LAX wins 15-7 over Xavier -- WBB transfers --- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Hey there

Daryl here checking in for Thursday... Jared and I made this switch this week.  He was out at the Lacrosse match over at Cardinal Stadium last night taking pics and talking to the victors following the match and we really appreciate those shots to share here daily.

Lacrosse

The UofL LAX squad got the 15-7 victory over Xavier at L&N stadium.

   

The Cards got out to the 3-0 lead, scoring in the first 45 seconds of the match. Kylea Dobson and Kokoro Nakazawa had 2 goals each in the quarter where the Cards managed the 6-1 lead.   Dobson got the scoring going early again for the Cards to start the second quarter and UofL scored 6 more goals, giving up 2 to take the 12-3 lead into the halftime break. 

 

UofL scored only 3 goals in the second half after posting an insurmountable lead.  Nakazawa lead in goals scored for the Cards with 4 on 7 shots, Dobson had 3 and Perroni with 2. 

 

Sara Addeche and J Pleck split the goal keeping duties with Addeche picking up the win with 6 saves and 3 goals allowed.  

LAX PHOYOS BY JARED ANDERSON

They said it 

Post  Xavier match comments 

 

----   Kylea Dobson and Coach Scott Teeter 

Up Next

The Cards hit the road to top ranked Syracuse for an afternoon tilt Saturday 3/30 on the ACCNX.  

WBB News

Basketball transitions have been happening this 'march madness' for the commonwealth.  

For UofL WBB,  redshirt sophomore Alexia Mobley announced via her Instagram she would be transferring.  The 6-2 forward averaged 1.6 ppg.  

Photo: Jared Anderson

It was also reported earlier this week that Hennie van Schaik would be transferring from the program. She played in 15 games for the Cards in 2023-24

Photo: Jared Anderson

We at Cardinal Couple wish both of them much success on their journeys. 

Photo: Jared Anderson

Let's finish this week strong.  

As always, 

Go Cards

Daryl 

Lax Wins at Vandy -- Softball Hosts Bellarmine -- ACC WBB Tournament -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Lacrosse Survives Late Surge to Defeat Vanderbilt

Despite a late run by Vanderbilt, Louisville Lacrosse was able to hang on for the win, 15-12. Kylea Dobson scored a career-high six goals to help the Cards get the win and improve to 3-2 on the year.

Nicole Perroni scored a season-high four goals while Kokoro Nakazawa logged a hat trick. Negai Nakazawa scored the other two goals for the Cards as only four different players recorded a goal for Louisville in the match.

Madi McKee had a strong showing with 12 draw controls and two assists. Perroni had two assists while Tiffany Natoli and Kokoro Nakazawa each recorded one assist.

The Cards raced out to a 3-0 lead three and a half minutes into the match before Vanderbilt got onto the board with a goal. Louisville commanded a 6-1 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Vandy went on a 3-0 run to start the second quarter before Louisville used a 3-0 spurt to push their lead back out. Vandy netted one more goal shortly before halftime, but Louisville held a 9-5 advantage.

While we don't know what was said in the locker room at the break, it must have been inspiring. Scott Teeter's squad raced out of the gate to start the second half, scoring three goals over a 10-minute span. Vanderbilt broke the run with a goal before Louisville scored a pair of goals in an eight second stretch to command a 14-6 lead heading into the final period.

Louisville made a substitution at goalkeeper for the fourth quarter with Sara Addeche coming out and Aubrey Bagenstose going in. The Commodores took advantage of the change as they used a pair of 3-0 runs split by a Louisville goal to rally. The final Vanderbilt goal came with 1:52 remaining in the match before Louisville held on to claim the win.

Addeche allowed six goals along with four saves in her 45:00 of play, earning her win number three this year.

Louisville comes home after a 1-1 road trip. The Cards hosts Cincinnati on Friday at 4:00 p.m. and then Pitt on Sunday at 4:00 p.m.

Softball Hosts Bellarmine

Fresh off a strong 4-1 weekend in Orlando, Louisville softball comes home for the first time this season when they take on crosstown rival Bellarmine. First pitch is slated for 5:00 p.m. and admission is free. The early start time will unfortunately draw a smaller-than-normal crowd.

Louisville enters the game with a 10-4 record on the year and are in the receiving votes category of the most recent Coaches Poll.

Bellarmine is 1-13 on the year with their lone win coming against Sacred Heart University. The Knights went 10-41 in their first year in Division I last year.

In their lone meeting (excluding exhibition games), the Cards defeated Bellarmine 8-1.

You can catch this one on ACCNX.

ACC Women's Basketball Tournament and ACC Pick Em

IMPORTANT NOTE. IF YOU USED THE ALLY FINANCIAL BRACKET TO FILL OUT THE CONTEST... THEY MESSED UP WEDNESDAY'S GAMES. IT SHOULD BE WAKE FOREST VS VIRGINIA, CLEMSON VS PITT and BOSTON COLLEGE VS GA TECH. 

WE NEED VIVIAN, JOE HILL, SONJA, NICK O, BEN JONES, CURTIS FRANKLIN and K.S. TO CHECK YOUR ENTRIES FOR WEDNESDAY GAMES AND LEAVE ANY CHANGES YOU WANT TO MAKE IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION.

THANK YOU.....PAULIE AND JARED

We are just one day away from the ACC Women's Basketball Tournament, with the first game starting at 1:00 p.m. om Wednesday. With the exception of the ACC Championship, which will be aired on ESPN, all games will be on ACC Network.

Louisville will play on Friday at 11:00 a.m. and will face either 5-seed Florida Sate, 12-seed Wake Forest, or 13-seed Virginia.

