Cards Host Alums, Miami (Ohio) in Preseason Action

The University of Louisville field hockey team will take the field for a pair of preseason tune-ups this weekend. The Cardinals welcome back former letterwinners for the annual alumnae game Saturday at 1 p.m. On Sunday Miami (Ohio) will visit Trager Stadium for a preseason scrimmage starting at 2 p.m. Admission is free.

About Louisville Field Hockey
• Junior midfielder 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 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (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.

• UofL finished the 2018 season with a 13-6 overall record and ranked No. 14 in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) poll after earning the No. 3 seed in the 2018 ACC Championship.

• Louisville returns 18 letterwinners from that team including Pastor and fellow All-West Region selections Carter Ayars, Alli Bitting and Bethany Russ.

• Russ led the 2018 team with 11 goals and 24 points. Sophomore Erica Cooper stood second on the team with nine goals and 18 points.

• The Cards welcome six newcomers to the 2019 roster.

• Justine Sowry enters her ninth season During that time, she has guided the Cardinals to 107 wins, four NCAA tournament appearances along with a conference title and a runner-up finish in the ACC Championship. In the eight seasons that Sowry has been at the helm, UofL has produced 12 NFHCA All-America selections and 32 All-Region team members.

• UofL will officially open the 2019 season on August 30 when the Cards play host to Indiana at 3 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

Carter Ayars

Alli Bitting

Erica Cooper

Mercedes Pastor

Bethany Russ

University of Louisville Athletics