Sunday Cardinal Couple

SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Year of the Cardinal

-Nice surprise

Louisville has a lot to be proud of in their athletic acheivements from the 2013 season. Now, there's a link you can go to which chronicles all these successes:

YEAR OF THE CARDINAL

Which of the acheivements was the best? That is a hard one to pick. Winning a national championship is hard to top. Taking a BCS Bowl game in football also ranks high. The runner-up finish in women's basketball another contender.

Feel free to tell us which is #1 in your opinion in the comments section.

For me, the best game of the year was Louisville's upset
win over Baylor in women's basketball in the Oklahoma City regionals. It may be the biggest upset ever in the history of women's basketball.

While I'm looking at moments that were good, I'll also offer a couple of moment that weren't so good..for fair and balanced reporting. Watching Louisville WBB lose a double digit lead to Kentucky in the KFC YUM! Center stung. Seeing UCLA destroy the softball Cards in the regionals at Ulmer was a nightmare also.

And if it is the year of the Cardinal...who was the best Cardinal in women's sports?

I'll offer five. You can pick one or come up with your own.

1) Shoni Schimmel. Her season was an excellent one and she's preparing to play in the World University Games. I'll never forget her "how do you like me now?" moment after hitting the impossible shot against Brit Griner.

2) Alicja Wolny. Led the softball Cards in hitting and made the Great Britian National Team for the European Championships. Was the embodiment of team leadership for Sandy Pearsall's squad and is also a fun interview.

3) Rachel Melhado. A steller star for Karen Ferguson Dayes soccer squad and is also getting some overseas time playing for Team Canada in Germany. Solid mid-fielder and defender that leads by example.

4) Lola Arsenbeckova. The outside hitter powerhouse for Louisville Volleyball willed the Cards to a great season and another BIG EAST Championship with her "killing" ways.

5) Nikki Boltja. The big-time lacrosse scorer was at the forefront of Louisville lacrosse's turnaround season. Leader in scoring, determination and hard work for a very good, young and talented team returning for Kellie Young.

Good choices all. But, when it's the Year of the Cardinal, that's how it should be.

Women's Coach of the Year at UofL? That's another toughie, since a bunch of them had great seasons. I'll go with Jeff Walz...getting a group of kids to believe in themselves and what they could accomplish. It got them to New Orleans and the NCAA WBB Finals.

Years ago, there was a song out by a guy named Al Stewart named "Year of the Cat". No, it wasn't about UK. Who would you choose to step up and write and perform "Year of the Cardinal?" I'll suggest a couple of singers with Louisville roots. How about Mickey Clark, the ol' Cardinal Cannonball hmself? Or our favorite year at CARDINAL COUPLE...Robbie Bartlett? Maybe even pep band director Al Greener...Or, Russ Smith? He seems like he can do everything Louisville related.

I have to confess, though...every year is Year of the Cardinal for me, though. From the first goal attempt for Louisville Soccer in early August to the final catch in the outfield at Ulmer Stadium...the eight months or so of Louisville women's athletics is a very special time.

Good thoughts about a good season. And next year could be just as good. I can hardly wait.

-Paulie

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I chose not to attend Churchill Downs last night because of the impending, forecasted weather and also because I'd been there the last two days. I did have a little money left in my Twinspires and TVG accounts, though...so I did a little pre-racing wagering and got involved in other pursuits Saturday night.

Got around to checking it this morning.

A nice surprise on a minimal 50 cent wager on a Pick 3 at Churchill for me. I used Brian Hernandez, Jr. on Maypark and a couple of others in the 5th. race. Maypark got it done.

Picked the favorite and Hernandez again and added Seton Hall in the 6th. Since we're leaving the BIG EAST, it seemed the right thing to do. Seton Hall wins at 32-1. (It may be the biggest win ever associated with the name SETON HALL.) Also a $4 across the board on the Ian Wilkes horse.

Finished it up with JJ Hysell's pick Debt Ceiling and Runkle in the 7th. Debt Ceiling romps them at 5-1.

Payout? $603. Barely an IRS reportable. But...acceptable.

That covers a week of being unemployed.

