Previewing Women's Soccer vs. Florida State -- SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 Cards Take on Seminoles at 1PM

Following a resounding win over Miami in the season opener, Karen Ferguson-Dayes' squad will get a much stiffer test in the second match of the season. The Cards traveled upstate from Miami over the last couple of days to prepare to face Florida State.

The Seminoles, as we've mentioned before on the site and the podcast, were one of three 1-seeds to come out of the ACC for the 2019 NCAA tournament. FSU didn't handle their bracket quite as easily as some might have thought, though, and exited in the Elite Eight with a whopping 4-0 loss to UCLA. UCLA, in turn, was thumped by eventual champion Stanford.

Despite the flashy scorelines, that's hardly a bad way to exit the tournament. You may recall Louisville lost 4-0 as well, being knocked out by BYU in the second round. 

That said, Florida State was a very good team. Unfortunately for Louisville, they still are. The Seminoles lost just two seniors from last year's team. 

While they were very key players--Deyna Castellanos and Caroline Jeffers were the leading points scorer and starting goalkeeper, respectively--that's still a heck of a lot of production to return. Jeffers backup, Brooke Bollinger, played in four games, starting three, and gave up no goals. Even with that nice record, Bollinger's succession was usurped by Cristina Roque, showing that the FSU doesn't lack talent between the sticks. And, while Castellanos led the team in points by a wide margin (16 more points than second place), the Seminoles return five double digit points scorers. 

The Cards had just two double digit earners last year, with Brooklynn Rivers scoring 10 points and graduating. 

Offensively, Louisville showed against Miami that they have the capability to score in different ways. They showed very good build-up play as well as high pressure. We didn't see too much countering from the Cards, but that is because Miami wasn't really able to put Louisville on the back foot. Florida State will not have trouble with that. Against Notre Dame, the Seminoles were relentless. They scored five goals on 18 shots, putting 10 of those shots on frame.

Notre Dame was able to notch only two shots, one on frame, for the entire game. Florida State's box score from Thursday's game doesn't include possession stats, but we can only assume they weren't great. Louisville will need to be able to protect the ball in the midfield and likely win it out of the back and counter to be able to move forward with any consistency. We know Delaney Snyder and Emina Ekic can finish, but they'll need a lot of help to get opportunities and to potentially keep up with FSU.

Defensively, it's hard to say what either team has. Without any non-conference games and with teams jumping straight into the conference schedule, there's no way to gauge conference opponents' performances. Is Miami as bad as they looked on Thursday against Louisville? Probably. Is Notre Dame? Who knows. All we know is that both Louisville and FSU were able to put the clamps on their opponents, but how impressive that was remains to be seen.

It's likely that FSU's defense is just that good. The Seminoles allowed just 27 goals last season, with four of those coming against UCLA, and forced opponents into 72 offsides calls. Did I mention already that they lost nothing in the defense or midfield outside of the goalkeeper? I feel like I might have mentioned that. It's probably relevant. Louisville, on the other hand, is working to replace three starters from what is effectively a back-six most of the time.

While UofL looked good enough on Thursday, we don't really know what Miami has offensively. They may score four goals all year for all we know. Based on experience alone, Florida State appears to have the edge here. Louisville will need to make the most of whatever opportunities they can get offensively and try to limit damage defensively.

In the series history, Louisville is 0-6-0 against Florida State. No wins, no draws, just losses. They came close the last time they played, falling just 2-1 in 2017, but this will definitely be a tough test. With Louisville already down a player that they considered to be a starter on the wing in Corinne Dente, this game and this season could be even tougher than they hoped. I don't think that this is the year Louisville gets a result against Florida State.

Having to play on the road, even without fans, is a challenge, and the fact that there has only been one game to tune up prior to this, with Louisville looking pretty flat in the second half, is not encouraging. I'd be thrilled to be proven wrong, as a result here, even if it's just one point, would go a long way to securing Louisville a spot in the eight-team tournament, but we'll see.

Cards and Seminoles kick off at 1PM on ACC Network. Tune in for what should be an exciting game regardless of the outcome.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

Man what an exciting week for the show! I've managed to do what I hoped to for a long time and turn the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour podcast into an actual podcast. 

As an even bigger step, I managed to power through and get the edits complete and the show posted yesterday before anything we talked about was out of date. As always, you can catch the recorded version of the live show on YouTube, with yesterday's show here. 

Alternatively, you can listen to the show as a podcast on your favorite podcast player. The direct show link for yesterday's episode on Anchor is here and you can listen to the show in the anchor player on your browser. The show is also searchable on pretty much every player now as well, so you can subscribe to the show however you prefer to listen and have the episodes come right to your device when they post. Check out the show and let us know what you think, and be sure to share it with your friends!

Until next time, Go Cards!

