No. 20 Women's Lacrosse Faces Ohio State
April 01, 2011 | Women's Lacrosse
April 1, 2011
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Coming off a win over its highest ranked opponent in program history, the University of Louisville women's lacrosse team will face Ohio State on Sunday, April 3, in its final regular-season nonconference game. Start time at the U of L Lacrosse Stadium is set for 1 p.m.
The game is part of the '2011 Friends of Jaclyn Week,' helping to raise awareness about pediatric brain tumors, supporting the growth of FOJ and ultimately improving the quality of life of children with pediatric brain tumors. A donations box will be set up at the entrance gate for fans wishing to help.
The No. 20-ranked Cardinals (8-1) used arguably its strongest defensive performance of the season to upset 13th-ranked Vanderbilt, 12-6, on March 30. The backline held the Commodores to their lowest shot total of the season (13), with Vanderbilt only scoring six goals (only one in the first half), which is tied for its lowest amount in 2011.
Liz Lovejoy had five points (four goals, one assist), while Bergan Foley registered three scores, and Emily Dashiell tallied two. Three other Cardinals scored in the win. Ashley Herbst, who played all 60 minutes in goal and earned the win, tied her season high with four ground balls. Meghan Ryan won four draw controls, which tied her career high. Collectively, the Cardinals held the advantage in shots (26-13), ground balls (21-14) and draw controls (11-9), while forcing 17 Vanderbilt turnovers.
Ohio State enters Sunday's game owning a 5-4 overall mark, with a 2-3 road record. The Buckeyes are coming off a 10-8 loss at No. 9 Florida on March 26. Alayna Markwordt, the team's leading scorer, registered four goals and one ground ball. Four other players registered one goal apiece, including Jayme Beard, who had a game-high three draw controls. Annie Carruthers played all 60 minutes in goal for Ohio State, allowing 10 scores and making eight saves. Kitty Cullen led the Gators with six scores.
The Buckeyes, who are 2-0 all-time against Louisville, are under the direction of Alexis Venechanos, who's in her first season with the program. Previously, Venechanos was the head coach at Massachusetts, guiding the program to a 36-38 overall mark in four years. This year, Markwordt leads the team in goals (28), assists (16) and points (44). Carruthers has played a majority of time in goal, earning all nine decisions, making 50 saves and allowing 70 scores.
