Fifth-ranked Cardinals Play Host to Longwood, No. 6 Iowa

Saturday, October 19

LOUISVILLE, KY

12:00 p.m.

University of Louisville

LONGWOOD

Photo by: Adam Creech | Louisville Athletics

Fifth-ranked Cardinals Play Host to Longwood, No. 6 Iowa

October 18, 2019 | Field Hockey

2019FHgamenotes vs Longwood Iowa Live scoring ACCNX Watch Link vs. Longwood ACCNX Watch Link vs. Iowa Play4TheCure Donation Link

Cards will take on Longwood Saturday at 12 p.m., Iowa Sunday at 1 p.m.

By: Lori Harmon

The fifth-ranked University of Louisville field hockey team will wrap up a six-game home stand this weekend when the Cardinals play host to Longwood on Saturday and No. 6 Iowa on Sunday.

Saturday's game against Longwood marks the Cardinals' annual 'Pink Game.' This year, Louisville is working in conjunction with Play4TheCure to raise money for breast cancer research. For more information, click here.

Sunday's matchup with No. 6 Iowa is also Louisville's Friends of Jaclyn game. For the past few years, the Cardinals have teamed with the organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life for children battling pediatric brain tumors and other childhood cancers. For more information, click here.

WEEKEND INFORMATION
October 19 vs. Longwood
Pink Game: Play4theCure
12 p.m. | Trager Stadium
Television: ACC Network Extra
Live Scoring: GoCards.com
Series Record: Tied 1-1
Last meeting: Sept. 13, 1992 - UL won 1-0
Scouting the Lancers: Longwood enters the weekend with a 6-6 overall record prior to a Friday Mid-America Conference matchup at Miami (Ohio).
• The Lancers are coming off of a 3-0 loss against No. 15 Liberty on Sunday. Prior to that, they defeated MAC opponent Appalachian State 2-1 in overtime.
• Karly Harwood leads the team with 12 goals while Katie Wyman (6-6) has a 1.25 goals against average and five shutouts on the season.

October 20 vs. No. 6 Iowa
1 p.m. | Trager Stadium
Friends of Jaclyn Game
Television: ACC Network Extra
Live Scoring: GoCards.com
Series Record: UL leads 7-4
Last meeting: Oct. 2, 2016 - UL won 2-0 at Trager Stadium. The Cards have won the last four meetings.
Scouting the Hawkeyes: No. 6 Iowa enters the weekend with a 10-3 overall record prior to a Big Ten contest at Indiana on Friday. The Hawkeyes have won six of their last seven games with their only loss in that stretch coming at the hands of No. 2 Maryland last Friday. Most recently, Iowa defeated Penn State 4-1.
• Maddy Murphy leads the team with six goals and has dished out seven assists for 19 points. Katie Birch has also tallied 19 points with five goals and eight assists.
• Leslie Speight carries a 1.07 goals against average.

LOUISVILLE QUICK HITS
• Louisville has six shutouts on the season including four of its last five games.
• Prior to the Oct. 11 loss to No. 9 Virginia, the Cardinals matched their best start in program history, going 10-1 through 11 games, a feat last accomplished in 1977.
• Louisville carries a 2-2 record in ACC play and stands tied for third in the league with Virginia, North Carolina (3-0) sits atop league standings while Boston College (2-1) stands second.
• The Cards have outscored their opponents 34-13 this season with 10 different players recording at least one goal.
• Bethany Russ leads the team with nine goals and 23 points. The senior forward notched her first career hat trick in the 5-0 win over Indiana and scored a pair of goals in the 4-2 victory against Kent State.
• Redshirt junior Hollyn Barr (11-2) has started all 13 games and stands second among ACC leaders with a 0.86 goals against average. She is also tied for first with 5.5 shutouts.
• Mercedes Pastor stands second on the team with seven goals and 17 points. She has registered a goal or an assist in the last five games. The junior midfielder and 2018 NFHCA All-American was named to the Preseason All-ACC Field Hockey Team
• The Cardinals were picked to finish fourth in the regular season standings in a vote of the league's seven head coaches.
• Justine Sowry is in her ninth season at the helm. She has guided the Cardinals to 115 wins, four NCAA tournament appearances along with a conference title and a runner-up finish in the ACC Championship.
• Louisville has posted three consecutive shutouts for the first time since the 2015 season. Prior to that, the Cardinals went four games without surrendering a goal in 2014 and 2011, 1983, 1980 and 1977. The school record for most shutouts in a row is seven, set in the 1979 season.
• Louisville leads the ACC in penalty corners (75).