-CH-

Saturday Cardinal Couple

Cardinal Couple would like to acknowledge the passing, yesterday, of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  RBG was an inspiration and role model to many women and girls in being able to achieve and accomplish things beyond what might otherwise be expected.  Being a site about and supporting women and girls in athletics, we honor Ginsburg and cherish her representation and role in establishing women's participation in all places in our society.

Volleyball Scrimmage

The UofL Volleyball team held there traditional Red and Black Scrimmage yesterday.  As with most things in 2020, this one was a bit different from normal, but there was plenty of the traditional that was able to continue.

The biggest difference was in the crowd.  There really wasn't much of one as it was opened only to family and a very small number of others.  The result was that there was maybe 40 or 50 people in the seats, all appropriately spaced, and wearing masks.

The play on the court was pretty normal, with the only visible change being that the players were wearing masks while playing.

If they can wear masks while playing at full
game speed, so can you.

The teams were divided roughly into what I would expect to be starters vs reserves.  Consequently, the starters, which were designated the white team (based on the jerseys they were wearing) won all four sets played.

The reserves, wearing red jerseys, general stayed close to the starters including holding some leads during some of the play.  It can be very difficult to get a sense of the level of play of a team when they're effectively playing against themselves.  With no outside measure to judge against, are our reserves just that good?  Or are there weaknesses in those who were on the starters side of the net?  I tend to believe that it's the former.

Subjectively, there was a subtle but definite difference in the quality of play.  To pick an example, Tori Dilfer, setting for the starters had some spectacular sets and reached a number of passes that I wouldn't have expected her to.  On the other side, Rachel DeMarcus and Jamie Vasilou split time in the setter position, and to be clear, both played very well, but we didn't see the sort of jaw-dropper sets that we saw a couple of examples of from Dilfer.

On a side note, if you've never seen, or paid attention to, Jamie Vasilou in warm ups, or the limited time she gets on the court, you should just to acknowledge her amazing leaping ability.  I joked in the Cardinal Couple group text that we should make her a hitter.  She's only 5'5" but gets up above the net and gets swings on the ball as well as just about as well as any 6-footer outside hitter.

The team looked great and mostly in sync on the starter's side of the net.  That really shouldn't be surprising since the team is largely the same as it was for the 2nd half of last season.  Amber Stivrins is in Georgia these days, but she was effectively replaced by incoming freshman Anna DeBeer.

The starting lineup will continue to be heavy on "A" names, with two Anna's - DeBeer and Stevenson, Aiko Jones, Amaya Tillman, and Alexis Hamilton among the likely starters.  Add in setter Tori Dilfer and Claire Chaussee and you have your likely starting lineup.  Expect Mia Stander to come immediately off the bench for DS and serving duties.

On the reserves side of the net things were a bit more disjointed, as would be expected with the other four freshman, a new transfer in, and a new Volunteer Assistant Coach (Taylor Morgan, who was on the Minnesota team that eliminated the Cards in the Elite 8 of the 2019 tournament) joining in the play.

Speaking of the four freshmen, and no that's not the pop barbershop quartet, they all demonstrated that they have the skills and talent to play at this level of play.  There is definitely room for development in their play and understanding of the college level game, but this is a very good recruiting class that will definitely keep UofL Volleyball in ACC championship contention into the mid-2020s.

No word yet, with less than a week until the first scheduled match, on whether, or how many, fans will be able to be in attendance.  The Arena was set up, with signage and "green dots" on seats, to give guidance on social distancing.  There was a temperature check at the door (questionably effective though that may be, it is another check that might help prevent the spread of Covid-19), masks were required, and the one instance I saw of anyone pushing the limit on social distancing was pleasantly addressed by the ushers.  All in all, it appears that UofL has done a good job of making some attendance at volleyball possible and safe in the current Covid-19 environment.

With NCAA efforts underway to try to establish a season in the spring for volleyball to play a more complete schedule along with an NCAA tournament, hopes are high that we'll be able to see more volleyball than just the 8 matches scheduled over the next month or so.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

Another week with our normal jokes on the CCRH.  Case, Jared, Paulie, and myself are all planning on joining in for another week of the joy and excitement of UofL women's sports.  Soccer and Volleyball are sure to be up for discussion.  Check it out on Youtube Live at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3Lb0KWORvn2eARnCZfjxww

JMcA

Epic Ekic....Cards WSOC downs Canes 3-0 -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 EMINA EKIC WITH TWO GOALS IN WSOC WIN

The Louisville women's soccer team started the 2020 season with a bang, blanking the Miami Hurricanes last night in Coral Gables 3-0. All the scoring occurred in the first 20 minutes of the contest and senior midfielder Emina Ekic was involved in all three goals -- scoring two of them and getting one assist. 

The win was somewhat tampered when sophomore forward Corinne Dente fell to the turf just 2-1/2 minutes into the match, clutching her left knee. Dente was assisted off the field and did not return. No word, as of yet, on the Stamford, CT star's extent of injury...but it looked like it might be an ACL

Louisville took a 1-0 lead seven minutes into the match when Ekic found junior Delaney Snyder with a pass into the box and Snyder sent it past Miami goalkeeper Tyler Speaks for a Cardinal goal. 

