 12th in the Big 10 (how is that possible?) 

We wish Gabrielle Vincent, Inger Katine-Bjerke and Taylor Bucklin...as well as the rest of the squad...the best of luck against IU. 

Gotta keep that "interview-with-Cardinal-Couple-and-play-well" streak alive. Since these three are defenders--we expect we'll give a shout-out for a shut-out.

This one can be heard on the radio I'm being told. 

LINK: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/Indiana/#

An interesting concept. Are you listening Louisville AM sports radio? 

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LOUISVILLE WOMEN'S SOCCER WANTS YOU!

A great list of promos below to get you into Lynn Stadium this fall to watch the Kickin' Cards. 

paulie
xxxxx 

Women's Soccer exhibition today -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

WSOC kicks off schedule at DePaul

It won't count in the regular season standings or determine strength of schedule rankings...but UofL women's soccer gets its first test of the year in Chicago today at noon when they play an exhibition match against DePaul.

The Blue Demons could prove to be a tough opening test for UofL...they were 6-1-1 in the BIG EAST last year, 12-4-4 overall and fell in the conference championships title game to Providence. 

Karen Ferguson-Dayes takes her team to the Windy City with a few "givens" and several questions. Taylor Bucklin won a tough competition for goalkeeper last season and will anchor the CARDINAL defense. With the exhibition type format, it's likely that Coach K will take a look at all three goalkeepers on the roster...but we're hearing Bucklin is poised to have a fantastic senior season. 

Inger Katrine-Bjerke, a CARDINAL COUPLE favorite, will also be back as a defender and will be part of a unit that also returns senior starter Caroline Kimble. 

There are a wealth of new players to the roster. At last count, 11 freshmen and three transfers have joined the returning roster. For those who followed the career of Casey Whitfield...she's graduated but her younger sister Alison Whitfield is a freshman on the roster. She's a local product and rumored to be a high-profile scorer out of Louisville Manual. 

The Cards scored 17 goals in 18 games last year and a little over half of that fire power returns in juniors Alison Price, Shelby Cohen and sophomores Gabrielle Vincent and Jill Vetere...all had two goals scored last season. A year's experience is bound to improve all four...but there will be challengers for playing time from the returnees and newcomers at forward and midfield. Ferguson-Dayes made it clear at the end of last year that she needed more spark in the offense...averaging less that a point a game would bear that out. 

The Cards were 8-8-2 last season, a slight improvement record wise from 2014...but in terms of learning and effort, Coach K. feels they were markedly better. The wealth of newcomers to the program and the short time from the start of practice to game day action probably means that the team will be "picking it up as they go" early in the season...after the DePaul exhibition...the Cards will scrimmage against Morehead St. in Lynn Stadium on Saturday and then get the official season underway at Indiana on Friday August, 19th. The home opener is against Indiana State on Sunday August 21st. 

Over .500 this year for the Kickin' Cards? The possibility is there with eight starters back and an impressive array of new talent. It's time to 'get your kicks' on Floyd Street...and hopefully they are net-finders for the Red and Black...

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THANK YOU, THANK YOU! 

Our radio show...THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR...continues to receive high ratings at our broadcast venue...WCHQ 100.9 FM and on the internet.

In fact, we're the highest rated show for July and early August. "They" said a women's sports show would never fly at some stations. We have proved them wrong. Crescent Hill Radio took a chance on us and, to paraphrase Hazel Miller, 

"Look what we can do, Louisville!"  

WE owe it all to you, the listeners. As we say:

YOU ARE CARDINAL COUPLE. We'll never forget that. 

We have an exciting fall planned for you on radio and at this website. A surprise of sorts later this week for you. A commitment to continue to bring you the fan's vocie and perspective of UofL sports and interviews with the student-athletes, coaches and others who make it a pleasure to write about the joy and excitement of UofL women's athletics.  

paulie
xxxxx

Softball travels to UNC...Women's Soccer faces Bowling Green today...SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

SOFTBALL HEADS TO CAROLINA FOR SERIES

The #25 Louisville Softball squad takes their 23-6 record to Chapel Hill today for a three game set against UNC in ACC action. The Cards are coming off a 12-0 whitewash of WKU Wednesday and have won 11 games in a row. 

Sandy Pearsall's Hit and Pitch Cards are 8-1 in the ACC and in second place in the conference behind Florida State. Maryssa Becker leads the way for Louisville in hitting with a .433 average. She also has a 12-4 record inside the circle ans an impressive 1.65 ERA.

Louisville has outscored their opponents 194-74 on the season. 

OK...It's not hoops today, but I like the graphic. 

The TarHeels sit eighth in the conference with a 3-6 record and have complied a 17-17 record overall. Louisville won two out the three meetings last year against the Tar Heels.

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SPRING SOCCER IN CARDINAL PARK TODAY

Looking to get out and enjoy the spring weather? Head over to campus and catch Louisville women's soccer in a spring exhibition against Bowling Green today at Cardinal Park (not Lynn Stadium) at 2 p.m.

Today's match will be the first of three at home for Karen Ferguson-Dayes squad...they'll also face Ohio State next Saturday ( at Lynn Stadium) and end the spring schedule with a night game April 14th against Miami, OH at Cardinal Park. 

