Soccer Hosts Syracuse -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 Cards Host Syracuse in Home Opener

For the first time this season, Louisville women's soccer will play at home.  The Cards make their way to Dr Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium for the first time this season after a two-game road stint to start the year. The Syracuse Orange are the Cards opponent this afternoon.

Louisville (1-1) comes up north after a season opening 3-0 victory at Miami and then a 1-0 loss at Florida State.

Syracuse fell in their season opener to Pitt, 2-0.  Goalkeeper Lysianne Proulx had a career day against Pitt, recording 10 saves.  Proulx led the conference in saves last year with 96, and is off to a hot start this year. The Orange finished second-to-last in the conference last year with a 1-7-1 record.  They finished the year even with an 8-8-2 record with a strong showing at home.

They averaged 0.75 goals per match while allowing 1.75 goals per match.  In fact, Syracuse had more yellow cards (14) than goals (12) in 2019.

In last year's match, Louisville took the win 3-0.  Delaney Snyder, Corinne Dente, and Emina Ekic scored in the win.  The Cards outshot the Orange 16-6 with an 8-4 shots on goal advantage.  This was the match where several Louisville players and staff came down with food poisoning that led to a delay until Friday morning.

This season, Ekic leads the Cards with two goals and Snyder is close behind with one.  Kouzelos, who recorded a career-high nine saves against Florida State, has 10 saves on the year for .909 save percentage.

UofL leads the all-time series 6-0-1 against the Orange and look to improve that record.

This match got pushed up to 4:00 p.m.  For those who may be battling work issues the good news is that this game can be caught on ACC Network as well as online through the ESPN app.

Paulie will be there from start to finish covering the match and I'll be heading that way right after work.  Like with field hockey, my primary duty as pool photograph is to photograph the opposition but of course I will focus plenty of time on the women in Red and Black as well and we'll have those pictures for you here at the Cardinal Couple website. .

                                                            ----------------------------

The NBA Finals started last night with the WNBA Finals beginning Friday,  We certainly have an interest in it with Angel McCoughtry leading the Aces in hopes for a championship.  The MLB isn't far behind, as they began postseason play this week.  Thankfully, our UofL women's athletics just began.

October begins with a busy weekend ahead for the Cardinal Couple crew, with a lot of events to cover.  Women's soccer today and then Field Hockey at home against North Carolina and Volleyball travelling to Boston College tomorrow. Saturday starts with our Cardinal Couple Radio Hour podcast and then more Volleyball at Boston College. Sunday features two events on Floyd Street, starting with Women's Soccer against visiting Boston College and then Field Hockey also hosting Boston College. 

We'll have all the storylines, previews and results for you here at Cardinal Couple. It's good to be back in the seing of things with events to report on and discuss -- even in this different type of college sports fall season.  

Happy Thursday and Go Cards!

Jared

VolleyCards down Villanova...W. Soccer, Swimming and football today..Softball signs a pitcher

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THE SATURDAY EDITION OF CARDINAL COUPLE:

-Lola leads Volleyball to 3-2 win over the Wildcats

-Belknap campus a busy place on Saturday

-Pearsall signs Smithson-Willett

The University of Louisville clinched #1 seed in the upcoming BIG EAST Volleyball tournament with a hard fought 17-25, 25-23, 25-20, 21-25, 15-10 win over Villanova last night in Philadelphia. Once again, Lola Arslanbekova led the way for the Cards with 25 kills, who improve to 19-7 overall and a league leading 12-1 in the BIG EAST. With one game remaining in the regular season, at Georgetown on Sunday, the Cards could be tied for the top spot if they lose and either Cincinnati or Marquette win...but Louisville hold the tie-breaker over both...having defeated both in the regular season. 

The Cards got off to a slow start in this one...a pumped up 'Nova squad jumping out to a 6-0 lead in game one. Although Louisville would battle back to get within three, they never could take away the lead and fell by eight in the opener. Lola earned six of her kills in the first game.

Things got better for Anne Kordes' squad in the second game. They roared out to a 9-3 lead and pushed it to 13-5 before a Nova run cut the margin to three at 13-10. Louisville looked to be in control at 21-15 but Nova fought back to tie it at 23-23 before the Cards gathered the final two points to win by two.

25 kills for Lola Friday night

The Cards handled the Wildcats during the third set and got outstanding play from setter Taylor Brauneis, Lola and hitter Kaitlynn James to keep the lead throughout and win by five.

Nova wasn't ready to head to the locker room just yet, though, and battled back to break away from a 18-18 tie and score seven out of the final eleven points to win by four and knot the match up at two games each.

Louisville started slowly in the fifth game, falling behind 5-2, but rallied after a Kordes time out, scoring six of the next nine points to grab the lead. Although Villanova climbed back within one at 11-10, the Cards blasted the final four and secured the five point win with, fittingly, a Lola kill to end the match. Brooke Mattingly had a big final game for the Cards with three kills and a block.

