No. 15 Field Hockey Defeats No. 13 JMU 4-1

Sunday, September 24

LOUISVILLE, KY

12:00 PM

University of Louisville

(6-4)

JAMES MADISON

(6-3)

JMU

Louisville

September 24, 2017 | Field Hockey

Box Score Louisville 4 - JMU 1 Justine Sowry Postgame Interview: Taylor Stone Postgame Interview: Sydnie Swartwood Postgame Interview: Photo Gallery

Four different players scored for the Cardinals

By: Alexis Chevalier

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Four different players scored to help lead the 15^th ranked University of Louisville field hockey team to a 4-1 win over No. 13 James Madison Sunday afternoon at Trager Stadium. The Cardinals (6-4) will return to action on Friday when they welcome No. 6 Syracuse to Trager Stadium their seventh-consecutive game against a ranked opponent.

"It was a game where we were really trying to trust the process," said UofL head coach Justine Sowry. "We knew that after 100 minutes of hockey on Friday that it was going to be a tough mental battle, and you can really get away from the game plan, and make mistakes, but how you get over those mistakes is going to be critical to our success. They put us under a lot of pressure, they're a good team, so everyone needed to be involved.

JMU (6-3) grabbed the lead early when Miranda Rigg scored in the seventh minute of the game to give the Dukes the 1-0 lead. Sophomore Minout Mink rattled off two shots in a 45-second span to try and even the score, but JMU goalkeeper Sara Kraeutler stopped both attempts.

The Cardinals did not get another chance to score until the final minute of the half, when Mink earned the first corner of the game. Abby Grimes' shot was turned back by Kraeutler, but freshman Marisa Martin Pelegrina collected the rebound at the left post and delivered a feed to Mink who sent the ball into the cage for her team-best fifth goal of the season which tied the game with six seconds remaining in the first half.

The teams entered the break tied at 1-1 after Louisville outshot JMU 6-3 and held a 1-0 edge in corners.

The Cardinals needed less than six minutes to score once again the second half. Martin Pelegrina dribbled across the end line to the left post and snuck a shot into the right side of the cage to give the Cardinals a 2-1 lead.

Six minutes later, Louisville was able to extend its lead. Goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran's save off of JMU penalty corner started a breakaway that culminated in sophomore Whena Munn's pass to classmate Sydnie Swartwood who rifled a shot in from the top of the circle to capture her first career goal and make the score 3-1.

The Cardinals' offense continued with a goal from junior Taylor Stone who notched her second score the of the season with penalty corner assists from Martin Pelegrina and senior Nicole Woods for the 4-1 final.

In the game, Louisville outshot JMU 15-4 and held a 6-2 advantage in corners. McFerran (2-3) collected two saves while Kraeutler had seven stops for the Dukes. Martin Pelegrina finished the game with a goal and two assists to take over the team lead with 13 points on the season (4G, 5A).

With the win, Louisville improves to 4-0 at home this season and extends its win streak against non-conference opponents at Trager Stadium to 27 games.