Women's Lacrosse Plays Host to No. 18 Denver
February 28, 2014 | Women's Lacrosse
Feb. 28, 2014
NEW YORK - The University of Louisville women's lacrosse faces another early-season challenge, playing host to No. 18 Denver on Saturday, March 1, at the UofL Lacrosse Stadium at 1 p.m. ET.
The Cardinals (3-1) faced a top-20 opponent earlier this season in then-No. 6 Duke. After battling the Blue Devils to a close three-goal loss, Louisville has tallied three-consecutive wins, including a recent pair of road victories.
"We're excited to be back at home and defending our field," head coach Kellie Young said. "We've grown a ton in our last four games and are prepared to apply simple changes to our game to elevate our play even more.
"Denver is well coached and dynamic, and it should be a great battle."
Last weekend, Louisville defeated Old Dominion 15-12 on Feb. 21 and then notched an 18-5 victory over William & Mary. Combined, Nikki Boltja had 12 goals on 18 shots, and Kaylin Morissette totaled four goals, four assists, and 19 draw controls. On Thursday, both were named to the prestigious Tewaaraton Watch List that is awarded at the end of the season to the top collegiate lacrosse players.
In outscoring its opposition 33-17 during that two-game stretch, Louisville also held the advantage on draw controls (35-19), ground balls (39-27), and caused 22 turnovers.
For the year, Boltja is leading the team with 20 goals, while Faye Brust, Cortnee Daley, and Morissette have 10 goals apiece. Morissette has a team-best 35 draw controls, 20 ahead of her pace from last season in which she finished with 66 that currently ranks in the top 10 on the school's single-season list.
Defensively, Daley ranks first with seven caused turnovers, and goalkeeper Ashley Herbst boasts a 9.40 goals-against average.
Denver enters Saturday's contest with a 2-0 record after defeating a pair of conference foes by a combined score of 35-9.
The Pioneers, who last played on Feb. 23, defeated Fresno State 20-5. Eight different players scored in the victory, led by Meredith Harris' five tallies. Jill Remenapp had four goals and a game-high four assists. Denver, which shut out Fresno State 7-0 in the second half, held a 31-10 advantage on shots and a 25-14 edge in ground balls.
This season, Harris and Rachel McKinnon each have eight goals through two games. Also offensively, Remenapp and Rachel Dillon boast a team-best five assists each. Hannah Hook, who has seen a majority of the time in the cage, is 2-0 with a 3.07 goals-against average and a .688 save percentage.
Denver is under the guidance of eighth-year coach Liza Kelly, who's guided the program to a 91-39 record. Former UofL assistant Matt Lawicki is a member of the Pioneers' staff. Denver reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season after posting an 18-3 overall record.
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.
