University of Louisville
NORTHWESTERN
Women's Lacrosse Falls to Top-Ranked Northwestern
March 07, 2012 | Women's Lacrosse
March 7, 2012
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville women's lacrosse team held Northwestern to five goals in second period, but it was not enough as defending national champion and top-ranked Northwestern registered a 16-7 victory on a windy Wednesday evening at the U of L Lacrosse Stadium.
"These are the games that move us forward," head coach Kellie Young said. "Northwestern is where we want to be and competing against them gives our players a first-hand experience of what it takes to perform at an elite level. The loss is another example of why just working isn't enough. You have to work hard and you have to work smart.
"I'm proud of the fight - the grit we showed on ground balls and the fight until the last whistle. Now, we just need to follow the game plan for 60 minutes and be consistent with our structure from end to end."
The Cardinals' defense confined Northwestern, which ranks 17th nationally in scoring offense, to just seven shots in the second period and only four draw controls in the final 30 minutes. One of the Wildcats' Tewaaraton Trophy Watch List selections, Shannon Smith, was limited to two goals in the game; both came in the second period.
Eleni Kozas helped the Cardinals (1-3) keep pace in the second, scoring two of her team-best three goals. Cat Gordon and Jamie Redding also tallied scores in the second, their third and sixth, respectively. Redding finished the game with two goals and two assists.
Northwestern (5-0) controlled the tempo in the first period, outscoring Louisville, 11-2. Casey Bocklet had a pair of scores to spark a 7-0 run to end the half.
Kozas tallied Louisville's first goal of the game less than five minutes after the starting whistle, and Amy Poteet, who came off the bench, netted Louisville's second goal at the 18:26 mark. She also earned an assist in the contest.
Individually, Colleen O'Malley, Faye Brust and Kozas led the team with three ground balls apiece, forcing three of the team's six caused turnovers. Monica Negron and Gordon won a team-high four draw controls each.
Louisville begins its five match road swing with a match against Presbyterian at a neutral site in Cumming, Ga., on Saturday, March 10. First draw is set for 1 p.m.