PLAYER NOTES
• Senior Bethany Russ leads the ACC with 70 shots and is fifth in goals and points per game.
        - For the second straight season, she leads the Cards in goals and points.
        - Russ currently has nine goals, needing two more to tie her career season high of 11 - set in 2018.
        - Russ has four assists on the season, matching her career high set in 2016.
•Senior Carter Ayars scored her first career goal this season in the win against UMass. She now has three goals and a career-best eight points.
        - Ayars recently earned her first career ACC player of the Week honor (Oct. 8).
• Redshirt junior Hollyn Barr is having a career-best season with 11 wins and 5.5 shutouts.
• Junior Alli Bitting has matched her career-best goal total this season.
• Julie Kouijzer one of seven players on the team who has started every game this season - and the only freshman in that group of starters.
•Margot Lawn leads the freshman scorers with three goals.
• Junior Mercedes Pastor is having a career-best season in goals and points (7G, 3A, 17PT.) She stands second on the team in both categories.
• Junior Meghan Schneider has dished out a career-high five assists.
• Junior Madison Walsh is in the midst of a career-best season in goals (6), assists (3) and points (15). She recently registered her first career multi-goal game with a pair of goals in the 3-0 win against Wake Forest.

UP NEXT
Louisville will hit the road for a pair of games starting with a Friday game at William & Mary and an ACC matchup No. 4 Duke on Sunday.

WEEKLY RECAP
• The fifth-ranked Cards got goals from three different players en route to its sixth shutout of the season in a 3-0 win against No. 16 Stanford (9-5) Tuesday afternoon at Trager Stadium.
• Senior Bethany Russ registered a goal and an assist while junior Mercedes Pastor and sophomore Erica Cooper also tallied goals for the Cards who have now outscored opponents 34-13. UofL controlled the ball for the majority of the game, outshooting Stanford 19-4 with a 15-2 advantage in shots on goal and nine corners to the Cardinal's one. Louisville goalkeeper Hollyn Barr had a pair of saves in the shutout while Stanford's Kelsey Bing collected 12 stops.

AYARS, RUSS SELECTED FOR NFHCA SENIOR GAME
Carter Ayars and Bethany Russ were selected to the Victory Sports Tours/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Senior Game. The contest, which features 38 of the top senior players in the nation will take place in conjunction with the NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
•The Victory Sports Tours/NFHCA Division I Senior Game is projected for 7:00 p.m. EST on Friday, November 22, 2019 at Wake Forest University's Kentner Stadium following the completion of the NCAA Division I semifinal games.
•Ayars, a defender from Wilmington, Del. scored her first career goal this season in the win against UMass. She now has three goals and a career-best eight points. Ayars recently earned her first career ACC player of the Week honor (Oct. 8). The two-time NFHCA All-West Region selection is also a member of USA Field Hockey's Under 21 team.

Russ (Melbourne, Australia) leads the team with nine goals and 23 points. The senior forward paces the ACC with 70 shots and fifth in goals and points per game. She was a 2018 NFHCA All-West Region and all-ACC selection.

RUSS RETURNS TO FORM
•Senior Bethany Russ Russ picked up where she left off as the Cardinals' leading scorer in 2018. She now leads the team with eight goals and 20 points on the season.
• The forward registered her first career hat trick to help the Cardinals to a 5-0 win against Indiana in their season opener.
•After being sidelined by injury in 2017, Russ rebounded last season, leading the team with a career-high 11 goals and 24 points. Six of her 11 goals stood as gamewinners. Russ went on to earn all-ACC and NFHCA All-Region honors.

