No. 9 Field Hockey Falls 1-0 to No. 8 Delaware in NCAA First Round

Saturday, November 12

Durham, N.C.

2:00 PM

University of Louisville

(15-6)

Delaware

(20-2)

Louisville

Delaware

No. 9 Field Hockey Falls 1-0 to No. 8 Delaware in NCAA First Round

November 12, 2016 | Field Hockey

Box Score Delaware 1 - Louisville 0 Photo Gallery Justine Sowry Post Game Interview

Cards close the season with a 15-6 overall record

DURHAM, N.C. – Ninth-ranked Louisville fell 1-0 to No. 8 Delaware in the first round of the NCAA Field Hockey Championship Saturday at William's Field at Jack Katz Stadium. The Cardinals (15-6) were shut out for the first time this season despite outshooting Blue Hens 11-4 and holding a 4-1 advantage in penalty corners.

"We're devastated, there's no question," said UofL head coach Justine Sowry. "To have a season like we did and have it end like this, is devastating. Delaware is a good team, coached very well and they stuck to how they play hockey for 70 minutes. The last 20 to 25 minutes, we started to play Louisville hockey and started to press them. Credit to the Delaware defense and their goalkeeper because they kept the ball out of the back of the net. At the end of the day we weren't able to get the job done.

Delaware (20-2) scored the only goal of the game in the ninth minute when Lisa Giezeman sent a cross from the right side of the circle and Maura Zarkoski deflected it into the top left corner of the cage.

In the first half the Blue Hens held a 4-3 edge in shots while the Cardinals led 2-1 in corners.

Louisville amplified its attack in the second half, delivering eight shots, five of them on goal and two hit the post. The Cardinals earned a pair of penalty corners in the second half, the first came in the fourth minute of the half and resulted in graduate student Lizzie Gittens' shot getting past Delaware goalkeeper Emmeline Oltmans, but Kayla Devin was there to pick up a defensive save to keep Louisville off of the scoreboard.

The Cards' second corner of the half came midway through the period and found junior Abby Grimes' shot stopped by Otlmans. In the next 10 minutes of play, shots by junior Nicole Woods and junior Marigrace Ragsdale hit the post as Louisville continued to press offensively.

With 1:55 left to play, the Cardinals lifted goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran for an extra field player and worked the ball to their end of the field, but could not get a shot off.

Delaware's Oltmans (20-2) had six saves in the game while Ayeisha McFerran had one stop.

"I want to congratulate our seniors, all eight of them," said Sowry. "They've been wonderful ambassadors for our program. They left it all out on the field today, but unfortunately we weren't able to get a win for them."

Louisville closes the 2016 season with a 15-6 overall record. The Cardinals went 3-3 in ACC play and finished in a four-way tie for third. Additionally, Louisville spent 10 weeks in the NFHCA top 10, reaching as high as No. 6.