The Cards got another opportunity with 30 minutes left in the first half when Ekic moved into the box with the ball and fired a shot past Speaks to make it 2-0 Cards.

Louisville added a third goal at the 19-minute mark when Snyder returned the favor to Ekic by setting her up with a pass into the box and Ekic deftly maneuvered the ball past defenders and into the back of the net. 3-0 Cards.

The rest of the first half featured Louisville controlling possession and limiting the Canes to just two shots. 

Louisville head coach Karen Ferguson Dayes went pretty deep into the Louisville bench in the second half, inserting eight off-the-sidelines players into the match, including five freshman. Ferguson-Dayes also started a freshman to begin the game...forward Jessica Camken, a Florida native. 

The Cards outshot Miami 6-3 in the final half, four of those coming from Jessica DeFilippo. Louisville held a 12-5 advantage in shots for the match and the Cards had five shots on goal, compared to Miami's one.

Louisville goalkeep Gabby Kouzelos had a relatively quiet night at the net, but the senior recorded the 24th shutout of her career. She recorded one save, in the second half with about 11 minutes to play. 

Karen Ferguson-Dayes post-game remarks:

"It's always great to open the season with a win in this league. We put together some good moments but there are also plenty of areas that we need to improve on. Every day we will continue to work on getting better." 

Louisville travels to Tallahassee next, to face Florida State in a Sunday, 1 p.m. match. The 'Noles hosted Notre Dame last night, but Irish eyes weren't smiling...ND taking a 5-0 loss to FSU. 

All in all, despite the Dente injury, a very exciting game to watch and impressive showing for the Cards in their 2020 opener. Louisville got very fluid play from their midfielders and Ekic showed why she is an All-ACC selection and potential candidate for All-American.  

Have a fortunate Friday

paulie                                                                                                              xxxxx 

 

Soccer Visits Miami -- KFD Interview -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Interview with Karen Ferguson-Dayes

I was able to catch up with Louisville Women's Soccer head coach Karen Ferguson-Dayes just a few minutes ago and get a few words from her about the game tonight, the team and what to expect. A good conversation with Coach! Click the link below to listen:

Karen Ferguson Dayes Interview

paulie

 Soccer Visits Miami

The moment we have all been waiting for has finally arrived!  Women's sports events at UofL are back!

Kicking off the 2020-2021 school year is women's soccer, who hits the road to take on Miami.  The game is slated for 7:00 p.m., and will be aired on ACC Network Extra, so have those computers or smartphones ready to go.

Louisville, who went 13-5-2 last season, begins their eight-game regular season with a subpar Miami team.  The Hurricanes went 6-9-2 on the year and had a rough time in conference play with a 2-7-1 mark.  They did not qualify for the ACC Tournament or NCAA Tournament.

Miami started their season on Saturday, when they took on Clemson.  To accommodate travel, the teams agreed to meet and play in Jacksonville.  Clemson took the win 4-0 and out-shot the Hurricanes 20-2.

The Miami roster contains just four seniors this year.  Tia Dupont and Michelle Giamportone are midfielders while Morgan Asmussen and Lexi Castellano-Mugica are defenders.

Tyler Speaks is the starting goalkeeper for this year's squad and recorded five saves in the full 90 minutes in their first match.

                                                                     (Emina Ekic) 

For Louisville, six seniors are on the roster.  The ones we talk about most are midfielder Emina Ekic and goalkeeper Gabby Kouzelos.  The other four include midfielders Nadege L'Esperance and Taylor Kerwin, forward Amari Hopkins and goalkeeper Lana Batson.

Ekic was the top scorer last year with eight goals and eight assists.  She has had seven goals the first two seasons each and will look to have another high mark this year.

Kouzelos had an 0.87 goals against average last year, giving her one of the best marks in the country.  In her first three years, Kouzelos has allowed 56 goals in 57 matches, to keep her under the 1.00 mark.

The Cards have dominated the series 4-1-1.  They are 3-0 at home and 1-1-1 on the road.  Last season, Louisville took a 1-0 win at Miami with Ekic's goal at the 5:33 mark of the first half.  The Cards outshot Miami 7-5 in a heavy defensive game.

Make sure to tune in to the game.  We will be grateful to have a game to recap on Saturday on The Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast --  with plenty of other news to talk about as well.

KFD Interview

Unfortunately, the scheduled interview between Paulie and Coach Karen Ferguson-Dayes did not happen yesterday.  In communication with team sports information director Nick Evans, Paulie was asked if it could be re-scheduled for noon today, and Paulie agreed. 

So, Paulie and Coach KFD are scheduled for an interview around lunchtime today and I highly recommend checking back on the site before kickoff to take a listen.  He will post the link at the top of the article to make it easy to find.