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Gonna be a busy day down on Floyd Street today, with football at noon, swimming and diving versus Notre Dame at 1 p.m. and women's NCAA Soccer Tournament action for the Cards against Dayton at 7 p.m.

-Football looks for their fourth straight win and a chance to become bowl eligible today when Pittsburgh rolls into town. The Charlie Strong led Cards will need to apply the pressure to a weak Pitt offensive line and give Panther QB Tino Sunseri a view of the Louisville sky from his back. The Cards QB Teddy Bridgewater seems to get a little better each week but will be tested by the blitz happy Pitt defensive squad.

-Louisville women's soccer looks to advance in first round NCAA Soccer Tournament action against a tough Dayton Flyer squad. The Ohioans are 19-3 on the year, won the Atlantic 10 regular season and conference championship titles and defeated some pretty impressive foes in Kansas, Kentucky and Northwestern. Look for the Cards to get it to Christine Exeter for points and call on their point-preventing defense to shut the Flyers down.

-Dual meet in swimming and diving in the Ralph Wright Natorium today when the Cards face Notre Dame. Louisville looks to get a big splash off the board from diving ace Hannah Gadd and the Cards come into the match after recently defeating Pittsburgh.

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She hits, she throws, she fields but can she
direct the pep band?

Louisville softball landed an excellent addition to the 2012-13 pitching staff when Jasmine Smithson-Willett signed yesterday to become a Card. Out of Lakeside HS in Lake Elsinore, CA., the righty holds a school record 53 wins and has a career total of 567 strikeouts. She also led her travel team to the 2011 Premier Girls Fast Pitch National Championship.

"My first and only visit was to Louisville. They say when you know, you know. I knew. It was everything I could hope for in a college-the dorms, facilities and the dream field. After my tours and getting to know the school, I knew I found my new home. All the coaches and players made me feel welcome and that's when I decided I would not want to be anywhere else." -Jasmine-Willett on her choosing Louisville.

The Cards beat out California, UCLA, UC-Santa Barbara and San Diego State for her services. In addition to having a strong right arm, she's also an infielder and outfielder who can hit for power.

Reloading. It's what Sandy Pearsall does with the Cardinal softball program and does well. With Smithson-Willett, sounds like the Cards have one that can do everything but spell Al Greener directing the pep band during games.

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And, finally, in case you missed it...Rick Pitino's guys blew out Tennessee-Martin last night in the KFC YUM! Center. No big surprise there. 600 career wins now for the UofL head coach. 83-48. Another one where the lower level folks probably started up the stairs with eight minutes to go.

coachsandypearsallistheonlycoachinthehistoryoflouisvillesoftballsomeonedownatuoflshouldrenameulmerstadiumafterherpearsallparksoundsprettygoodtous
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Women's Soccer to host first round NCAA game...Watson weighs in on re-alignment

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TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE:

-Cards to face Dayton in NCAA Tournament

-Re-Alignment? How about a rotation and balance, too?

-"Bubbles" chooses Pittsburgh

The University of Louisville women's soccer team has received an at-large bid to the 2011 NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament. The Cards will host a first round game against Dayton Saturday night at Cardinal Park. Game time is 7 p.m.

Flyers will try to contain
BIG EAST Offensive Player
of the Year Christine Exeter.

It's the first time Louisville has hosted an NCAA Women's Soccer match and third appearance all-time for the squad. They made back-to-back appearances in 2006-2007.

Dayton will be the first opponent. They enter the NCAA Championships with a 19-3 record. The Flyers recently won their third straight Atlantic 10 tournament title and are on a seven game winning streak. The Cards and Flyers have met eleven previous times...Dayton a perfect 11-0 against Louisville. Winner gets the winner of the #4 seed Memphis vs. Tennessee-Martin match. Louisville and Dayton have not met in women's soccer since 2002.

Difficult, but certainly not impossible for the Cards. Louisville was on a eight game winning streak before running into a strong WVU squad in the BIG EAST Championships on Sunday. 

Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for students and $4 for seniors, kids and groups of 10 or more. Group purchases must be made in advance and tickets are available starting today at 9 a.m. through the UofL ticket office. The timing works for the 7 p.m. game. The football Cardinals play at noon against Pittsburgh...so bring a little extra tailgating provisions and hang out a few hours before heading over to Cardinal Park. 

Also in Louisville's region are the Kentucky Wildcats and West Virginia.   

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(David Watson is a special contributor to CARDINAL COUPLE. Today, he shares some thoughts on conference re-alignment)

I have to wonder. How many lawyers does it take to play the game of football? WVU is litigating against the BIG EAST. In turn, the BIG EAST is suing WVU. Pittsburgh and Syracuse have their attorneys standing at the ready, awaiting the outcome of the previously mentioned lawsuits. And, very few of these barristers probably ever suited up in the pads and helmets and tried to take out a running back. Billable hours might be two of the most important words in college football these days - replacing punt coverage and cover two.  