STINGY DEFENSE
The Cardinals have allowed 13 goals through 13 games this season for a 0.99 goals against average which ranks third in the ACC.

BALANCED SCORING
Ten different players have contributed to Louisville's 34 goals on the season with six players tallying multiple goals.
• Bethany Russ leads the team with nine goals while Mercedes Pastor follows closely with seven. Madison Walsh rounds out the top three scorers with six goals on the season. Margot Lawn and Carter Ayars have three goals apiece while Biz Allgeier, Alli Bitting, Erica Cooper, Whena Munn and Mattie Tabor each have one goal.
•The Cards stand at No. 14 in the nation and second in the ACC with a 2.70 scoring average.

THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS
While Louisville's roster boasts a core of experienced players, several freshmen are also making an impact in the early season.
• The Cardinals' starting lineup has featured at least three freshmen in every game this season. Julie Kouijzer started every contest, while Margot Lawn, Minna Tremonti, Emilia Kaczmarczyk and Mattie Tabor have also had a least two starts and played in every game thus far.

CARDS NO. 5 IN NFHCA RANKINGS
For the second straight week, Louisville appears at No. 5 in the Penn Monto/National Field Hockey Coaches Association poll released on October 15 This marks the second-highest ranking in program history - the Cardinals reached as high as No. 4 in the 2002 season.
Louisville in the NFHCA Rankings
• This marks the 71st straight week Louisville has appeared among the top 20 in the nation dating back to the 2013 season.
• The Cards have spent the last six weeks in the top 10 after starting the 2019 season at No. 12 in the preseason rankings.
• UofL finished the 2018 campaign at No. 14 after spending seven weeks in the top 10, reaching as high as No. 8.
• Louisville appeared in the top 10 seven times in 2018 after debuting at No. 8 in the preseason poll, the highest preseason ranking in program history.
• In 2017 Louisville appeared in the top 10 six times, reaching as high as No. 7 on Oct. 17, 2017.
• On Oct. 7, 2014, Louisville appeared at No. 5 in the coaches' poll marking the second top-five appearance in program history with Louisville achieving a program-best No. 4 ranking in the 2002 season.

ACC STRONG
• All seven ACC teams appear in the top 20, with 2018 national champion North Carolina holding down the top spot. Duke placed fourth in the most recent rankings, Louisville checks in at No. 5 and Virginia at No. 7 to give the ACC four teams among the top 10. Boston College (No. 13), Syracuse (No. 15) and Wake Forest (No. 20) round out the ranked ACC squads.

TOUGH SLATE
• Ten of the Cardinals' 18 opponents are ranked among the top 25 in the current NFHCA poll. In addition to its six ACC opponents, UofL's ranked opponents also include: No. 6 Iowa, No. 16 Stanford, No. 21 Ohio State and No. 25 Providence College.

CARDS NO. 6 IN NCAA RPI REPORT
• UofL appears at No. 6 in the most recent NCAA RPI report released on October 15. The Cards dropped one spot after spending the first two report periods at No. 4 and moving to No. 5 in the Oct. 8 release..
• UofL is no stranger to facing quality competition and this season is no different with eight of its 18 opponents appearing among the top 20. Below is a list of Louisville's 2019 opponents who are included among the NCAA's RPI leaders.
1. North Carolina (L, 1-4)
4. Duke (play Oct. 26)
5. Virginia (L, 1-2)
8. Iowa (play Oct. 20)
10. Syracuse (play Nov. 2)
11. Boston College (W, 3-2)
17. Wake Forest (W, 2-0)
19. Stanford (play Oct. 15)

CARDS AMONG THE NATION'S BEST STATISTICALLY
Louisville is ranked among the top 25 in eight different statistical categories as a team and three individual categories.
NCAA Top 25 stats
• UofL is fifth with an .833 winning percentage.
•Louisville stands at No. 8 in shutouts per game (.42) and ninth in goals against average (1.08).
• The Cards rank No. 12 with a scoring margin of 1.49, 13th with 6.75 penalty corners per game. Additionally, the Cardinals are No. 20 in scoring average (2.56) and goals per game (2.58) and stand at No. 22 with 7.08 points per game.
• Goalkeeper Hollyn Barr stands fifth with an .833 win percentage and eighth with a goals against average of 0.94. Bethany Russ is ranked 24th with 1.67 goals per game.

