Season Outlook: The Midfielders

This weekend, the University of Louisville field hockey team will open the 2018 campaign hoping to continue the momentum of a successful 2017 season. The Cards return 12 letterwinners and six starters from last year's team saw Louisville post a 14-8 overall record, advance to the finals of ACC Championship and earn its fourth-straight NCAA tournament appearance.

A key component to this year's success is the performance of the midfield line which features a combination of veteran leadership and youth.

Midfielders
The Cardinals' midfield line will be anchored by a pair of veteran seniors in Taylor Stone and Katie Walsh, both recently selected to USA Field Hockey's National Development Squad.

"Their attacking skills have grown exponentially," said UofL head coach Justine Sowry. "They are tremendous athletes with a great work rate and they really have improved our punch on attack. I anticipate that those two will be the core of the midfield line and the rest will be finding the right combinations."

Stone (Herndon, Va.) is a 2018 preseason all-ACC selection after earning NFHCA All-America, All-West Region and All-ACC honors in 2017. She looks to pick up where she left off after a career-best season produced seven goals and three assists.

Walsh started all 21 games last season, and played in every contest for the Cardinals as a sophomore. The Louisville native was named to the National Team Development Squad after participating in the USA Field Hockey Young Women's National Championship.

Fellow senior Maria Gomez (Madrid, Spain) played in every game for Louisville last season, but was hampered by injury in the spring. She will also contend for a starting role on the midfield line.

Sowry expects sophomores Allison Bitting and Sarah Sabaluski to see some time in the midfield after spending their freshman seasons playing primarily in the backfield. Bitting (Hummelstown, Pa.) played in all 22 games with 15 starts and was named to the ACC All-Tournament team. Sabaluski (Lehman, Pa.) also saw time in every contest during her rookie season.

Sophomore Meghan Schneider could also move up into the mid line as Sowry looks to bring more flexibility. The San Diego, Calif., native was recently selected to the USA Field Hockey Under 21 team after spending last season on the U19 squad. As a freshman, she played in all 22 games with five starts.

Redshirt sophomore Bethany Russ (Melbourne, Australia) spent the entire 2017 season sidelined by injury and looks to make a return to the lineup. As a freshman in 2016, she played in 21 games with 14 starts and notched two goals while dishing out five assists.

Mercedes Pastor will also be an exciting addition to Louisville's offense, either as a forward or a midfielder. The Buenos Aires, Argentina native was a member of Argentina's Under 21 team before sitting out last season due to NCAA eligibility requirements.

Also vying for playing time in the midfielder are six freshmen who are seeking to have an immediate impact during their rookie seasons.

Erica Cooper (Louisville, Ky.) is a local standout whose highlights include being a two-time all-state honoree, an NFHCA All-Region selection and listed as one of Max Field Hockey's Top 50 players.

Caitlin Cunningham (Whitehall, Pa.) led her high school team in scoring and was an all-league selection.

Mackenzie Karl also brings an impressive resume with her to the Ville. The Centreville, Va., native earned NFHCA and Max Field Hockey All-America first team honors and was the Region 6A North Player of the Year in 2017. After being selected to the USA Field Hockey U17 team in 2015-16, she continued to hone her skills in the Stars and Stripes Elite All-Star Game and was also chosen to participate in the 2018 U19 national team camp.

Taylor Orsi (Downingtown, Pa.) was a two-time Ches-Mont all-league team member and was named to the Max Field Hockey Top 50 Player List.

Louisville native Camryn Pichea was a three-time NFHCA All-Midwest Region selection. As a senior she was named to the all-state first team and was tabbed the Louisville Catholic Sports Network Player of the Year. Pichea was also on the Max Field Hockey Top 50 Player list.

Freshman Katie Schneider (San Diego, Calif.) could also see time on the midfield line. The NFHCA High School All-American is coming off of a busy summer after participated in in USA Field Hockey's Under 19 training camp and the Stars and Stripes Elite Game.

The Cards, who finished the season at No. 8 in the National Field Hockey Coaches' Association (NFHCA) rankings, return 12 letterwinners and six starters from last year's team. Part two of the 2018 season outlook focuses on the defense.

University of Louisville Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Erica Cooper

Caitlin Cunningham

Maria Gomez

Mackenzie Karl

Taylor Orsi

Mercedes Pastor

Camryn Pichea

Bethany Russ

Sarah Sabaluski

Katie Schneider

Meghan Schneider

Taylor Stone

Katie Walsh

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