Re-alignment. Have you seen some of the scenarios for the "new and improved" BIG EAST? Hardly 'east' anymore, with the discussion centering around Boise State, BYU, Houston, SMU, Air Force and San Diego State. Toss in the Navy (for tactical support), Central Florida (for Disney World) and maybe Temple (for Rocky references). Simmer for three years and serve with a television contract garnish and sour grapes.

I don't like the idea of sending Cincinnati and Louisville to play in a western version of the BIG EAST. If the idea is to expand to 12 teams, create a playoff scenario and hang on to BCS Qualifier status - fine. Take your BYU, SMU, SDSU, BSU, AFU, Houston and your little dog TOTO too and create your wild, wild west division. And order me a bowl of alphabet soup. Keep Louisville and Cincinnati with Rutgers, Connecticut, South Florida and add a UCF and Navy if you must. And I'll buy a vowel for early departures prices, Pat. Turn over another letter, or conference member, Vanna.

Re-align if you will, but make sure you balance the vehicle properly, rotate the conference tires and remove the floor mats when you're done. Warranty? I don't think so. This clunker might not make it out of the parking lot.  

Would this group travel to Boise to watch football?

Here's one to leave you with. Pittsburgh enters Louisville's Papa John's Cardinal Stadium this Saturday while in the process of leaving the BIG EAST. Syracuse, another leaving school, tried that and lost. West Virginia, a third leaving school, even hosted the conference-remaining Cardinals and lost. I see a trend here. Tom Jurich should only schedule football games against previous BIG EAST members. Boston College, Miami and Virginia Tech fit here. So does Temple. Or, leave the BIG EAST and join the ACC. We're not in Kansas anymore, T.J. Were we ever?
.
(Or how about members of the previous Cardinal affiliation with C-USA, David? A schedule of Memphis, ECU, Southern Miss, Tulane and Marshall...nope, forget it.)

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6'11" junior Marvadene "Bubbles" Anderson has verballed to Pittsburgh, following a weekend visit to the Pitt campus. Pitt associate coach Patty Coyle is the twin sister of "Bubbles" high school coach at Rutgers Prep in Piscataway, New Jersey...Mary Coyle Klinger.

Bubbles with a teammate.

Gotta wonder on how Rutgers lost out on this backyard prospect? If they were interested at all.

As a coach once wisely stated:

"You can't teach height." 



How do you guard a 6'11" teenage girl?
Put her in heels...



With Pittsburgh departing the BIG EAST, it's doubtful the Lady Cards will get a chance to try and defend the amazon. I'm guessing Cierra, Shawnta and Sherrone wouldn't back down from her, though. And, it's just a verbal commitment from a junior. As we well know, in the world of college basketball recruiting, things can and do change. If "Bubbles" turns into a Brittany Griner, superstar type...We expect that that Anderson phone will still keep ringing...

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iftheobjectiveistodraintheswampthenitisagoodideatodoanalligatorremovalfirst.

Fields a possible 2012 recruit...Volleyball sweeps Marquette...Soccer falls to WVU

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MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Jenny reports on Nirra Fields

-Volleyball sweeps Golden Eagles

-Women's soccer drops 2-0 decision to WVU

(Cardinal Couple's Jenny O' Bryan fills us in on Nirra Fields)

As a fan who follows recruiting news, sure...I have heard of her. Hoopgurlz ranked her 11th in the country in the class of 2012 and third at guard. She is a 5-star guard, who hails from Quebec. She has international experience playing for the Canadian U16, U17 and U19 teams.

Most recently, she was noted as the "hottest recruit out of Ohio", when she was playing at South Euclid Regina High School in the Cleveland suburbs. The school recently shut down and Nirra found herself moving across the country with her guardian and LA Lakers coach Mike Brown to California and Mater Dei High School. Mater Dei is in Santa Ana, California...where 2011 top recruit and UConn Husky Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis attended school and 2012 #6 recruit Jordan Adams (committed-USC) is a senior. Mater Dei has won the girl's national championship title the past two years. Some big time ballers come out of Mater Dei.

Definitely heard of Nirra Fields. 

I have not, though, heard her name mentioned in the same sentence as UofL women's basketball until this past week. That's right! Louisville is one of her top five schools. She, at some point this fall, might make an official visit to Louisville. An official visit is paid for by the school and can only be taken in the fall of an athlete's senior year. An athlete can take as many as five official visits. An official visit obviously means there is interest by both the school and the athlete.

Fields a Bria Smith clone?

I am very pleasantly surprised by the recent revelation that Louisville is in the running for this superb athlete. Surprised...not because Coach Walz is attracting the attention of top caliber athletes...but surprised because I thought 2012 recruiting was over for Louisville.

Google Nirra Fields. You'll find a wealth of information.

