Lacrosse starts ACC Tournament play today...Walz to coach on U19 team -- Thursday Cardinal Couple

( In the Thursday edition of CARDINAL COUPLE, we look at Lacrosse heading to the ACC Tournament and Walz headed to Russia. An international flair mixed with free position shots for you as we move toward the weekend!) 


LAX FACES DUKE IN ACC TOURNAMENT


No one said the first year in the ACC for Louisville Lacrosse would be an easy affair...and the Cards ended up right where the preseason prognostications put them, in seventh place...as they move from conference schedule to conference tournament today.

Charlottesville, VA is the home of the University of Virginia and it is where Louisville will look to survive and advance in the ACC Tournament against #2 seed Duke today at 4 p.m.

The two did hook up in conference play at the Louisville Lacrosse Stadium on March 14th. The Cards led early in this one and took it to the wire before falling to the Blue Devils 10-8.

Faye Brust, Kaylin Morissettte, Hannah Koloski and Cortnee Daley had two goals each in the loss. Two Duke goals in the final 1:20...including one with a second left...were the difference. We also had a great post-game interview with the Duke head coach Kerstin Kimel, who started the program in 1996, after the game. The recap with Coach Young was...well...a bit subdued and very short. 


The Cards finished regular season play 10-6 and are currently ranked 11th in the nation. Without Faye Brust (knee injury) the attack has suffered but Louisville did knock off #10 Notre Dame to end the season. The Blue Devils ended the regular season with a loss to top-ranked North Carolina in Durham, NC. Louisville could use a win here, or at least a very close game to bolster their hopes to play in the NCAA Tournament this year.

Kaylin Morissette was the sole Card to be selected to the All-ACC Lacrosse team and was a first team selection. 

It'll be on ESPN 3 if you want to play along at home...

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WALZ RETURN AS USA BASKETBALL COACH

The headline may be a bit misleading...Jeff Walz never left the USA to coach anywhere else.

 (imagine Walz coaching the Chinese National team)

What we're trying to say is that the mad scientist will hook up again this summer with Dawn Staley head coaching and Kim Barnes Arico keeping those two in check as they select and take a team to Chekhov, Russia for the USA U-19 World Championships.

The trio won the FIBA Americas U18 title in Colorado Springs last summer. One would surmise that those girls (including Louisville's Mariya Moore) might have the inside track to make the U19 squad...but approximately 30 girls will be involved in the tryouts. You have to be born on or after Jan. 1, 1996 to be considered...CARDINAL COUPLE'S Sonja just missing the cutoff date...

Tryouts are May 14-17, in Colorado Springs at the US Olympic Training Facility and action begins on July 18th against Spain. 

16 nations will quest for the title...a title won by the USA the last five consecutive times. 

Oo-da-chee! (Which is 'good luck' in Russian)

paulie