Lacrosse Announces 2015 Schedule
January 14, 2015 | Women's Lacrosse
Louisville, Ky. - The No. 12 University of Louisville women's lacrosse head coach Kellie Young released the Cardinals' 2015 schedule, highlighted by the Cardinals' inaugural ACC campaign and contests with eight opponents ranked in the Top 20. Seven of the opponents are ranked in the top 10 of the preseason Lacrosse Magazine poll.
"The team is poised and ready to take on the toughest schedule in school history," Young said. "Eight of our 16 games are against ranked opponents, including seven opponents ranked in the top 10. It will provide us a great opportunity to build of the success of last year and have another opportunity to make Louisville lacrosse history. We are preparing every day to attack our schedule game by game."
The Cardinals are coming off a 16-4 season and their first Sweet 16 appearance in 2014. The squad kicks off their eighth season in school history with an eight game home slate in 2015. The season opener will be on a Feb. 15 against Cincinnati at the U of L Lacrosse Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Bearcats last year in Cincinnati 23-2 in a game which 13 different players scored a goal.
The following weekend, Louisville hosts Canisius, a 2014 NCAA Tournament participant, on Feb. 21. The two teams were scheduled to meet last year in Buffalo but the game was cancelled due to inclement weather.
Louisville makes its first road trip of the season and head west to Colorado as they face No. 20 Denver on Feb. 28. Denver went 19-2 in 2014 and also reached the Sweet 16. Louisville handed Denver one of their two losses last season, 12-7, behind four goals from Faye Brust.
The Cards return home with matchups against Duquesne (Mar. 4) and William & Mary (Mar. 7). The matchup against Duquesne will be the first time the two squads have met. The Cards faced William & Mary last season and captured an 18-5 road victory. Louisville kicks off their inaugural campaign in the ACC with their first ever matchup at No. 7 Boston College on Mar. 11. The Eagles advanced to the Elite Eight last season and finished with a 15-6 overall record.
The Cardinals then return home for a two-game home stand over Spring Break. They face off with Elite Eight participant No. 8 Duke for a conference matchup on Mar. 14 before hosting Vanderbilt on Mar. 18 in nonconference action. The Cards started the 2014 season with a 14-11 loss at Duke. Louisville defeated Vanderbilt 18-14 in overtime in which three Cardinals scored at least five goals in the contest.
After a quick stint at home, the Cardinals endure their longest road stretch of the season with four consecutive contests away from home. Louisville heads to Blacksburg, Va. to take on ACC opponent Virginia Tech. The matchup will be the first between the two teams since 2009. Three nonconference games follow with contests at Longwood (Mar. 25), No. 5 Northwestern (Mar. 29), and American (Mar. 31).
The Cardinals seek to get revenge on Final Four participant Northwestern, who knocked the Cardinals out of the NCAA Tournament last season by winning the Sweet 16 matchup 11-8.
The Cardinals will return home to face No. 2 North Carolina on Apr. 4 in an ACC matchup before heading to No. 6 Virginia on Apr. 12 for the first ever matchup between the two teams. The Tar Heels finished 15-5 last season and advanced to the Elite Eight while Virginia comes off a Final Four appearance.
Louisville hosts NCAA Tournament runner-up No. 3 Syracuse in the home finale on Apr. 16 before rounding out their regular season schedule on the road against No. 10 Notre Dame on Apr. 19. The Orange posted a 21-3 record last season and fell in the National Championship 15-12 to Maryland while The Fighting Irish advanced to the Sweet 16.
The ACC Tournament, which will be hosted by University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va., begins with the first round on Apr. 23, semifinals held on Apr. 24 and the title game being held on Apr. 26. All games will be played at Klöckner Stadium on Virginia's campus.
