Women's Lacrosse Announces 2012 Schedule
January 03, 2012 | Women's Lacrosse
Jan. 3, 2012
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - University of Louisville women's lacrosse head coach Kellie Young announced on Tuesday afternoon the Cardinals' 2012 schedule, which features six home games, including one against defending NCAA champion, Northwestern.
"This is the toughest schedule we have faced in the five years of our program," Young says. "We are thrilled to take on this level of competition, continuing to compete against some of the best programs in the country as a member of the BIG EAST and also adding the 2011 national champions (Northwestern) to our schedule."
Ten of Louisville's 16 opponents had winning records in 2011, including two who reached the NCAA Tournament (Northwestern, NCAA champion; Loyola (Md.), Elite Eight). In total, seven teams finished in the top 30 of the NCAA Division I RPI rankings.
Louisville finished last year with a 10-7 overall record (3-5 in the BIG EAST), helping reach the 10-win plateau in each year of its four-year existence. The Cardinals put together a 7-3 home record, which included an upset victory over No. 13-ranked Vanderbilt. At the conclusion of the year, five earned IWLCA all-West/Midwest Region honors, four earned all-BIG EAST accolades, and Bergan Foley was tabbed the team's first IWLCA All-American.
As opposed to last year, the Cardinals begin the year with three-straight road contests. Louisville opens the season in Columbus, Ohio, at Ohio State on Feb. 19, and then travels to the state of Virginia for a pair of contests. On Feb. 24, Louisville plays at Longwood, and heads to Old Dominion two days later for a game on Feb. 26. The Cardinals are 2-0 against both Longwood and Old Dominion.
The Cardinals then return home for a pair of games, starting on March 2 against Denver; the game will mark the first time the two programs have faced each other. Five days later, Louisville plays host to the defending national champion in Northwestern - an opponent the Cardinals have never faced - on March 7. The Wildcats went 21-2 last season and also won the American Lacrosse Conference championship.
Following a neutral-site game in Cumming, Ga., against Presbyterian, Louisville hits the road for four games, its longest road stretch of the year. The Cardinals travel south to play Vanderbilt - Louisville upset the then-No. 13 Commodores last year - on March 14 and continue the southern swing to Jacksonville on March 17. The Cardinals BIG EAST opener comes during the road trip, as they will face assistant coach Crysti Foote's alma mater, Notre Dame on March 24, before heading to Cincinnati for a March 27 match.
Louisville continues its BIG EAST schedule at home, with BIG EAST champion and NCAA Tournament participant Loyola (Md.) on April 5. Then, Georgetown then comes to town for an April 7 tilt.
The Cardinals embark on their final regular-season road trip of the year, as they head to Rutgers on April 13 and then Villanova on April 15, before playing their final two regular-season home games against Syracuse (April 20) and Connecticut (April 22). Last season, Louisville split the four games, defeating the Scarlet Knights (10-8) and the Wildcats (16-4) and falling to the Orange (11-10) and the Huskies (14-12).
Syracuse is slated to serve as host of the BIG EAST Championships, with the semifinals taking place on May 3 and the title match being played on May 5. All games will be held in the Carrier Dome.
The NCAA Championships semifinals (May 25) and final (May 27) once again will be held at Stony Brook University. The first round of the NCAA Championships will take play on May 12-13, and the quarterfinals are slated to be played on May 19-20.
| 2012 LOUISVILLE WOMEN'S LACROSSE SCHEDULE | |||
| Date | Opponent | Time | Location |
| Feb. 19 | Ohio State | 1 p.m. | Columbus, Ohio |
| Feb. 24 | Longwood | 4 p.m. | Farmville, Va. |
| Feb. 26 | Old Dominion | 12 p.m. | Norfolk, Va. |
| March 2 | DENVER | 2 p.m. | U OF L LACROSSE STADIUM |
| March 7 | NORTHWESTERN | 5 p.m. | U OF L LACROSSE STADIUM |
| March 10 | Presbyterian | 1 p.m. | Cumming, Ga. |
| March 14 | Vanderbilt | 4 p.m. | Nashville, Tenn. |
| March 17 | Jacksonville | 12 p.m. | Jacksonville, Fla. |
| March 24 | Notre Dame | 1 p.m. | South Bend, Ind. |
| March 27 | Cincinnati | 5 p.m. | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| April 5 | LOYOLA (Md.) | 5 p.m. | U OF L LACROSSE STADIUM |
| April 7 | GEORGETOWN | 12 p.m. | U OF L LACROSSE STADIUM |
| April 13 | Rutgers | 5 p.m. | New Brunswick, N.J. |
| April 15 | Villanova | 1 p.m. | Villanova, Pa. |
| April 20 | SYRACUSE | 5 p.m. | U OF L LACROSSE STADIUM |
| April 22 | CONNECTICUT | 1 p.m. | U OF L LACROSSE STADIUM |
| May 3 | BIG EAST Semifinals | TBD | Syracuse, N.Y. |
| May 5 | BIG EAST Finals | TBD | Syracuse, N.Y. |