Nirra is defined by Hoopgurlz as an explosive, first step player. Great on-the-ball defender. Penetrates and attacks the basket. Sound familiar? (A Bria Smith likeness is what I am thinking.) Her quickness allows her to get by any defender and she has the bounce to elevate over long defenders. It is noted her areas to work on are staying on defense when who she's guarding doesn't have the ball and increasing the range of her shot. She is a dribble drive, penetrating type of shooter. Think (again) Bria Smith. Charmaine Tay. Sounds exactly like the kind of kid that fits into a Jeff Walz system.

Nirra is deciding between Louisville, Oklahoma, Kentucky, UCLA and Miami (FLA). With the early signing period starting on Nov. 9th. and ending on Nov. 16th....and Nirra stating she will sign in the early period, looks like it won't be long until we know about her future plans.


(Great report by Jenny! Get this one on campus and in the jersey, Coach Walz! )


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Cardinal Volleyball got 18 kills from Lola Arslanbekova yesterday in the KFC YUM! Center...leading Louisville to a 25-22, 25-19, 25-18 of previously conference unbeaten Marquette. Also credit the hard work of Taylor Brauneis with 33 assists and 13 digs for the Cards.

"I know it doesn't show up on the stats so much but Taylor Brauneis' defense helped us tremendously. We worked so hard this week and it was great to see her execute. She had at least two momentum changers when they were closing in on us." -Anne Kordes, UofL head volleyball coach.

Brauneis steps up big for Cards!

The Cards jumped out early in game one and led 5-1. That became 11-7 and eventually 21-15 before Marquette rallied to make it 22-19. The Cards got big kills from Brooke Mattingly and Lola to finish off the Golden Eagles and win the first by three.

Louisville once again jumped out to the early lead in game two but Marquette rallied to lead 8-7. Louisville re-focused and ran off the next eight points to put it out of reach, though. The Cards led 20-13 before taking the second game by six points.

After the break, Louisville roared out to a 10-4 early advantage and the Golden Eagles never seriously challenged after that...the Cards winning by seven.

With the win, Louisville goes to the top of the BIG EAST standings at 11-1 and 19-7 overall. Marquette is now 10-2. The Cards take to the road for the final two games of the regular season...needing one to clinch the regular season title. They face Villanova Friday and Georgetown Sunday.

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WVU holds Exeter scoreless

Tough match on the pitch for Louisville women's soccer yesterday, losing to the WVU Mountaineers in the final game of the BIG EAST Tournament 2-0. Cards had several chances to net points, especially late in the second half, but couldn't penetrate the strong goal play of WVU's defense. Blake Miller and Frances Silva scored for the Eers...who get the automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. It's the third year in a row WVU has taken the title.

Key to the WVU win was shutting down BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year...Louisville's Christine Exeter.  

The field of 64 for the NCAA Tournament will be announced Monday at 4:30 p.m. Most figure Louisville should make the tournament easily...with a strong showing in the BIG EAST regular season and by advancing to the finals of the conference tournament.

Congratulations to Christine Exeter, Katie McDonald, Jennifer Jones and Chelsea Hunter....named to the BIG EAST All-Tournament team. Exeter and Hunter are sophomores...McDonald and Jones seniors. Looks like Karen Ferguson-Dayes has plenty coming back for next year and don't count the Cards out in the NCAA Tournament.
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waxingnebulouswhiledancingmadlybackwardonaseaofair.

Soccer beats Irish in semis...Field Hockey falls to UConn...Saturday Breeders Cup picks

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SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE:

-Women's Soccer reaches finals with win over Notre Dame

-Field Hockey gives UConn a battle but loses

-Saturday Breeders Cup Picks

The University of Louisville women's soccer team will play for the BIG EAST Tournament title Sunday. A huge win yesterday over rival Notre Dame...the Cards taking down the Irish 2-1.

The Cards opened the scoring when Christine Exeter took a pass from Jordan Pawlik and drove one into the net after just three minutes of play in the first half. Louisville would strike again just eight minutes later...Kaitie McDonald using her head - literally - to knock in a kick from Jennifer Jones.

Kiefer had seven saves
against Notre Dame

That 2-0 lead held for the first half and the Cards defense proved up to the task in the second half...holding the Irish to just one goal and getting the win.

Chloe Kiefer performed well in the net for UofL...getting seven saves. The Irish outshot Louisville 19-11 and held an 11-3 advantage in corner kicks. Louisville led in the category that mattered most, though...with two goals.

The Cards advance to the championship game and will play West Virginia at noon Sunday. The Mountaineers drubbed Georgetown 5-1 in the other semifinal game yesterday. It'll be the first meeting of the year for the two. Louisville lost to WVU in 2010 in Morgantown 2-1. The Cards are 0-4-1 all-time against West Virginia. Louisville is on a eight game win streak currently and will give the Mountaineers all they want Sunday.