Happy Thursday and Go Cards!

Jared

Buzzer beater in Bradenton -- Karen Ferguson Dayes Interview -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 SHEY PEDDY'S BOMB BLASTS MYSTICS 85-84

For three quarters last night, the Washington Mystics looked like a team that was going to advance to the WNBA quarter-finals over the Phoenix Mercury. 

Even with Mystics star Myisha Hines-Allen getting a couple of very questionable whistles blown on her and having to sit for stretches in the first and second half because of foul trouble...let's not forget that basketball is a team game and her teammates rallied to keep the Mystics in the lead. That lead looked pretty comfortable after three quarters -- Washington up 70-59. Leilani Mitchell, Ariel Atkins and Emma Messerman were not ready to see their season end. 

I suppose you had to consider that the talents of Phoenix's Diana Taurasi, Skylar-Diggins Smith and Kia Vaughn would eventually make an impact in this contest last night.

The start of the fourth quarter was a nightmare of Freddy Krueger proportions....if you are a Mystics fan. Taurasi and Diggins-Smith started connecting on the three-pointers that had been unsuccessful earlier. Vaughn was controlling the paint. A 17-0 run by Phoenix run early in the fourth not only made up the previous deficit, it propelled the Mercury to a 78-73 lead with a little less than five minutes left in the game. 

Washington, however, roared back. They erased the Phoenix lead. The Mystics fought and scrapped to a 84-82 advantage with 5.9 seconds left after Mitchell nailed a free throw. 

One chance for the Mercury to tie or even win.  

Using a time-out to advance the ball to their part of the court, the sequence played out to where Shey Peddy had the ball in the corner. Mitchell came flying at her to try and block a game-winning three attempt. Mitchell flew by. Peddy composed herself and launched the prayer. 

Shot, flight, a game-ending light illuminates on the back-board and...

The ball goes in. 

Phoenix advances to play Minnesota Thursday night. 

It may be tough for Mystics fans (like myself) to watch the sequence again, but....here it is:

https://twitter.com/i/status/1306070990825369601

Myisha ends her 2020 season with 11 points, nine rebounds and a heart as big as Texas. I still think she's the M.I.P. (most improved player) in the league. I'm proud of her, her accomplishments and her voice for social justice. The post-player who thought she was a point-guard at UofL has shown us all what someone can do if they are given a chance.

                                               -----------  

In the other play-in-game to the quarters, the Sun eliminated the Sky.

No, that's not a meteorological revelation or occurrence...it means Connecticut wins 94-81 over Chicago to advance and face the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday. Truth be told, there were no Cardinals involved and I only caught about the last three minutes of this one. 

                                         ******************

Be sure to check back here tomorrow, as I have an interview scheduled with Louisville head women's soccer coach Karen Ferguson Dayes that I'll be posting. 

We'll discuss the Louisville WSOC squad's upcoming season-opener at Miami (FL) tomorrow night, how the squad has looked in preparation, the upcoming season and basically anything else Coach has on her mind. I'll follow up on my request to go to Miami as a senior, senile and scatter-brained scribe. I don't think I've heard anything yet, but...it seems, I forget a lot more these days than I used to. 

NOTE:

This interview was scheduled for today (Wednesday) but moved to Thursday afternoon...I'll add it to Jared column tomorrow. 

paulie

                                                                 

Predicting Fall Records: Field Hockey -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 Predicting Fall Records Part Three: Field Hockey

With two days remaining until the first UofL women's sporting event for the Fall 2020, we come to the third chapter of looking at fall sports and predicting their record.

Field hockey is the last of the three major women's fall sports to start their schedule.  Their first game is not until the very end of September, with a two-day double header beginning Sept. 26.

Of the three fall sports, field hockey appears to have the toughest schedule.  When it comes to field hockey, the ACC is THE conference to look to, with all seven teams being ACC contenders and national championship contenders every year.

As we discussed last week on the Cardinal Couple YouTube-Skype-SoundCloud-Anchor Hour Podcast, the ACC is only counting the opening game for conference standings, when they play an opponent twice, although teams will play a few more than the six-game schedule. Welcome to 2020...

The Cards kick off the season by hosting Duke for a two-game series on Sept. 26 and 27.  The Blue Devils have reached the Final Four six times since 2003.  Their 1-5 conference record last year is their worst record since before Louisville joined the ACC.  Pam Bustin, who used to coach Louisville before Justine Sowry, has had Duke as a national powerhouse every year.  This is a tough match-up for the Cards that I see them going 1-1-in, with Duke taking the first game.

North Carolina visits Louisville on Oct. 2.  Arguably the best program in NCAA field hockey history, the Tar Heels have four national championships in the last 13 years.  You can add five national runner-up finishes and three Final Four (non-championship game) appearances in that span.  North Carolina is incredible and is a favorite for a three-peat national title and the Cards will be one of the victims along the way.

