No. 6 Cardinals Set for ACC Championship

Thursday, November 7

Newton, MA

12:00 p.m.

University of Louisville

Syracuse

Photo by: Taris Smith | Louisville Athletics

November 06, 2019 | Field Hockey

2019FHgamenotes ACC v Syracuse ACC Network Watch Link Live scoring

Fifth-seeded Cards will take on fourth-seeded Syracuse Thursday at 12 p.m.

By: Lori Harmon

The University of Louisville earned the No. 5 seed in the ACC Field Hockey Championship and will face fourth-seeded Syracuse in the quarterfinals Thursday at 12 p.m. at the Boston College Field Hockey Complex in Newton, Massachusetts. The winner will go on to face top-seeded North Carolina in the semifinals on Friday at 1 p.m.

GAME INFORMATION
November 7 vs. Syracuse
12:00 p.m. | Newton, Mass.
Television: ACC Network
Live Scoring: BCEagles.com
Series Record: Syracuse 11-5
Last meeting: Nov. 2, 2019: SU won 2-1 in overtime at Trager Stadium.
Scouting the Orange: No. 14 Syracuse enters the week with a 12-5 record and a 3-3 mark in ACC play. The Orange have won their last four games, three against ranked opponents. Most recently the Orange beat Louisville 2-1 in overtime on November 2. Prior to that, the Orange defeated defeating Cornell 3-1, 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.

MORE CARDINAL QUICK HITS
• The Cardinals (14-4, 3-3 ACC) and the Orange (11-5, 3-3) will meet for the second time in less than a week after the teams wrapped up the regular season on Sunday with Syracuse prevailing 2-1 in overtime at Louisville's Trager Stadium.
• The Cards have outscored their opponents 44-21 this season with 12 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 (14-4) has started all 18 games and stands four in the ACC with a 1.05 goals against average. She is also second with 6.5 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 leads the ACC with 84 shots and seventh in goals and eighth in points.
                - 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
Carolin Hoffman's goal with 1:22 left in overtime lifted No. 14 Syracuse to a 2-1 win over No. 5 Louisville in both teams' regular season finale Saturday at Trager Stadium.
• Hoffman scored a pair of goals and Biz Allgeier put the Cardinals on the board.
• In the game, Louisville outshot Syracuse 8-5 and held a 2-1 edge in corners. Sinck collected four saves while Hollyn Barr had one stop.

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)

UP NEXT
• Following the completion of the ACC championship, the Cardinals will earn their postseason fate on Sunday, November 10 when the NCAA selection show airs at 10 p.m.

SENIOR SALUTE
Prior to Saturday's regular season finale against No. 14 Syracuse, UofL recognized the senior class of 2019: Carter Ayars, Hollyn Barr, Isabella Leeker, Whena Munn and Bethany Russ.
• The group has won 56 games while compiling an impressive 30-9 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 21 goals through 18 games this season for a 1.13 goals against average which ranks third in the ACC and sixth in the nation.

BALANCED SCORING
Twelve different players have contributed to Louisville's 44 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 has two goals while Alli Bitting, Erica Cooper, Minna Tremonti, Camryn Pichea and Mattie Tabor each have one goal.
•The Cards entered the week at No. 26 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. 6 IN NFHCA RANKINGS
The Cardinals slipped one spot to No. 6 in the Penn/Monto/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Coaches poll released on Nov. 5. UofL spent four straight weeks at No. 5 which marked 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 74th straight week Louisville has appeared among the top 20 in the nation dating back to the 2013 season.
• The Cards have spent the last nine 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. Virginia placed fourth in the most recent rankings, Duke follows at No. 5, Louisville checks in at No. 6 and Boston College stands tenth to give the ACC five teams among the top 10. Syracuse (No. 12) and Wake Forest (No. 21) 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. 7 Iowa, No. 17 Stanford, No. 22 Ohio State, and No. 23 William & Mary.

CARDS NO. 6 IN NCAA RPI REPORT
• UofL appears at No. 6 in the most recent NCAA RPI report released on November 5 The Cards dropped one spot after falling to Syracuse in overtime. Louisville appeared as high as No. 4 twice this season.
• 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)
3. Virginia (L, 1-2)
5. Duke (W, 1-0)
7. Boston College (W, 3-2)
8. Syracuse (L, 1-2/OT)
10. Iowa (W, 3-2/OT)
18. Stanford (W, 3-0)
19. Wake Forest (W, 2-0)

CARDS AMONG THE NATION'S BEST STATISTICALLY
Louisville is ranked among the top 25 in six different statistical categories as a team and two individual categories.
NCAA Top 25 stats
• Louisville stands at No. 8 in the nation and third in the ACC in winning percentage (.778) and shutouts per game (0.39).
• The Cards are eighth in the nation and fourth in the conference witha 1.13 goals against average.
• UofL ranks No. 18 with a scoring margin of 1.23.
• Additionally, the Cardinals stand at No. 21 nationally and second in the league in penalty corners per game (6.39)and 23rd in the NCAA and third in the ACC in goals per game (2.44).
• Goalkeeper Hollyn Barr stands 10th in the nation and third in the ACC with a .778 win percentage and ninth in the NCAA and third in the ACC with a goals against average of 1.05.

Cards in NCAA and ACC Team Standings (as of Nov. 4)
Category Value       NCAA       ACC
Winning percentage .778         8              3
Shutouts per game   0.39         8              3
Goals against average               1.13         9              4
Scoring margin         1.23         18            3
Penalty corners per game         6.39         21            2
Goals per game        2.44         23            3
Cards in NCAA and ACC Team Standings
Hollyn Barr (Win-Loss pct)        .778         10            3
Hollyn Barr (GAA)      1.05         9              4

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 were 8-2 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