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Field Hockey jumped out to a early 2-0 lead against Connecticut yesterday in the semifinals of the BIG EAST Field Hockey Championships but couldn't make it stand...losing 3-2 to the Huskies in Syracuse. The Cards fired early against UConn...Hayley Turner taking a Mallory Mason pass to the net just 2 minutes into the contest. UofL would find pay dirt again just eight minutes later when Erin Schneidtmiller fed Elizabeth Vance by the left post...Vance scoring and giving the Cards a surprising two goal advantage over the #4 Huskies.

Erin Conrad will be
back next year to
tend goal for UofL

UConn regrouped, though, and came back quickly to cut it to 2-1 just two minutes later. That's the way they went into the half...Erin Conrad making several key saves as the clock neared zero.

The Huskies tied it up seven minutes into the second half and the game evolved into a defensive struggle until Cara Silverman smacked home the game winner for Connecticut with just ten minutes left in the action. Louisville was outshot 14-2 in the game...Conrad with nine saves for the Cards. 

Louisville ends the regular season with a 10-9 record and will now wait to see if they receive an at-large bid to participate in the NCAA Tournament.

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We had an excellent day with the six Breeders Cup races at Churchill Downs...having winners in five of the races. Sonja correctly predicted that PERFECT SHIRL would shock the field and she did...at 27-1 odds. Perhaps the most impressive race of the day was MY MISS AUERLIA just destroying the field when the Juvenile Fillies hit the stretch. Look out for her as a 3 year old...the Oaks or even the Kentucky Derby not out of reach for this Steve Asmussen trained gal. OK, enough bragging...there are nine Breeders Cup races for this Saturday and we're going to try and give you some good winners.

Remember, our selections are for entertainment purposes only. If you followed along with Sonja yesterday...you were massively entertained. We put $2 across the board on all three of our picks per race yesterday. $18 a race wagered and for the six races, we each bet a total of $108 for the day. Here's how we did:

Sonja...four winners and total money returned $134 Profit: $26
Paul.....four winners and total money returned $89   Loss: $19

Paul: "Don't wear the crown too tightly, girl...because I'm gonna snatch it right off your head on Saturday."

Sonja: "It's lonely here at the top...prom wave to poor, pitiful Paul below."

Here's today's offerings:

BREEDERS CUP MARATHON

Paul                                                   Sonja

Baryshnikov                                        Bird Run
Bird Run                                             Giant Oak
Au Miner                                             Cease

JUVENILE TURF

Paul                                                   Sonja

Majestic City                                       Finale
Casper Nets                                        Majestic City
Finale                                                Lucky Chappy

SPRINT

Paul                                                   Sonja

Big Drama                                           Big Drama
Aikenite                                              Giant Ryan
Jackson Bend                                       Force Freeze

TURF SPRINT

Paul                                                   Sonja

Caracortado                                         Regally Ready
Chamberlain Bridge                               Country Day
Hoofit                                                 Perfect Officer

DIRT MILE

Paul                                                    Sonja

Shackelford                                           Trappe Shot (best bet of the day)
Trappe Shot                                          Wilburn
Wilburn                                                Caleb's Posse

TURF

Paul                                                    Sonja

Sarafina                                               Sarafina
Stately Victor                                        Await the Dawn
Await the Dawn                                     Sea Moon

JUVENILE

Paul                                                     Sonja

Hansen (best bet of the day)                   Union Rags
Union Rags                                            Hansen
Dullahan                                               Drill

MILE

Paul                                                     Sonja

Goldikova                                              Gio Ponti
Court Vision                                           Goldikova
Gio Ponti                                               Courageous Cat

CLASSIC

Paul                                                     Sonja

Uncle Mo                                               Ice Box
Drosselmeyer                                         Harve de Grace 
Game on Dude                                       Uncle Mo


(For what it's worth, we both also like Buckleupbuttercup, Freedom Star and May Day Rose in the 12th. and final race of the day...the Chiulkki Stakes.)   

Good luck everybody!!

nochoiceisachoice

                   

Exeter, Ferguson Dayes and Yenney receive soccer honors...Turner gets field hockey award...Cheerleaders now to WVU?

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FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Soccer picks up four BIG EAST awards

-Field Hockey gathers five awards

-Should they stay or should they go?

Christine Exeter, a sophomore forward for the University of Louisville women's soccer team, has been named the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year. She was one of four on the UofL women's soccer team to receive awards at the Thursday night awards banquet in Morgantown, West Virginia.
Karen Ferguson-Dayes was selected as the league's Coach of the Year.

Yenney is just a freshman

Also getting recognition...freshman mid-fielder Erin Yenney...named to the BIG EAST All-Rookie Team and Jennifer Jones, who made the Third Team All BIG EAST.

"I've said this since day one and I'll keep on saying it. she (Exeter) is special. Most, if not all her goals have come in key games and are very significant for us. I'm thrilled for her, but she's so focused and humble that she won't let this honor define her. She will continue to do what she's good at and that's being a great teammate and being a great goal scorer." -Ferguson-Dayes commenting of Exeter's selection.