The final home game is on Oct. 4 in a match-up with Boston College.  The Cards upset the Eagles in Chestnut Hill 3-2 during the regular season, but faltered in a sudden death shootout in the Elite Eight.  Boston College is no walk in the park, but I see the Cards finding a way to grind out a victory on Senior Day to improve to 2-2.

The road portion of the schedule begins with a stop in Winston-Salem for a two-game series against Wake Forest on Oct. 9 and 11.  The Demon Deacons were voted to finish last in the conference this year.  This is a team the Cards blanked 3-0 last year, but fell to twice the previous year.  Playing on the road in the ACC is tough but I see the Cards going 1-1 while getting the win in the first game.

Virginia is next on the list for the road trip, with games on Oct. 23 and 24.  The Wahoos finished second in the conference last year, advanced to the Final Four, and are preseason number two in the conference.  This is a team that has averaged about 2.5 losses at home per season over the last decade.  Like the Cards, a normal home schedule typically features 9-12 home games.  UofL will not be able to break through at Virginia, falling in both games to drop to 3-5.

Syracuse is the final stop on the schedule the day before Halloween.  The Orange are typically a middle of the pack or lower level team when it comes to the ACC.  Louisville fell to the Orange in overtime on Senior Day last year before winning in regulation to open the conference tournament.  Louisville won the three previous match-ups, with two of them going into double overtime.  This is typically an exciting game, but I think the Cards will come out on top.

If my math is correct, UofL will finish the season 4-5 by my prediction.  That also should have the Cards finishing 3-3 in conference play, which is on par for them.

So... with a tough schedule ahead here are some of my bold predictions:

-Madison Walsh will outscore Mercedes Pastor in goals scored.  With Bethany Russ graduated, the biggest offensive threat is Mechi, who scored nine goals last year.  The senior will draw heavy defensive attention.  Walsh finished last year with eight goals, but has flown slightly under the radar, giving her a good advantage.

-The Cards will average 1.25 goals per game.  This is a team that averaged 2.23 goals per game a year ago, but they don't have the luxury of dropping 3-4 goals against non-conference opponents.  They scored 10 goals in six regular season games last year, an average of 1.67 goals per game.  Carter Ayars and Bethany Russ, two of the top four scorers from last year are gone and the ACC is going to be tough.

-The sophomore class will be the most impressive class for field hockey this year.  The senior class is stacked so this is an ultra-bold prediction.  But look at some of the members of the sophomore class: Sam Minrath, Margot Lawn, and Julie Kouijzer, among others.  Only two players make up the junior class so much of the responsibility falls onto younger players.  This season will be a make or break year depending what the sophomore class does.  Coach Sowry is one tough cookie and she has high expectations and demands of them.  By them stepping up they will impress all of us.

How do you think field hockey will fare this season?  Are the bold predictions completely insane?

We still have some time before we find out, but it is coming quick.

Piggybacking Paulie

No, Paulie is not giving out piggyback rides.  He wouldn't make it too far if he tried.  However, I was in the same stadium as he was Saturday evening.

First of all, wear the mask.  The rules don't state that you can take them off altogether or pull them below your chin once in your seat.  UofL can quickly pull fans from all sporting events if they think the fans are responsible enough to handle themselves.  I'm sure Worldwide would love to keep up his volleyball tickets and Case his soccer tickets, but if fans cannot handle themselves at football then UofL has no problem putting their foot down on the other fall sports.

I, too, had some unpleasant experiences with WKU fans.  Mine involved four very drunk frat boys a couple rows behind me.  Their antics featured no masks and a 10-word vocabulary made up primarily of words I cannot repeat here.

Fans are typically better at women's sporting events with a few exceptions.

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!

Jared

WNBA REGULAR SEASON ENDS -- SATURDAY REFLECTIONS -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 DOWN TO EIGHT

The final day of the regular season in the WNBA had three games, and involved all four of the former UofL WBB stars.

WASHINGTON 85 - ATLANTA 78

Another big afternoon for Myisha Hines-Allen, who recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds to help get Washington into the playoffs as the eighth seed. The Mystics, who finished the regular season on a 5-1 run, will face #5 seed Phoenix on Tuesday night at 9 p.m. 

The Mystics held a 44-43 halftime lead and Atlanta was getting the majority of their points from the amazing Chennedy Carter. she fouled out for the Dream, after 26 points and Washington, who finished 9-13 on the season lives on for at least one more game. 

LAS VEGAS 86  - SEATTLE 84 

Angel McCoughtry saw just five minutes in the contest, being rested by Las Vegas head coach Bill Laimbeer. Seattle was without Sue Bird (bruised left knee) and Breanna Stewaart (left foot tendinitis) -- isn't wasn't exactly a true matchup between the top two teams in the league but the Aces get the win, the #1 seed, and rest to watch until Sunday's semifinals. 

