No. 5 Cardinals Welcome No. 14 Syracuse for Regular Season Finale Saturday

Saturday, November 2

LOUISVILLE, KY

1:00 p.m.

University of Louisville

SYRACUSE

Isabella Leeker, Whena Munn, Hollyn Barr, Bethany Russ, Carter Ayars pose for a photo

Photo by: Adam Creech | Louisville Athletics

No. 5 Cardinals Welcome No. 14 Syracuse for Regular Season Finale Saturday

November 01, 2019 | Field Hockey

Live Scoring ACCNX 2019FHgamenotes vs Syracuse

Cards will celebrate senior day prior to Saturday's 1 p.m. game against Syracuse

By: Lori Harmon

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The fifth-ranked University of Louisville field hockey team will play host to No. 14 Syracuse in its regular season finale on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Trager Stadium. Prior to the game, the Cardinals will honor the senior class of 2019: Carter Ayars, Hollyn Barr, Isabella Leeker, Whena Munn and Bethany Russ. Admission is free.

GAME INFORMATION
November 2 vs. Syracuse
1:00 p.m. | Trager Stadium
Television: ACC Network Extra
Live Scoring: GoCards.com
Series Record: Syracuse leads 11-5
Last meeting: Oct. 19, 2018: UL won 3-2 in double OT at Syracuse.
2018 Recap: Mercedes Pastor's penalty corner goal with 23 seconds left on the clock in double overtime lifted the 10th-ranked University of Louisville field hockey team to a 3-2 win over No. 15 Syracuse at J.S. Coyne Stadium.
Scouting the Orange: No. 14 Syracuse enters the week with an 11-5 record and a 2-3 mark in ACC play. The Orange have won their last three games, most recently defeating Cornell 3-1 on Sunday. Prior to that, Syracuse beat No. 20 Wake Forest 4-2 and No. 3 UConn 1-0.
•Syracuse is led offensively by Charlotte Devries who stands third in the ACC with 15 goals and 31 points. Current ACC Offensive Player of the Week Sarah Luby is second on the team with four goals.
• Sarah Sinck carries a 1.63 goals against average with two shutouts.

UP NEXT
• The Cardinals will prepare for the ACC Field Hockey Championship which will be held at Boston College Nov. 6-10.

CARDINAL QUICK HITS
•The Cardinals are coming off of a 1-0 win over No. 4 Duke in top-five ACC matchup on Saturday. Junior Madison Walsh scored the lone goal and Hollyn Barr registered two saves in the Cardinals' seventh shutout of the season.
• Louisville carries a 3-2 record in ACC play and stands tied for second in the conference with Boston College and Virginia. North Carolina (6-0) sits atop league standings. Syracuse is fifth at 2-3.
• The Cards have outscored their opponents 43-19 this season with 12 different players recording at least one goal.
• At 14-3 on the season, the Cardinals have already surpassed last year's win total.
• 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 (14-3) has started all 17 games and stands second among ACC leaders with a 1.00 goals against average. She is also tied for first with 7.5 shutouts.
• Junior Mercedes Pastor stands tied for second on the team with eight goals and 21 points. The junior midfielder and 2018 NFHCA All-American was named to the Preseason All-ACC Field Hockey Team.
• Junior Madison Walsh is also tied for second with a career-high eight goals, three assists and 19 points.
• Justine Sowry is in her ninth season at the helm. She has guided the Cardinals to 121 wins, four NCAA tournament appearances along with a conference title and a runner-up finish in the ACC Championship.
• Louisville 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 (113).
PLAYER NOTES
• Senior Bethany Russ is tied for the lead in the ACC with 82 shots and seventh 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 five goals and a career-best 12 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 14 wins and 6.5 shutouts.
• Junior Alli Bitting has matched her career-high 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 four goals.
• Junior Mercedes Pastor is having a career-best season in goals and points (8G, 3A, 19PT.) 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 (8), assists (3) and points (17). Her goal in overtime lifted the Cardinals to a 3-2 win against No. 6 Iowa.
        She registered her first career multi-goal game with a pair of goals in the 3-0 win against Wake Forest.

UP LAST
Madison Walsh's goal in the third quarter lifted the fifth-ranked University of Louisville field hockey team to a 1-0 win over No. 4 Duke in an ACC matchup Saturday afternoon at Jack Katz Stadium.
• In the game, the Cards outshot the Blue Devils 9-7 while Duke held a 6-2 advantage in corners. Hollyn Barr collected two saves as Louisville recorded its sixth shutout of the season while Duke's Sammi Steele also had two stops.