The Cards face Notre Dame Friday 3 p.m. in Morgantown in the BIG EAST Women's Soccer Tournament semifinals. If victorious, the Cards will play the winner of the Georgetown vs. West Virginia game for the title Sunday.

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Hayley Turner was one of five Cardinals to pick up awards at the BIG EAST Conference Field Hockey Banquet last night in Syracuse, NY. The honors:

Turner leads the
Cards in scoring

-Hayley Turner - senior midfielder - BIG EAST Co-Offensive Player of the Year and All-BIG EAST FIRST TEAM.



Collins is First Team BIG EAST
Way to go Caitlin



-Caitlin Collins - senior midfielder - ALL-BIG EAST FIRST TEAM



-Erin Conrad - junior goalkeeper - ALL-BIG EAST SECOND TEAM

-Dominique Pasqualichio -freshman defender -ALL-BIG EAST SECOND TEAM

-Alyssa Voelmle - freshman defender- ALL-BIG EAST SECOND TEAM

The Cards are in the BIG EAST semifinals and will face top-seeded and #4 Connecticut Friday at 12:30 p.m.

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Something about the BIG EAST just seems to create controversy and wild speculation. We reported, as many other news outlets and internet blogs did, that UofL was leaving their Cheer and Dance squads behind when the football and women's soccer teams travelled to Morgantown this weekend to play.

Looks like the rumor now is that the Cheerleaders might be making the trip. 

Stay tuned, or as we might also suggest, tune in the noon kickoff and see if they are on the sidelines.  

WE love the UofL Cheerleaders. Along with the Dance Squad, they manage to block our view at UofL women's basketball games. Could be worse...

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In case you missed it, the CARDINAL COUPLE Friday Breeders Cup Picks were posted last night. Should be good for a few laughs...

nochoiceisachoice

Cards fall to UT 3-0 in Volleyball...Women's Soccer to face Notre Dame...

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thursday CARDINAL COUPLE

-Volleyball falls to Tennessee in KFC YUM! Center

-Women's Soccer to face Notre Dame in Morgantown


Tough outing last night in the KFC YUM! Center for Anne Kordes' volleyballers. The fell
to #16 Tennessee 25-23, 25-21, 25-19 before a crowd of 2000.

"They had ten more digs than us and that was the difference in the match because we
outblocked them. We need to be more consistent and aggressive on defense. UT is a heck of a team and by far the biggest team we have played so far. Lola had a great game, with 14 kills and 5 blocks." -Anne Kordes, UofL Volleyball head coach.

The Cards kept it interesting in game one. Tied at 15-15, the Cards gave up two straight points, necessitating a Kordes time out. Louisville rallied to get the next two points, remained
tied at 23-23, but gave up the final two points of the game to narrowly lose.

Lola's 14 kills not enough Weds.

Louisville started out strong in game two and led at 13-10...but UT used a couple of 5-1 runs to push past the Cards and gain a second victory at 25-21.

In game three, the Vols jumped out to an early 8-4 lead and increased it during the rest of the contest to sweep the Cards with a 25-19 triumph. Tennessee goes to 21-3 on the season, while the Cards fall to 17-7.

No rest for the Cardinal squad, they host Syracuse Saturday and BIG EAST undefeated Marquette on Sunday in the YUM!

Louisville is one game behind Marquette in the BIG EAST standings and a sweep this weekend of the Orange and Golden Eagles would propel the Cards into first place in the conference. Both this weekend's games are at 2 p.m. Get out and support your Volley Cards! 

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Women's Soccer heads to Morgantown this weekend to face Notre Dame in BIG EAST Women's Soccer semi-final action.  The Cards defeated the Irish 1-0 in regular season play in South Bend and are the #1 seed in the National Division of the BIG EAST. 

Jennifer Jones on the move

You can catch this one on CBS College Sports Friday. Game time is 3 p.m. The Cards will the 1-2 scoring punch of Christine Exeter and Jennifer Jones to knock off Notre Dame (10-6-3). 

The Irish pulled off an upset in the quarterfinals, travelling to and knocking off #1 American Division seed Marquette last Sunday 1-0. 

The Irish hold a 8-2 lifetime record against the Cards...but the two have never met in BIG EAST tournament play. If the Cards advance, they'd play again on Sunday. Wazoo Sports Network would show the noon match here in Louisville. 

The Cards have exceeded expectations this season, compiling a 11-5-3 record after a slow start to the season. Christine Exeter closed the regular season as the BIG EAST scoring champ with 11 goals in conference play and 13 goals overall. Her 20 goals in two seasons at UofL are on pace to make the sophomore the all-time leading scorer for Cardinal Women's Soccer.