So does Seattle, as the #2 seed. Both teams finished 18-4.

Angel did get five points and a rebound in her five minutes. A'ja Wilson and Dearica Hamby led Las Vegas with 23 points each. 

DALLAS 82 - NEW YORK 79

Jazmine Jones put a huge exclamation point on her rookie season with 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists for the Liberty, who are now eliminated. Kylee Shook saw 11 minutes but did not score for New York. Dallas need to win, and see Washington lose to get a playoff berth, the Wings did their part but the Mystics finish one game better than the Wings.

So, the playoff picture looks like this:

Tuesday games: 

#8 Washington vs #5 Phoenix                                                                            #6 Chicago Sky vs #7 Connecticut

Quarterfinals: 

#3 Los Angeles gets the winner of Washington vs. Phoenix                                #4 Minnesota gets the winner of Chicago vs Connecticut

Semifinals

#1 Las Vegas gets the quarterfinal winner (Minnesota, Chicago or Connecticut       #2 Seattle gets the quarterfinal winner )Washington, Phoenix or Los Angeles. 

FAN OBSERVATION AT FOOTBALL

In summation, it was weird...going to the UofL Football game Saturday. No throngs of people crowded Boxley Ave, the Parking lots, the UPS Flight Deck or outside the stadium 

My group of four walked over to the stadium a little after 7 p.m., walked right up to the gate, got our temperatures scanned (we passed!), clear bags checked, did the "hands up and get wanded thing" and went to the check-in-scanner.

And, that was the part that made me a bit nervous. I've had "paper" tickets since the days of Howard Schnellenberger and old Cardinal Stadium. I download the GoCards app to my phone was pretty sure I did it correctly but I explained to the friendly check-in-guy that I was a rookie at this.

We got through it without a hitch, though. I even printed out my e-mail confirming I had tickets and had it on me, but, it wasn't needed. 

In a minor upset, Paulie 1 - Technology 0

Walking a nearly empty concourse, going to my seat -- second row, Crunch Zone -- wearing a mask, and staring at all the empty seats around me as I walked down the steps. 

THE JERKS

So, I got to my row and there were two people standing in row 1 watching WKU warm up. Man and a woman, no masks. I loudly commented to my wife about the social distancing rule. They turned and stared at me coldly and then turned back around to watch WKU. 

In earlier days, I probably would have made an issue about it. But, I just waited. WKU finally went back to their locker room and the couple turned to leave. The man muttered something in passing, I won't repeat it here. I just let it go. The 2020 WKU fan base is a bunch of jerks, if these two are any representation of them. They probably weren't, in all honesty, but the "Paulie of 20 years ago" would have punched this lout right in the jaw and sent him face first onto the field. 

THE GAME

It rained off and on. It seemed like every time I would take my poncho off, the rain would pick up again. I finally just left it on. I wore my mask the entire game. There were two "mask patrol" guys on the field walking by about every five minutes or so, looking for mask-rule-violators. They were busy, pointing at selective groups in the seats, pointing to their faces and standing there until the groups put their masks back on. 

Louisville got off to a rocky start when the punter fumbled a snap early, WKU got the ball back right in front of us and score. But the Cards have weapons. Louisville responded with 28 straight points (Micale Cunningham was definitely on target with his receiving corps) and that was fun. We stood and cheered. That was a first half to remember. We got to see Louisville score three times, right in front of us, in the second quarter. 

The second half? Well, it just kinda happened. Nothing spectacular or game-changing. We left after the game ended, I walked right into one of the restrooms, no wait, did my business, washed my hands and that was a first for me, after 35 + years of attending Cardinal Football. No crowded restroom. We walked through another empty concourse, went straight to the truck, drove right out with no traffic delays and were home a little after midnight. 

The emptiness of the stands reminded me of how the stadium looked in past years during big rain storms. Indiana State, UK and FSU came to mind. It was eerie but it was football, we were socially distanced and it was a win. A good time, despite the different atmosphere and crowd participation.  

Were you there? Any other observations? Any other questions? You know the routine....leave a comment. 

paulie

 

And We're Off - Sunday Cardinal Couple

 Sports Return to UofL

We have results to report on for the first time half a year.  It's been a "summer slump" like never before, but we're, at least officially, past it.  OK, it's Football, which is not normally in our reporting scope, but let's celebrate the return of sports in whatever form.

Traditionally Soccer, and usually the women's soccer squad, is the official kick off of fall sports, and it typically would've happened almost a month ago, but of course these aren't usual times in any way.

It's always great to start off the UofL sports calendar with a win, and we did this year, with Football getting a...well...rather wobbly looking 35-21 win over in-state foe WKU.  There's plenty to clean up on the gridiron, but you've got plenty of places to go for analysis of that game. Anyone interested in playing on the punt team as a blocker, report to Scott Satterfield immediately.   After all, you come to Cardinal Couple for coverage and analysis that just doesn't exist anywhere else. 

