Women's Lacrosse Heads West to Denver
March 01, 2013 | Women's Lacrosse
March 1, 2013
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville women's lacrosse team makes its first road trip this weekend, as the squad heads west to face Denver on Saturday, March 2, at 1 p.m. at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium.
On Tuesday, Louisville made its first appearance in program history in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Association rankings, checking in at No. 20. The Cardinals have raced out to a 3-0 start, beating a pair of unranked opponents in Canisius and Old Dominion and upsetting then-No. 13 Ohio State.
Last time out, the Cardinals cruised to a 21-3 victory over Old Dominion on Saturday. Kaylin Morissette scored a game-best five goals and had a game-high four draw controls, while Nikki Boltja tallied three scores. Three other players finished with multi-goal performances. Hillary Bushway helped anchor the defense, totaling four ground balls and four caused turnovers, and Ashley Herbst picked up her third win after stopping eight shots. Meredith Rogers led the Lady Monarchs with two scores.
Statistically, the Cardinals are No. 8 in scoring margin (+9.67), No. 10 in scoring defense, holding opponents to 5.67 goals per game, and caused turnovers per game (12), and No. 12 in scoring offense (15.33 goals/game). Individually, Herbst ranks ninth nationally in goals-against average (5.78) and 11th in save percentage (56.4).
Denver, which will be playing its first home game on Saturday, enters the contest with a 2-1 overall mark. The Pioneers dropped a 7-6 decision at Delaware on Saturday. With the scored tied at five at the half, Delaware's Caitlin McCartney scored consecutive goals to open the second period and put the Blue Hens ahead for good. Limited to just one goal in the second half, Denver was led by Kara Secora's four tallies. Hannah Hook, who played all 60 minutes and made 10 saves, was credited with the loss.
Denver ranks 13th nationally in ground balls per game (21.3), No. 23 in scoring defense (7.33), and 25th in caused turnovers per game (10.33).
Currently, Secora leads the team with nine goals, followed by Jenn Etzel's seven goals. Jill Remenapp ranks first on the squad in assists (9) and points (13). Hook, who has played more than 90 percent of the team's minutes in goal, ranks sixth nationally in save percentage (58.0), 12th in saves (29), 15th in saves per game (9.67), and 19th in goals-against average (7.23).
The Pioneers are under the direction of eighth-year coach Liza Kelly, who has guided the program to a 73-37 mark. Last year, Denver posted a 12-3 overall mark, going 6-1 in league play. The team returned 10 starters and was picked to finish third in the MPSF Women's Lacrosse Preseason Coaches' Poll.
Opposing Player to Watch
The opposing player to watch is Denver sophomore Jill Remenapp. Through three games, she has scored four goals and dished out nine assists for a team-best 13 points. Nationally, she ranks eighth in overall assists and ninth in assists per game.
In the season-opening win over Vanderbilt, she was a major factor in the team's offense, totaling two goals and five assists. A game later, she had two goals and two assists in a 17-6 win over George Washington. Against Delaware, a decision Denver lost, she was held scoreless and limited to two assists. The Cardinals' defense will be dealt the challenge of keeping Remenapp under heavy watch.
For the latest information on Louisville women's lacrosse, log on to GoCards.com, or, for up-to-the-minute updates, follow the team's Twitter account at www.twitter.com/louisvillelax or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/uofllacrosse.
