No. 8 Cards Defeat No. 11 Northwestern 1-0 for Sowry's 100th Victory at Louisville

Sunday, September 16

LOUISVILLE, KY

12:00 p.m.

University of Louisville

(6-2)

NORTHWESTERN

(5-4)

Northwestern

Louisville

No. 8 Cards Defeat No. 11 Northwestern 1-0 for Sowry's 100th Victory at Louisville

September 16, 2018 | Field Hockey

Box Score Louisville 1 - Northwestern 0 Justine Sowry Postgame Interview Meghan Schneider Postgame Interview

Bethany Russ's first-half goal stood as the game-winner as Louisville posted its second straight shutout against a ranked opponent

By: Lori Korte

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Sophomore Bethany Russ's first-half goal proved to be the game-winner as the eighth-ranked University of Louisville defeated No. 11 Northwestern 1-0 Sunday at Trager Stadium. The win marked Justine Sowry's 100^th victory as the Cardinals' head coach.

For the second straight game, Russ provided the game-winning goal and the Cardinals' produced a shutout as they improved to 6-2 on the season.

"It was a monumental weekend for us," said Sowry. "We played two ranked opponents that consistently make the NCAA tournament, it's big for us. What I said at the beginning of the game is that the win would be nice, but we've got to have that gradual improvement across the board with what we're doing defensively and also on attack. I'll never doubt our effort. We work really hard. I thought defensively today, we were a little too crazy at times, a little undisciplined and overcommitted in our tackles."

The teams played through 20 minutes before the Cardinals broke through on their second penalty corner of the half. Junior Whena Munn pushed the ball to Russ who collected it and powered a shot that glanced off a defender's stick and into the cage for her team-best third goal of the season.

Northwestern (5-4) intensified its attack and Louisville's defense withstood six first-half corners with the help of a stop by goalkeeper senior Ayeisha McFerran and a defensive save by sophomore Meghan Schneider to take the 1-0 lead into the break. In the first half of play, the Wildcats held a 4-2 edge in shots and a 6-2 advantage in corners.

In the second half, Louisville increased its offensive and defensive pressure, gaining a decisive statistical advantage in shots (8-1) and corners (3-0). With 4:37 remaining in the game, the Wildcats lifted goalkeeper Annie Kalfas for an extra field player and moved into their attacked 25 with under two minutes remaining, but the Cardinals' defense stood strong to preserve the shutout.

"I thought it was a little better in the second half," said Sowry. "The game management was very, very impressive. They had it coming at us. The biggest piece for me for the day was our defensive play in the defensive 30 and red zone tackling the ball outside the circle. We didn't want to give up corners today, and besides a couple little undisciplined moments, we did a tremendous job."

In the game, Louisville outshot Northwestern 10-5 while the Wildcats held a 6-5 edge in corners. McFerran posted one save and sophomore Meghan Schneider collected a defensive save. Kalfas had four stops for the Wildcats.

When asked about her 100^th career victory in her eighth season at Louisville, Sowry remarked, "It makes me feel a little older I think. It's fantastic, but they do all the work. I'm happy to get it at Trager and against a great opponent like Northwestern."

Louisville will return to action next weekend when the Cardinals open a four-game road stretch with an ACC matchup at No. 24 Wake Forest on Friday followed by a visit to Appalachian State on Sunday.