The Week Ahead

In something that feels like a tip of the hat towards normalcy, the women's soccer squad will get things underway for the Olympic Sports this week on Thursday at Miami.  And Cross-Country gets going Saturday at Notre Dame.

Field Hockey and Volleyball don't get things started until next weekend.  They do get to have the first home competitions of the overall season, however, with Duke and Notre Dame coming to visit, respectively.

The UofL composite calendar is doing us no favors with several sports having schedules posted, but not showing up on the composite calendar.  If you go to the UofL site, don't count on the composite calendar showing you everything.  At the time of this writing, it appears that the Football, Field Hockey, and Men's Soccer schedules exist and are post on the respective team schedule pages, but are not appearing on the composite calendar.  It's just one tiny little way that 2020 is keeping people on their toes.

WNBA

Mystics-Liberty

All of the WNBA Cards were in action yesterday, and half got wins.  There was no way for all of them to come out victorious as Jaz Jones and Kylee Shook with the New York Liberty were playing Myisha Hines-Allen with the Washington Mystics.

Hines-Allen unsurprisingly, given the team records, came out with the W in this one, 75-58.

Mooks had a very fine game, getting the double-double with 25 points, and 11 rebounds.  Also add in four assists and three steals, and that's one you can be happy with.  About midway through the first quarter Myisha had more made baskets than the whole New York Liberty team.

Jazine Jones got her first career WNBA start, thanks in part to Layshia Clarendon not being dressed for this one because of back issues, and had a good outing.  Eight points is a solid contribution, along with a block and a pair of pilfers.  But perhaps her biggest contribution was in keeping the offensive system moving, with her seven rebounds giving the Liberty some extra possessions to do their best, and six assists to help others in those possessions.

Kylee Shook had a decent outing, coming up with four points and five rebounds.

Aces-Sparks

The Las Vegas Aces came out on top vs the Los Angeles Sparks, 84-70.  Angel McCoughtry showing us why her career in the WNBA has lasted as long as it has.  Part of the trio of top scorers for the Aces, Angel finished with 18 just behind A'ja Wilson's 19 and just ahead of Kayla McBride's 17.  Six rebounds and a trio of assists for Angel, and that's a darn good stat line for just under 24 minutes of playing time.

Bill Laimbeer keeps the playing time spread around the team pretty well with eight of the ten active players in the wubble for the Aces getting north of 12 minutes of playing time.

Today

Everyone is back in action today to wrap up the regular season for the WNBA.  The Liberty vs the Dallas Wings is at noon, The Aces are in what looks like it could be a very good game against the Seattle Storm at 3pm, and the Mystics get the regular season finale with the Atlanta Dream at 5pm.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

When our wonderful host, for many years, WCHQ, shut down at the end of the year, we decided we would keep the name "Cardinal Couple Radio Hour" with our tongue firmly in cheek since we would no longer actually be on the radio.  Now?  We also realized, as part of that transition, that we would no longer be tied to an hour schedule, either, and we've been taking advantage of that, of late, with the last CCRH that came in right at an hour mark was back in July.  We've been running about an hour and ten minutes, even as long as an hour and 20 minutes, of late.  We hope it's been fun for you, it certainly has for us, and it has let us dive a little it deeper into some subjects which has been very nice.

The latest is no exception.  It was an hour and a quarter of good fun, quite a bit of excitement about the return of sports to the UofL campus and a look into who to expect breakout years from and surprise teams with their contributions.  No quiz this week, it's probably time to pack it away until...well, let's hope it stays packed away until Summer 2021, because if it makes an appearance before then, things probably aren't looking great for the country on the Covid-19 front.

We had the full regular squad on the call and had good fun.  Check it out!

JMcA

Sports on Campus -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 Football Season Getting Underway

We all know that Cardinal Couple's mission is to bring to you the joy and excitement of Louisville women's athletics. As such, we typically don't cover anything about men's sports, unless it's a very big deal. Today is a very big deal. The first athletic competition in UofL's fall season will take place today when Louisville hosts the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. Barring something crazy happening in the next 12 hours (7:30 AM at time of writing), a football game is going to happen and sports will be underway at the University of Louisville.

This is a big deal not just for the football players, but for all of the fall sports, most of which we cover here. The first football game is a milestone that needed to be reached to act as an indicator that sports can happen here at UofL. How things go with the reduced capacity at Cardinal Stadium will also play into decisions that the University makes about having fans at the other fall sports as well. 

It is important to remember that everything is still in flux. Things can still change at the drop of a hat and it would almost be wise to expect them to. It was just announced that a pair Padres/Giants games have been postponed following positive COVID tests, despite MLB going a long time without any news of positive cases. Memphis announced yesterday that they have had an outbreak among their football team, leading to a reported 3-20 positive cases with an undisclosed number of players quarantining. They're currently assessing whether or not their game against Houston will be able to happen next Friday. Even UofL announced yesterday that they've had 3 positive results out of 697 tests this week. While that's an extremely low percentage, it's not zero, and it raises some questions.