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Volleyball vs. Tennessee tonight in KFC YUM!...Collins, Turner in Senior All-Star game...Two Cards teams travel to West Virginia this weekend

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WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE:

-Tennessee first of three in YUM! Center for Volleyball

-Collins, Turner selected for NFHCA Senior All-Star game

-I-64 East this weekend for football and women's soccer

The University of Louisville Volleyball team begins a three match home stand
this evening with a 7 p.m. match against Tennessee in the KFC YUM! Center.

Emily Juhl will be
killing it this weekend

The Volley Cards (17-9, 9-1) look to get back on the winning track at home after losing to Pittsburgh in the KFC YUM! back on Oct. 23rd. Tennessee won't be an easy match for Anne Kordes' crew...the #16 Vols are 20-3 on the season and 13-1 in the SEC. The game tonight is a "red out" game...so don the Cardinal Red if you venture downtown tonight.

Lola leads the Cards in
kills this season.

The Cards will return to BIG EAST action on Saturday and Sunday. Syracuse (17-9, 6-4) visits Saturday and the promotion is Youth Day. Sunday brings Marquette to town...the Golden Eagles are a perfect 10-0 in BIG EAST games this year and 20-6 overall. The Sunday game is a Girl Scout Day promotion. Wear a Girl Scout to the game and....never mind.

Can't make the matches? You should check out CardsTV. For a small monthly fee you can follow the action on your computer. For more details, go to http://www.uoflsports.com/ and click on the Multimedia banner.


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Field Hockey's Caitlin Collins and Hayley Turner have been picked for the 2011 NFHCA Division I Senior game which will be held Saturday, Nov 19th. at 3 p.m. at Trager Stadium.  

Caitlin Collins is one of the
dynamic duo at midfield

Collins is a four year starter for the Cards at mid-field and a team co-captain. She was selected for the 2009 All-BIG EAST team and has a career-high three goals this year.



 Turner, also a midfielder, is the Cards leading scorer with 10 goals this year. She's also a four year starter at Louisville and has been selected twice for the All-BIG EAST team. She's in the top five at UofL for career goals (38), career assists (32) and points (108).


Turner leads the Cards in goals.



Louisville (10-8, 3-3) has earned a #4 seed in the upcoming BIG EAST Tournament and will face top seeded and #4 in the nation Connecticut in semifinal action Friday, Nov. 4th. at 12:30 p.m. at Syracuse.

Syracuse and Connecticut have dominated BIG EAST field hockey over the past few years and played for the title in 2010. Connecticut went 6-0 in BIG EAST play this
year and 16-1 overall. The Orange finished 5-1 in the
BIG EAST and have a 16-3 record. Louisville was the only other team to post an above .500 record.

 

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With both Louisville women's soccer and football travelling to Morgantown, WVa. this weekend for games, it's an opportunity for Cardinal sports fans to see Cardinal athletics back to back on the road. Many people we have talked to, though, have serious concerns and doubts about going to West Virginia to watch sporting events Louisville is involved in because of safety issues. We talked to Dan Turner, a long-time Cardinal fan, who we usually run into at away Cardinal athletic events. He is going to watch both the events (soccer Friday and football Saturday)..but with proper caution.

Mountaineers host UofL this weekend.

"I don't wear my red gear in any public venues, like restaurants or gas stations. I'll pack a red shirt in my seat cushion and put it on once I get into the football stadium. I'll remove it before I leave the stadium. I'm 64 years old, got a bad leg and I don't think I could handle myself very well if a few West Virginia fans wanted to pick a fight with me. Never been to a women's soccer game on the road...so I don't know how rowdy West Virginia women's soccer fans get. I've travelled to see the Cards in football and basketball since the early 70's. Some of the Memphis games were pretty rowdy back in the early days and UK fans can get a little loud and critical if they see you in red, but neither school can match the Mountaineers in insults, nastiness and rude behavior. My wife hasn't attended a football game in Morgantown since 2005...that post-game mob scene was enough to scare her off for good. I'll make the drive with a couple of guys that sit near me at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. One is a ex-Marine and the other has a brown belt in karate. And, they're younger than me. Still, I just want to see two good sporting events this weekend and no pre or post game drama or fights. I hope I get my wish."

I would feel safe travelling to Morgantown
with these guys. Fagettaboutit...

The University of Louisville has concerns...electing not to take the Cheer or Dance teams to Morgantown this weekend.

Check out Charlie Springer's UofL Card Game for an excellent article and some wild comments by Mountaineer fans about the two schools and the dislike for each other. www.uoflcardgame.com

We know there are plenty of hospitable and friendly fans that support and cheer for the Mountaineers. We have met them when they come to Louisville and tailgate at the Parrish House. Unfortunately, the West Virginia "bad apples" really stick out and we are amazed at the lack of effort by the administration and police at WVU to curtail their bad behavior.