While Paulie will not be able to make the trip down this year we have an alternative in the works that will hopefully be announced soon.

With the ACC Tournament being back, it means that the Cardinal Couple ACC Pick Em is back as well. We've already started receiving entries and there is still time to get yours submitted. You can add your picks on here or send them via email at eupherjared@gmail.com. Any entries sent via email will be put in the comments section as well so everyone can follow along. The cutoff time for entries is noon ET on Wednesday.

A $25 Cracker Barrel Gift Card prize for the winner and a $15 Taco Bell gift card for the runner up !

WE'D LIKE TO THANK CRACKER BARREL AND TACO BELL FOR THEIR SPONSORSHIP !!

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!

Jared

Lax Downs UC -- Softball Begins Bluegrass Challenge -- Praasterink to NCAAs -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

LAX Cards Down Bearcats in Battle for I-71

Making just their second road trip this season, Louisville lacrosse found major success with a 16-9 win at Cincinnati. An 8-5 second quarter and holding the Bearcats to two second half goals proved to be the difference maker.

Louisville found themselves down 2-0 early inside Nippert Stadium, but powered through with a 4-0 run over the remainder of the first quarter and the beginning of the second quarter. A 2-0 spurt by Cincinnati evened the score before Louisville pulled off a 7-3 run to close out the half for a small lead.

Following the intermission, the Cards had a 4-1 third quarter to have a comfortable seven-goal lead. The match was never in doubt following that with a quiet 1-1 fourth quarter.

Allegra Catalano was the top scorer for Louisville with four goals. She also added an assist to go with her four scores. Caroline Blalock posted a hat trick while adding five assists, tying the fourth-best mark in assists in a single game by a Louisville player.

Kylea Dobson earned a name for herself with a hat trick and the always reliable Nicole Perroni had a three-piece of her own. Tiffany Natoli contributed two goals and the lone remaining goal came from Abby Scully.

J Pleck got the start and allowed four goals to go with four saves over 19:10. Sara Addeche came in relief for the final 40:50 to allow five goals with four saves and earn the win.

Cincinnati seems to be uncertain on where they play their games. When Paulie and I attended the LAX game up there last time, it was at Gettler Stadium (the UC soccer facility). They've also used Sheakley Athletic Center  (their on campus "bubble" for LAX and Football practice) and Nippert Stadium...where they play home football games. Judging by the attendance, Nippert was way too large a venue for the event, but the Cards won and probably would have taken UC on in an abandoned lot by the train station to extend their dominance. 

Louisville improves to 5-3 on the year. They visit #2 North Carolina on Sunday.

Softball Hosts Bluegrass Challenge

Less than ideal weather has caused Louisville softball to alter their schedule for the Bluegrass Challenge well before the first pitch is ever thrown, but the Cards are slated for five games this weekend.

Louisville opens up play at 5:00 p.m., today against Central Michigan. They will then turn around and face Valparaiso immediately after.

The Cards have a 3:00 p.m. game against Central Michigan and a 5:30 p.m. game against Ohio on Friday.

There will be no games on Saturday due to the forecast. Louisville will square off against Indiana at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday.

Eastern Kentucky will also be in town, but the Cards and Colonels will not face each other.

The Cards are 1-0 against Central Michigan (2014) and 2-0 against Valparaiso (2012, 2021). The Cards have seen Ohio a few more times and hold a 7-2 record against them, most recently with a win in 2017. Louisville and Indiana have faced each other almost a couple dozen times with UofL holding a 19-3 advantage. Louisville defeated Indiana 9-5 in their fourth game this season.

Else Praasterink to Compete at NCAAs

Else Praasterink has punched her ticket to the NCAA Championships after finishing second in the platform diving qualifying meet in Ann Arbor.

Praasterink scored a 303.05 in prelims and a 592.05 overall score to place second.

The sophomore from the Netherlands is the only Louisville diver on the women's side to qualify but will be one of 15 Cardinals to compete in the NCAAs.

Emily Engstler Named as Cheryl Miller Award Finalist

Emily Engstler has been named one of the five finalists for the 2022 Cheryl Miller Award. The award is presented to the top small forward in NCAA Division I women's basketvball 

The other four candidates are Ashley Joens (Iowa State), Rhyne Howard (UK), Haley Jones (Stanford) and Madi Williams (Oklahoma).  Ashley Joens won the award in 2021 

Date and time to announce the winner will be determined at a later date and will be done in conjunction with the other four winners of the Women's Starting Five. Those are the point guard, shooting guard, power forward and center awards. 

Want more info?  We suggest you check out www.hoophallawards.com  

NCAA Selection Show / Cardinal Couple Pick Em

The NCAA Women's Basketball Selection Show is this coming Sunday night and the Cards should be considered a lock in the tournament and to host the opening two rounds at the KFC Yum! Center. If either of those things don't happen then there's a serious problem.

The Cardinal Couple ACC Pick Em was a big success despite a surprising couple of upsets. With 26 entries, it was our biggest entry pool to date.

With that being said, the Cardinal Couple NCAA Pick Em is good to go again this year! From the moment the teams are announced and up until right before the first games tip off, you will be able to enter. Start studying up!

We know, there are a whole lot more teams to choose from in the NCAA WBB Pick 'Em.  But, it is free and Paulie is conducting high level, top secret negotiations to secure gift cards for the winner and runner up. He also appreciates your e-mails on gift card suggestions. He did discover that Ford does not have a gift card for a new truck, and he couldn't find one for a brand new house. 

Happy Thursday and Go Cards!

Jared