I'm as excited as anyone else for sports to be underway. I made sure yesterday that the family plan with my sister-in-law was set up for our streaming service of choice so that I'd be able to watch tonight's game. Let's all remember, though, that things may change and that it's not impossible for you to do something about it. The more people that stick to following guidelines and reducing their risk of infection or spreading infection, the greater chance we have of seeing the sports we love continue throughout the year. That's not even to mention the unknowns surrounding the upcoming basketball seasons. 

I know that I constantly sound like a pessimist; it's one of my worst qualities. However, I'm like everyone else in hoping and wishing for the best. Things won't just go away, though, and we're going to have to accept that the good feelings of sports coming back may once again be met by the despair of sports being gone. Let's enjoy them while we have the opportunity and support all of the players that have been working hard on and off the field to make this possible.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

We're back on the air this week with a full house. Jared will be freed from the shackles of banking for a number of weeks and Paulie has no tailgate to run off to. We'll discuss some of Jared's wild predictions for the year, the All-Conference announcements, and the schedules that have been announced since we last spoke. With sports actually on the calendar, your guess is as good as mine as to whether or not there will be a quiz. I suppose you'll just have to tune in to find out. Check out the Cardinal Couple YouTube channel at 11AM for this week's live show, or any time after for the rebroadcast.

Until next time, Go Cards!

-CH-

WNBA RECAP -- MYISHA KEEPS MYSTICS ALIVE -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 MYISHA GOES FOR 30 IN MYSTICS WIN

Amidst all the Thursday night football options, Myisha Hines-Allen decided to take over the WNBA last night and her 30-point effort led the Washington Mystics to a 80 -72 win over the LA Sparks. 

I don't think there is much doubt she is the most improved player in the WNBA this season and her 30-point, eight rebound effort in 35 minutes kept the Mystics in the hunt for the eighth and final playoff spot in the WNBA. 

It was Myisha sinking threes, going coast-to-coast for buckets and pounding in the paint for scores in the Washington win. Trailing 45-39 at the half to the Sparks, Hines-Allen and her team-mates unleashed a 23-12 third-quarter on the L.A. squad and took a 62-57 lead that they would not relinquish the rest of the way.

For Washington, it pretty much breaks down to this:  with two games left to play in the regular season, two wins would have them in the playoffs, unless the Dallas Wings win their final two games. Dallas holds the tie-breaker between the two, having won both previous matches. 

Washington plays the New York Liberty on Saturday and then Atlanta on Sunday. It should be noted that Atlanta is looking to capture that final playoff spot also and is one game back of Dallas and Washington at 6-14. The Wings finish with Chicago tonight and the New York Liberty Sunday. 

                                                 *****

Speaking of the Liberty, the New York squad gave the Indiana Fever all they wanted for three quarters last night but could not seal the deal in the fourth -- losing 85-75.  

This one was tied 62-62 after three quarters.  

Jazmine Jones was returned to the lineup (maybe Walt Hopkins figured out that another almost-30 point loss wouldn't be much fun) and Jaz responded with nine points and 10 rebounds in 23 minutes. Kylee Shook saw nine minutes and had two points, that ankle most likely still a bit sore.

New York has the opportunity to be a spoiler in their final two games of the year -- facing Washington Saturday and Dallas Sunday. A win for New York over either or both opponents could put a dent in Washington or Dallas' playoff hopes. 

                                                  *****

Angel and the Aces entertained Minnesota last night and the Lynx kept it interesting for a half before Las Vegas tossed a 25-15 third quarter at them and went on to win 104-89.

Angel McCoughtry had 22 points and eight rebounds in just 17 minutes for the Aces, who remain a game back of league leading Seattle. 

Las Vegas could take the regular season championship if they win their final two games and get the #1 seed in he playoffs. The task, though, is formidable -- with Los Angeles on Saturday and Seattle on Sunday. 

19 YEARS AGO

Let us never forget that 19 years ago, on September 11th., our nation was shocked and attacked during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. 

Do you remember where you were? 

I was working and had stopped into a pharmacy to get a ink-pen, of all things, mine had ended up in the hands of the previous client I had visited. I walked in and noticed several people gathered around the checkout counter watching a portable TV. 

(Yes, friends...that was when were still able to get television without cable, dishes or internet)

The first plane had already crashed into the World Trade Center and, as I watched, a second came along and did the same to the remaining tower. It was 9:00 a.m. when I entered, 9:04 when the second attack hit and I never did get that ink pen. Instead, I decided I was going home to watch the rest of the coverage. I remember thinking while I was driving home, listening to the radio coverage...how could this happen, was it over? and why... 

2977 lost their lives. Remember them today, and every day. 

 

paulie