2016 Field Hockey Season Preview

August 24, 2016 | Field Hockey

The 2016 Cardinals features balanced mix of talented veterans and newcomers

As the University of Louisville field hockey team enters its third season in the daunting Atlantic Coast Conference, the Cardinals stand ready to take on the task of establishing themselves among the elite teams in the nation.

The past two seasons have brought back-to-back NCAA appearances and several showing in the top 10 rankings, but the 2016 squad features a balanced mix of veterans and talented newcomers who are prepared to take UofL field hockey to new heights.

The Cardinals, who were recently ranked No. 12 in the Penn Monto/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) preseason poll, finished the 2015 campaign with a 13-7 overall record and made its second-straight NCAA appearance. The Cards ranked No. 11 in the final coaches poll and spent seven weeks among the top 10 in the nation after opening the 2015 season at No. 12.

Louisville returns 15 players including seven starters returning from last season. Among the key returnees are NFHCA All-American sophomore goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran and fellow NFHCA All-Region selections senior Erin McCrudden and junior Nicole Woods. In addition to the core of veterans returning, UofL welcomes eight talented newcomers who will be instrumental in the team's success in 2016.

"In terms of field hockey, we probably have the most talent we've had in a number of years, meaning every positional line is solid and has depth, so that's something that's very exciting for our team right now," said head coach Justine Sowry. "From a fitness standpoint, we're a little bit behind schedule, from a team perspective. I think it's still a matter of time before we start clicking."

Preseason Tune-up
After a week of practice, Louisville hosted Ohio University in a preseason scrimmage on Thursday, Aug. 24. In that matchup, senior Lotta Kahlert scored twice and dished out two assists while junior Nicole Woods added a pair of goals to help the Cardinals beat the Bobcats 7-0 through 70 minutes of play. Senior Shannon Sloss, freshman Minout Mink and sophomore Marigrace Ragsdale also scored for the Cards. Senior Erin McCrudden added a goal in a 10-minute 7v7 period. Sophomore goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran collected five saves in the shutout.

Sowry was pleased with the transition from intra-squad practice to a full-field scrimmage against another team. ""I wasn't so concerned with whether we had won or lost, it was more about finding combinations on the field. We have a lot of options and we're trying to find the right combinations, so we're playing people all over the place. We're rotating them a lot so it's going to take a little while to come up with what works."

With the season-opener at Indiana just a few days away, the following is an early glance and positional breakdown for the 2016 Cardinals.

Forwards
The Cardinals return a veteran group of forwards who accounted for 26 of 42 goals last season. Senior Hailey Netherton (Louisville, Ky.) brings a wealth of experience to the front line after playing in every Louisville game since her freshman season. Fellow senior Shannon Sloss (Pequea, Pa.) made an immediate impact as a freshman, earning 2013 Big East Freshman of the year honors, and has gone on to collected 18 career goals entering this season. Redshirt junior Stephanie Byrne (Berlin, N.J.) stood second on the team last season with eight goals.

After a summer competing and training with USA Field Hockey's Under-21 team, junior Nicole Woods (Beverly, Mass.) also looks to pick up where she left off last season when she led the Cardinals with 22 points (nine goals, four assists). Fellow junior Marigrace Ragsdale (St. Louis, Mo.) also continued to hone her skills over the summer and will be called upon to contribute to Louisville's attack.

The Cardinals' front line will also feature a pair of international freshmen in Dutch U18 team member Minout Mink (Haaksbergen, Netherlands) and Whena Munn (Wellington, New Zealand) who is a member of New Zealand's Junior Black Sticks.

Midfielders
At Louisville's annual Fall Sports Media Day, Sowry referred to the midfield as "probably our strongest line this year" with a solid core of returners who have worked very hard in the offseason.

The midfield line will be led by senior captains Lotta Kahlert (Hamburg, Germany) and Erin McCrudden (Putnam Valley, N.Y.). Kahlert has played in every game as a Cardinal and started all 20 her junior season. McCrudden worked her way into the starting lineup in 2015 and went on to earn NFHCA All-West Region honors. Woods could also see time in the midfield.

Sophomore Annie Himsworth (Trappe, Pa.) gained valuable experience in 15 games as a freshman while fellow sophomore Katie Walsh (Louisville, Ky.) saw time in 12 games and honed her skills over the summer while helping her team to a third place finish in USA Field Hockey's Young Women's National Championship.

Freshmen Bethany Russ (Melbourne, Australia) who was a member of the Australian Futures Futuroos squad and Sydnie Swartwood (Yorktown, Va.) will also compete for a spot in the midfield.

Backs
With the graduation of 2015 NFHCA All-American Victoria Stratton and three-time All-Region selection Elisa Garcia, the backfield is Louisville's most inexperienced line. Back from last year's team is senior Gianna Perrone (Berlin, N.J.) started every game last season. She is joined by junior Abby Grimes (St. Louis, Mo.) who was originally recruited as a forward, but worked her way into a starting position in the backfield during her sophomore season.

Sophomore Taylor Stone (Herndon, Va.) was hampered by injury throughout much of her freshman campaign, but played in 16 games with eight starts. The USA Field Hockey Under-19 team member spent much of the summer training within the national development program and competed in the Young Women's National Championship. Fellow sophomore Maria Gomez (Madrid, Spain) also returns with a year of playing experience under her belt.

The Cardinals welcome three newcomers to the backfield. Lizzie Gittens comes to Louisville as a graduate student from Southampton, England and Sowry will look to her to provide leadership and direction in the backfield. Freshmen Carter Ayars (Wilmington, Del.) and Isabella Leeker (St. Louis, Mo.) will also bring added depth.

Goalkeepers
The Cardinals a platoon of three goalkeepers to complete its traditionally stringent defense. Back from a stellar rookie campaign is Ayeisha McFerran (Larne, Northern Ireland) who became the first freshman in program history to earn NFHCA All-America honors after posting a 1.24 goals against average and nine shutouts on the season. The Irish National Field Hockey Team, brings a mix of international and collegiate experience into her sophomore season.

Elina Pereira (Medford, N.J.) enters the season two years of experience while freshman Hollyn Barr (Lancaster, Pa.) completes the Cardinals' goalkeeper platoon.

Head Coach Justine Sowry
Sowry is entering her sixth season at the helm and has compiled a 65-35 record at Louisville along with two NCAA appearances. She guided the Cardinals to a share of the 2013 BIG EAST Championship title and, the past two seasons, has navigated the program's transition to the ACC – arguably the toughest conference in Division I field hockey.

Tough Slate Ahead
Nine of Louisville's 19 opponents are ranked in the NFHCA's preseason top 20 with seven of those teams ranked inside the top 10. The Atlantic Coast Conference has continued its showing among the nation's best with all seven league teams appearing in the top 12 including: No. 1 North Carolina, No. 2 Syracuse – the defending national champion, No. 4 Duke, No. 5 Virginia, No. 7 Wake Forest and No. 8 Boston College. Additionally, the Cardinals are slated to take on five teams who are receiving votes in the preseason poll.