AYARS TABBED ACC CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Carter Ayars has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Field Hockey Co-Defensive Player of the Week for the period ended on October 6.
• Ayars earned her first weekly conference honor after keying Louisville's defensive unit as the Cardinals blanked No. 20 Wake Forest and Penn State to match best 11-game start in program history.
• The senior defender was instrumental in the back-to-back shutouts, leading the way as Louisville limited the Demon Deacons and Nittany Lions to a combined six shots on goal. Ayars also dished out an assist in the Cardinals' 3-0 win over Wake Forest to help her team improve to 2-1 in ACC play.

INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
The Cardinals' roster is bolstered by several players who have gained valuable experience within their countries' national programs. The following is a list of players and their national squads.
Carter Ayars - U.S. U21 Team (2018- current)
Mackenzie Karl - U.S. U17 Team (2015-16)
Margot Lawn - U.S. U19 Team (2019); U17 Team (2017-19)
Mercedes Pastor - Argentina U21 Team (2015-17); U18 Team (2013-14)
Katie Schneider - U.S. U19 Team (2019)
Meghan Schneider - U.S. U21 Team (2018); U19 Team (2017-18), U21 Team (2019)

HOME GROWN TALENT
The Cardinals' roster features six players who chose to play for their hometown school: sophomores Biz Allgeier (Assumption) and Erica Cooper (Assumption), redshirt freshmen Camryn Pichea (Assumption), and Sam Minrath (Christian Academy) and freshmen India Reed (DuPont Manual) and Mattie Tabor (Sacred Heart).

HOME SWEET HOME
•The Cardinals are 6-1 on the season at Trager Stadium, bringing their home record to 52-13 since the 2013 season.
•Louisville owned a 5-3 record at Trager Stadium in 2018.
• Louisville compiled a 9-3 record at Trager Stadium in 2017.
• The Cards were 8-1 at Trager in 2014. On Oct. 17, 2014 Louisville fell 2-1 in overtime to No. 17 Boston College, snapping a 16 -game home victory streak dating back to the 2012 season.
• Prior to the Boston College loss in 2014, the Cards' last home loss came on Nov. 2, 2012 when they fell 2-1 in overtime to then-No. 5 Connecticut in the semifinals of the BIG EAST Championship.
• In 2013, UofL posted a perfect 10-0 record at Trager Stadium, going undefeated at home for the first time in school history.
• The 6-2 loss to No. 4 Michigan snapped a 28-game win streak against non-conference opponents at Trager Stadium dating back to 2012. Prior to the Oct. 22 setback, the Cardinals had not lost to a non-conference opponent at home since Aug. 24, 2012 when they fell to Northeastern in their season opener. - Louisville also lost a 2-1 decision to UConn on Oct. 6, 2012 when both teams were members of the BIG EAST Conference.

PASTOR EARNS ACC PRESEASON HONORS
Mercedes Pastor was named to the Preseason All-ACC Field Hockey Team and the Cardinals were picked to finish four in the regular season standings in a vote of the league's seven head coaches.
• Pastor (Buenos Aires, Argentina) earned 2018 NFHCA All-America honors after starting every in her first season at Louisville. The NFHCA all-West Region and all-ACC first team selection tallied five goals, including the game-winner in double overtime at No. 15 Syracuse and the deciding goal in overtime against California. Pastor also dished out three assists to bring her point total to 13 in 2018.

2019 ACC Field Hockey Predicted Order of Finish
1. North Carolina (6) - 48
2. Duke (1) - 43
3. Virginia - 29
4. Louisville - 25
5. Syracuse - 18
6. Boston College - 17
7. Wake Forest – 16
(First-place votes)