2020 Field Hockey Schedule Announced
September 04, 2020 | Field Hockey
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - University of Louisville head field hockey coach Justine Sowry has announced the 2020 schedule. The nine-game slate features four home games and five road contests – all against ACC opponents.
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"I am delighted our team will get to play this fall," said Sowry. "Our UofL Health and Performance Team worked diligently with health experts to put in place testing protocols and standards to enable us to play. This has been a difficult time on so many levels for our student-athletes and to have the chance to play against some of the best competition in the country in our ACC opponents is incredibly exciting and we are thrilled for the opportunity. We are training and pressing forward, but will remain flexible should things change."
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Two-time defending national champion North Carolina will headline a challenging ACC slate that also features all six teams among the top 25 in the 2019 final 2019 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) rankings. The Tar Heels finished last season atop the rankings while No. 4 Virginia, No. 7 Boston College and No. 8 Duke were in the top 10. Syracuse (No. 13) and Wake Forest (No. 21) round out Louisville's ACC opponents.
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Five of Louisville's ACC opponents earned a bid to the 2019 NCAA tournament including national champion North Carolina, and semifinalists Virginia and Boston College.
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The slate features six teams ranked in the final 2019 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) rankings including: No. 1 North Carolina, No. 4 Virginia, No. 7 Boston College, No. 8 Duke, No. 13 Syracuse and No. 21 Wake Forest.
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The Cardinals will open the season with four straight home contests starting on September 26 with a conference matchup against Duke followed by another contest on September 27 which will not count toward conference standings.
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Louisville will start the month of October at home against top-ranked North Carolina on October 2. The Cards will celebrate senior day on October 4 when they take on Boston College in a rematch of the 2019 NCAA quarterfinals.
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UofL will hit the road for the final five games of the season, starting with a trip to Winston-Salem, N.C. for a pair of contests at Wake Forest on October 10 and 11. After a week off, Louisville will journey to Charlottesville, Va., to take on Virginia on October 23 and 24. The opening games against both the Demon Deacons and the Cavaliers will be count as ACC games. Louisville will wrap up the season with a single game at Syracuse on October 30.
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The 2020 ACC Championship will take place November 5,6 and 8 at Duke's Williams Field at Jack Katz Stadium.
Attendance policies are still being reviewed and approved and will be announced in the days leading up to the first contest. Check back with GoCards.com
ACC leadership, and its medical advisory group, will continue to meet on a weekly basis to share information and discuss medical issues related to the ACC's return to play. Should any future adjustments be necessary, the ACC Board of Directors will do so at the appropriate time.
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About Louisville Field Hockey
The 2019 Cardinals posted a 16-6 overall record, tying a program mark for wins and earned the overall No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament, serving as a host site for the first time in program history. Louisville also made its first foray into the NCAA quarterfinals after defeating Michigan 2-1 in double-overtime in its first-round matchup.
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Louisville finished the season at No. 5 in the NFHCA Coaches poll after reaching as high as No. 5. The Cardinals spent the last 10 weeks of the season ranked among the top 10 in the nation.Â
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UofL returns nine starters and 19 letterwinners from the historical 2019 campaign and welcome eight newcomers. Among the Cardinals' leading returners are two NFHCA All-America selections (Mecedes Pastor, All Bitting) and five NFHCA All-Region team members: Bitting, Pastor who were named to the first team and second team picks Erica Cooper, Meghan Schneider and Madison Walsh.
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Additionally, the Cardinals 2020 roster will feature five players who are members of the USWNT Under 21 squad (Alli Bitting, Erica Cooper, Margot Lawn, Meghan Schneider, Minna Tremonti) while senior goalkeeper Hollyn Barr has been named to the USWNT National Development Squad.Â
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For the latest on Louisville Field Hockey, visit GoCards.com, follow the team's Twitter account at (@ULFieldHockey) and on Facebook at facebook.com/ULFieldHockey.