ANY DAY, ANY TIME
Thursday's contest at William & Mary completed the set for the Cardinals who will have played a game on every day of the week this season.
• Monday (1-0): vs. UC Davis at Michigan State (Sept. 9)
• Tuesday (1-0): vs. Stanford at Trager (Oct. 15)
• Wednesday (1-0): vs. Kent State at Trager (Sept. 4)
• Thursday (0-1) at William & Mary (Oct. 24)
• Friday (3-2) - vs. Indiana at Trager (Aug. 30); at North Carolina (Sept. 20); at Boston College (Sept. 27); vs. Wake Forest at Trager (Oct. 4); vs. Virginia at Trager (Oct. 11);
• Saturday (2-0): vs. Longwood at Trager (Oct. 19); at Duke (Oct. 26)
• Sunday (6-0): vs. UMass at Trager (Sept. 1); at Michigan State (Sept. 8); at Ohio State (Sept. 15); at Providence (Sept. 29); vs. Penn State at Trager (Oct. 6); vs. Iowa at Trager (Oct. 20)

SENIOR SALUTE
Prior to Saturday's regular season finale against No. 14 Syracuse, UofL will recognize the senior class of 2019: Carter Ayars, Hollyn Barr, Isabella Leeker, Whena Munn and Bethany Russ.
• Entering the weekend, this group has won 56 games while compiling an impressive 30-8 record at Trager Stadium.
• This class has helped the program reach several milestones while competing in arguably the toughest conference in the NCAA, in doing so, they have helped their team to a pair NCAA tournament appearances entering their final season.
• Their teams have been a mainstay in the national top 20 rankings throughout their careers, while spending 31 weeks among the top 10, reaching as high as No.5 the past four weeks.
•As sophomores, they helped the Cardinals to a program-best 4-2 record in ACC play and finished tied for second in the conference. They each played an integral role in Louisville's historic run to the ACC finals after a dramatic shootout win over Duke in the semifinals.
• The class has also excelled academically, earning the National Field Hockey Coaches' Association Academic team award in each of their seasons here.

WALSH FOR THE WIN
Madison Walsh registered the lone goal of the game as the fifth-ranked Cardinals upset No. 4 Duke on the road Saturday. The goal marked Walsh's team-best fourth game-winner of the season – all four of the game-winners have come against ranked opponents including No. 12 Ohio State, No. 17 Boston College, No. 6 Iowa and No. 4 Duke.
• She now has a career-high eight goals and 19 points on the season and stands tied for second on the team in both categories.

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 nine goals and 23 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 19 goals through 17 games this season for a 1.09 goals against average which ranks third in the ACC and sixth in the nation.

BALANCED SCORING
Twelve different players have contributed to Louisville's 43 goals on the season with seven players tallying multiple goals.
• Bethany Russ leads the team with nine goals while Mercedes Pastor and Madison Walsh follow closely with eight apiece. Carter Ayars stands fourth with a career-high five goals. Margot Lawn leads the freshmen with four goals and Whena Munn has registered a pair of goals. Biz Allgeier, Alli Bitting, Erica Cooper, Minna Tremonti, Camryn Pichea and Mattie Tabor each have one goal.
•The Cards entered the week at No. 18 in the nation and third in the ACC with a 2.69 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 at least two starts and played in every game thus far.

CARDS No. 5 in NFHCA Rankings
For the fourth straight week, Louisville appears at No. 5 in the Penn Monto/National Field Hockey Coaches Association poll released on October 29. 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 73rd straight week Louisville has appeared among the top 20 in the nation dating back to the 2013 season.
• The Cards have spent the last eight 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, Virginia at No. 6 and Boston College at No. 10 to give the ACC five teams among the top 10. Syracuse (No. 14) and Wake Forest (No. 20) round out the ranked ACC squads.

TOUGH SLATE
• Eleven 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. 9 Iowa, No. 17 Stanford, No. 22 Ohio State, No. 23 William & Mary and No. 25 Providence College.

CARDS NO. 5 IN NCAA RPI REPORT
• UofL appears at No. 5 in the most recent NCAA RPI report released on October 29. The Cards moved up one spot after splitting a pair of games last week: UofL fell in double-OT at William & Mary, but rebounded with a win at Duke. Louisville spent the first two reporting periods at No. 4 and then slipped to Nos. 5 and 6 in the next two weeks.
• UofL is no stranger to facing quality competition and this season is no different with nine 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 (W, 1-0)
6. Virginia (L, 1-2)
7. Boston College (W, 3-2)
8. Syracuse (play Nov. 2)
11. Iowa (W, 3-2/OT)
18. Stanford (W, 3-0)
19. Wake Forest (W, 2-0)
20. William & Mary (L, 1-2)

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
•Louisville stands at No. 4 in shutouts per game (.41) and sixth in goals against average (1.11).
• UofL is fifth with an .824 winning percentage.
• The Cards rank No. 14 with a scoring margin of 1.37, and in penalty corners per game (6.65). Additionally, the Cardinals are No. 22 in scoring average (2.46) and in goals per game (2.53) and stand at No. 25 with 6.65 points per game.
• Goalkeeper Hollyn Barr stands fifth with an .824 win percentage and seventh with a goals against average of 1.00.               7                  3
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 8-1 on the season at Trager Stadium, bringing their home record to 54-13 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.

BARR NAMED ACC CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Hollyn Barr was named ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 22. The goalkeeper posted a 1.27 goals against average with a shutout and 11 saves to help the No. 5 Cardinals to a 3-0 showing on the week – including a shutout victory over No. 16 Stanford and a 4-2 overtime win over No. 6 Iowa. She tallied her 11 saves in the three matches while facing 22 shots and playing 189 minutes in the net.
• This marks the second weekly conference honor for Barr who was also earned the nod on August 29, 2017.

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.

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.

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