Catch favorites Taylor Bucklin, Inger Katrine Bjerke, Bella Habuda and the rest of the Kickin' Cards for these free games. You can also get a great deal on men's and women's season tickets for as low as $45 for both teams' home schedules. Louisville women's soccer has an impressive home fall schedule with Clemson, Kentucky, Notre Dame and Virginia just several of the opponents that will visit The Palace. 

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THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR

We're back on the air today for what promises to be another exciting broadcast of THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR. We'll have special guest UofL videographer Clay Barnes in studio with us...as well as getting you caught up on all the news about UofL women's sports. 

Be sure to tune in at 11 a.m. to WCHQ 100.9 FM locally and on the Internet at www.crescenthillradio.com

paulie
xxxxx

Louisville women's Soccer -- Progress made, work to be done...THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

KICKIN' CARDS WIND UP A SEASON OF UPS AND DOWNS.

When you walk into Louisville women's Soccer coach Karen Ferguson-Dayes' office, the first thing you notice is the half dozen or so framed international Soccer jerseys. They represent the hometowns or club teams where current or former UofL women's soccer players are from. Germany, Mexico, Canada and other jerseys...all brilliantly colored and decorated with the team names and advertising sponsors of these squads.

The jerseys haven't made it to a hanging status yet...leaning against the wall waiting for a craftsman's hammer and nail to place them. They mirror the status of the program itself...progress made, in place and waiting for the next step. 

Louisville women's Soccer will not participate in the ACC or NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row...a .500 record and ninth place in the ACC being a resume that won't get the school recognized nor their named called November 9th. The progress from 2014 to 2015, though, is recognizable...after this second year in the toughest conference in women's college Soccer.

Ferguson-Dayes will lose a few impact makers...which is to be expected. You can't keep them forever. Casey Whitfield...who, when not hobbled with her achilles heel, was a definite scoring threat. Hannah Konermann, seemingly everywhere on the field and defensive star. It was Konermann's free kick that sent the ball eventually into Caroline Kimble for the score that beat UNC. Perfectly placed to Hannah Harris. Both Whitfield (Manual) and Konermann (Mercy) Louisville products. Midfield speedsters Rachel Avant, Aubrey Baker and Lexie Niedoba also matriculate out into the work-a-day world. 

Those that return, though...give Louisville a solid nucleus to continue improving. Especially on the defensive end. where tough-as-nails goalies Taylor Bucklin and Paige Brown are back, everyone's favorite Norwegian defensive distributor Inger Katirne Bjerke and Isabella Gutierrez return. Defense was the guiding force in wins over UNC and Syracuse, a tie against Duke and close contests against Virginia and Kentucky.

Scoring? Always a tricky thing to come up with a Charlyn Corral or Christine Exeter type that can take games over...but Louisville returns Bella Habuda, Alison Price, Jill Vetere, Tina Marlot, Aubrey Baker, Gabrielle Vincent and Shelby Cohen who were the leading shooters and scorers for Ferguson-Dayes in 2015. A very promising class of 2016 will augment and bolster these attackers.

"I had a couple of girls who had to play out of their normal positions this year because of needs and injuries. I think you'll see just how really good they are once I get them back over to where they belong in 2016." 

Unfinished work. Finishing touches. Climbing up the ladder in tough competition. The jerseys will get hung and more will follow. The program will climb the ladder, too and achieve a higher destination and record. 

It's all about timing, placement and skill. The frames are in place. The players already preparing for next season. The final touches just need to be applied...and the future designing outlined. 

With Karen Ferguson-Dayes in charge of the projects, it'll be a masterpiece ahead... 

Be sure to catch our exclusive interview with Coach Karen on our Saturday radio show...THE CARDINAL COUPLE HOUR.

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STICK CARDS START ACC TOURNAMENT TODAY

Another architect of success on the Belknap Campus...head Louisville Field Hockey coach Justine Sowry....is in Charlottesville, VA today to lead the #9 Cardinals into battle against UNC in the quarterfinals of the ACC Field Hockey Championships. 

Revenge is one of the dishes that hopefully be served today...Louisville was handed their worst defeat of the season by the TarHeels in Chapel Hill and a win over UNC today would assure the Cards will be one of the 18 teams that compete in the NCAA Field Hockey Championships. The Cards are, in all likelihood, already in the Big Dance...but a win today could put Louisville in the running as a possible host for first and second round action at Trager Stadium. 

Defense, discipline and following the process all keys that Louisville will need to employ to continue their current six game winning streak. 

Game time is 4 p.m. and will be available on ESPN3. 

We'll have a full recap of the action and also air our interview earlier this week with Coach Sowry on the Saturday radio show. Tune in to WCHQ 100.9 or join us at Crescent Hill Radio at 11 a.m. Saturday!


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PROGRESS...

A visit to campus yesterday afforded me the opportunity to snap these images of the nearly-completed Louisville Lacrosse press box. The only thing left is the hanging of the CARDINAL COUPLE MEMORIAL PRESS BOX sign...

LACROSSE season starts in February. I'll be checking back on the building to see how the heating ventilation is set up... T

paulie