No. 25 Cardinals Open ACC Play at No. 8 Virginia on Saturday

Saturday, March 6

Charlottesville, VA

11 a.m. ET

University of Louisville

Virginia

Megan Mangines Louisville Women's Lacrosse

No. 25 Cardinals Open ACC Play at No. 8 Virginia on Saturday

March 04, 2021 | Women's Lacrosse

Watch Live Stats History

The Cardinals and Cavaliers will begin play at 11 a.m. ET.

By: Chandler Brandes

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - No. 25 University of Louisville women's lacrosse (2-1) opens its Atlantic Coast Conference schedule on the road against No. 8 Virginia (3-0) on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. ET.

Following a 13-5 win over Cincinnati on March 1, the Cardinals stayed in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association Top 25 poll for the second-straight week at No. 25. It marks the first season that UofL has been ranked in the IWLCA poll since they concluded the 2017 campaign at No. 20.

Caroline Blalock continues to lead the Cardinals in goals (7), assists (3), and points (10) after three games. The senior co-captain was named an Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-American Honorable Mention.

Ally Hall and Hannah Morris have each tallied six goals so far this season, with the latter recording a hat trick against Cincinnati. Megan Mangines tops the roster with 12 draw controls, while Maggie Foster and Rachel Florek both have seven ground balls.

In net, Florek has recorded 38 saves for a .576 save percentage. Her 12.7 saves per game ranks first in the ACC and third in the NCAA. She concluded the game against the Bearcats with 15 saves, just two shy of her program record 17 against both Michigan and Virginia Tech last season.

Louisville is looking to snap an 18-game losing streak against ACC teams and pick up its second-straight win over a ranked opponent.

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS

No. 8 Virginia enters Saturday's game with a 3-0 record following wins over East Carolina, Richmond and No. 15 Virginia Tech. The Cavaliers concluded the shortened 2020 campaign with a 5-3 record and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals in 2019. Redshirt junior Ashlyn McGovern, who was named Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-American honorable mention and Preseason All-ACC, leads the team with 10 goals. Junior Annie Dyson has tallied eight goals after three games, while freshman Mackenzie Hoeg paces the Cavaliers with 13 draw controls. Goalkeeper Charlie Campbell has a .545 save percentage on 24 saves and tops their roster with six ground balls. Currently in her 26th year as head coach, Julie Myers led the Cavaliers to an NCAA championship in 2004 en route to becoming the first person in women's DI lacrosse history to win as both a player and a head coach.

Series History - The Cardinals will look to get their first win in program history against No. 8 Virginia, who own a 6-0 all-time series record. This is the teams' seventh overall meeting, and fourth at Klöckner Stadium.

Last Meeting (April 13, 2019) – Louisville fell 16-12 in Charlottesville, Va. Sarah Blalock led the Cardinals with six draw controls and a career-high four goals. Alex McNicholas and Tessa Chad both registered two goals, while Brenna Shanahan tallied three ground balls to give her an even 100 for her career. Louisville was outshot 33-27, but had 17 shots to Virginia's 10 in the second half. After being beaten on the draw 11-4 in the first half, the Cardinals pulled it to 16-14 for the game after the strong second half.

Date: Saturday, March 6
Time: 11 a.m. ET
Site: Charlottesville, Va. | Klöckner Stadium
Video: ACCNX (William Foshee, play-by-play)
Last Meeting: L, 16-12 (April 13, 2019 at Virginia)
Series History: 0-6 (0-2 Home, 0-3 Away, 0-1)
Next Game: Friday, March 12 at Central Michigan

For the latest information on Louisville lacrosse, visit GoCards.com, or follow the team's Twitter account @LouisvilleLax or on Facebook at facebook.com/UofLLacrosse.