God forbid Louisville actually "sweep" this weekend and win both the football and women's soccer games. The Cardinal casualty count could reach the 100's...
.
nochoiceisachoice

Women's Soccer defeats the Friars...Jenny checks in on LWC game...Field Hockey falls to Northwestern

.
MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Women's soccer advances to BIG EAST semifinals

-Jenny's take on the Lindsey Wilson game

-Field Hockey loses to Northwestern

Louisville's women's soccer team took a 2-0 win yesterday in Cardinal Park over Providence to advance to the semi-finals of the BIG EAST tournament. Goals from Jennifer Jones and Christine Exeter propelled the Cards past the Friars. They travel to Morgantown on Friday for the semis...where they'll meet Notre Dame. The match will be shown on CBS College Sports at 3 p.m.

Kiefer records another shutout!

Women's soccer and football both in Morgantown this weekend...look out Mountaineers, it's a Cardinal invasion!

Jones got the scoring started for Louisville when she booted one in at the 12 minute mark of the game. That lead held throughout the first half and well into the second half. Exeter found the net in the 79th. minute of play after stealing a pass by the Friars and going in for an unassisted goal.

Chloe Kiefer was steady in the net for the Cards but had little action...getting just one save. The Cards had 16 shots, compared to just two for Providence. The 7-1 advantage for Louisville in shots on goal is a testament to the hard-working defensive line.

"Although we weren't the prettiest today and didn't play a lot of good soccer, this team is so special that we absolutely willed ourselves into the BIG EAST final four. WE are a very special group and we're excited to be in the great company of Notre Dame, Georgetown and West Virginia in the BIG EAST semifinals. Our mission hasn't been accomplished yet because we want to win a Big East tournament championship. We will refocus and prepare for the job ahead."  Karen Ferguson-Dayes, Louisville head women's soccer coach.

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(Staff writer Jenny O' Bryan gives us her take on the 118-41 Lady Cards basketball win over Lindsey Wilson Sunday)

The first game of the 2011-12 season is officially in the books. One had to expect a lopsided win, and of course, our Cards did not disappoint. 



Cardinal fans enjoying the
tipoff luncheon

 Starters were Monique Reid, Cierra Warren, Shelby Harper, Becky Burke and Tia Gibbs. With about five minutes gone in the contest, Coach Walz mass substituted and Shoni Schimmel, Asia Taylor, Bria Smith, Sara Hammond and Sherrone Vails took the court. Lots of subbing throughout the game. Everyone that dressed played and all but Nita Slaughter scored.

Cierra Warren. Very impressive with 18 points. She looked strong around the basket and had a lot of easy scores. She followed her misses, rebounded and went back up. Not sure how this will translate to D1 opponents, but she looked good. Shawnta Dyer behind her with 16. Six players in double figures and none of them were Shoni or Mo.

Sara Hammond had a lot of nice moves under the basket and took a couple of 10-15 foot shots. Sara didn't always finish. Her shot looked better and more consistent in the second half. A little time under her belt and she is going to be a force to be reckoned with.

It was very nice to see our size and inside game. This has been the biggest concern for me. A very good showing Sunday. Again, not sure how this will match up against more evenly matched teams, especially in BIG EAST play, but it was a good start out of the gate. 

Bria Smith has a great dribble drive. Not afraid to venture into the paint and draw contact. She looked good. Her defense was incredibly strong and she was causing havoc with the opponents. Officially, she had one steal in the books, but she was involved in several defensive efforts that led to turnovers. 

Jude Schimmel hit a couple of threes and ended up with 10 points. Only one turnover. I'll call it a good day for Jude.

Even goblins get excited about Lady Cards hoops!

Shelby Harper was relentless on defense. Fast and tenacious. Also knocked down a couple of threes. Two steals. Despite the numbers, I can tell you that Shelby and Bria were way busier defensively than the books show.

Our girls had a few blocked shots. Not as many as I would have expected. Shawnta with two, Sherrone got one and Bria had one

To recap...it's going to be exciting to watch this team this year. They show great potential. You can catch them again at the KFC YUM! Center on Nov. 20 against Xavier. This is a PACK THE HOUSE event and a Sunday 2 p.m. game. Also a "red out" game. The Cards will be on the road for the next two...travelling to Missouri State and Texas A&M.

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Field Hockey fell 1-0 to #20 Northwestern yesterday in Evanston, Illinois. Not a lot to report on this one...The Cards go to 10-8 on the season and will head to Syracuse for the BIG EAST Championships Nov 4-6.

Louisville outshot the Wildcats 8-7 but couldn't find the back of the net. Erin Conrad had five saves in the game. This was the first shutout of Justine Sowry's team this season. Regan Mooney had the only score...25 minutes into the first half.

In the BIG EAST Tournament, Louisville gets a #4 seed and will face top seeded and #4 nationally ranked Connecticut in the opener. Syracuse and Villanova meet in the other semi-final game. Louisville plays at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov 4th.

nochoiceisachoice