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Thursday Cardinal Couple -- Exeter, Melhado to play for Team Canada U 20

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THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- Soccer Cards will miss first six games for UofL while at U 20 World Cup.

-Team USA WBB defeats Australia 86-73 to reach finals. 

The University of Louisville women's soccer team will start the 2012 season without two of their top players as junior forward Christine Exeter and junior defender Rachel Melhado will play for Canada at the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Japan. 

Exeter ( Pickering H.S./Pickering Ont.) and Melhado (Turner Fenlon H.S./Brampton, Ont.) will leave with their teammates Wednesday for the cup battles...which are scheduled Aug. 19-Sept. 8 in five cities across Japan. 

16 teams will vye for the title which will consist of group play before the quarterfinals on Aug 30-31st, semi-finals Sept 4th and gold and bronze matches on Sept. 8th. If they finish in the top four, the duo would miss two exhibition games and five regular season matches...including the UK game on Sept. 7th at Cardinal Park.

Exeter led Louisville last season with 14 goals and was the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year. She's also a unanimous pre-season pick for 2012 All-BIG EAST.

Louisville opens the season Friday night with an exhibition game against Ohio State. Other games they could potentially miss are: 

8/12    Wright State (exhibition)
8/17    at Butler
8/24    Purdue
8/31    SEMO @ Lexington, KY
9/02    UNC Greensboro @ Lexington, KY
9/07    Kentucky

'We are absolutely thrilled for Christine and Rachel as they pursue their dreams of winning a youth world championship. Although we will miss their presence in games and training, we understand the privilege that comes with playing for your country. We know they will  represent both UofL and Canada exceptionally well." -- Louisville head coach Karen Ferguson-Dayes.

Imagine Louisville WBB without Shoni and Shawnta Dyer for the first six games. Or Anne Kordes without Lola Arslanbeckova and Gwen Rucker during the early season...if you're looking for comparative player losses. That's a tough road to travel, especially with a young team, as Ferguson-Dayes has.  


For the 2012 season, the Cards have
only three seniors and nine juniors are on the 30-player Louisville roster...six sophomores and twelve freshmen fill out the remaining spots. Louisville could look to Kim Sharo, Angelika Uremovich and newcomer Charlyn Corral to pick up the scoring void for the Cards that the absence of Exeter will create. Emily Cardell, limited to just four games last year because of injuries, could also be a key, early scoring factor for UofL. 

Melhado started all 24 games as a defender for Louisville last year. The Cards do return veterans Courtney Holtz and Chelsea Hunter as defenders and goalie Chloe Kiefer will keep the Cards strong at the net when opponents have the ball.

Louisville begins the eleven-game BIG EAST regular season schedule Sept. 14th at Notre Dame. 

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#8 gets eight minutes against the Aussies

A win today for Olympic USA women's basketball over a tough as advertised Australia squad....86-73 with defense getting the job done in the second half. USA with no answers for Liz Cambage in the first half, 19 points for the 6'8" Tulsa Shock center. USA down 47-43 at the half. 

Tina Charles stepping up, taking it "very personal" and fatigue a factor to holding Cambage scoreless in the second half. USA using a 10-3 late third quarter run to lead 65-59 after three quarters, after trailing 56-55 with 3:55 to go in the quarter. 

Disappointing use of Angel today...eight minutes, four points...sat the bench the entire fourth quarter...Geno preferring to go with Ashia Jones, Maya Moore, Mary Tyler Moore...anyone he could find instead of the leading scorer in the WNBA. Puzzling, for sure. Predictable, yeah. After all, it is Geno. Probably tough for Jeff Walz, who flew over to catch the semis and final. 

"Yeah...Angel's still sitting." 

Diana Taurasi, saddled with foul trouble late, led UConn (oops!) USA with 14, Charles with 14 also and Sue Bird added 13. UConn gets the gold, silver and bronze. 

UConn  USA faces the winner of Russia v. France for the gold on Saturday.

Whoever...the real title was won today, more specifically in the second half of today's game when the 'Dream Team' woke up from their slumber and shut down #2 in the world with defense. 



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