No. 3 Cardinals Play Host to No. 15 Wake Forest Friday

WEEKEND INFORMATION
No. 3 Louisville vs. No. 15 Wake Forest
Date: October 1, 4:00 PM
Location: Louisville, Ky.
Venue: Trager Stadium
Promotions: Pink Game (pink pom pom giveaway); Friends of Jaclyn Foundation
Admission: Free
Television: RSN/ACC Network Extra
Announcers: Bob Rathbun, Kara Lentz
Game Links: Live Scoring | A CCNX /RSN
Louisville Game Notes

Parking: Fans attending games held at the University of Louisville may utilize the Floyd Street Parking Garage located across from the Don Fightmaster Playground for a $5 fee.

UofL C lear Bag Policy

The third-ranked University of Louisville field hockey team will return to Trager Stadium to take on No. 15 Wake Forest in an ACC matchup at 4 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 1. This will mark the sixth straight ranked opponent for the Cardinals. The game will be televised on ACC Network Extra/Bally Regional Sports Network with Bob Rathbun handling play-by-play duties and Kara Lentz providing analysis.Admission is free.

Fans are encouraged to wear pink as the Cardinals will don their black and pink uniforms to support awareness and research for breast cancer. Additionally, Louisville field hockey welcomes special guest Anthony in conjunction with the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation. For more information on Friends of Jaclyn, please visit here.

NOTE CARDS
• UofL currently (9-1) sits atop the ACC standings with a 2-0 conference record, while Wake Forest (4-4) is tied for fourth at 1-1 in league play.
• Louisville has a 5-1 record against top 25 opponents this season with its lone loss coming at the hands of No 2 Iowa.
• The Cardinals started the season with a 7-0 record for the second straight year, matching a school record start before falling 2-0 to No. 2 Iowa last Sunday.
• The loss snapped the Cardinals' seven-game win streak and their 12-game home win streak which dated back to the 2019 season.
• The Iowa loss also marked the first time the Cardinals were shut out since March 27, 2021 when Louisville fell 1-0 at then-No. 16 Boston College.
• Midway through the season, the Cardinals have outscored opponents by a combined total of 23-7.
• Kouijzer and Katie Schneider lead the team with 11 points - each has four goals and three assists.
• Mattie Tabor also has four goals on the season. All four of her scores have been game-winners - she leads the ACC in that category.
• Freshman goalkeeper Mila de Kuijer carries a 0.68 goals against average standing second in the ACC in that category. She also leads the conference with five shutouts on the season. de Kuijer has not allowed a goal in two games against ACC opponents.
• Head coach Justine Sowry achieved her 200th career victory on Sept. 10 when the Cardinals defeated Indiana 1-0 at Trager Stadium.
• Julie Kouijzer was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 28 marking her second weekly honor this season after earning the accolade on Sept. 7. Louisville has now tallied three defensive weekly honors in the 2021 campaign Alli Bitting was named ACC Defensive Player of the Week in the league's first weekly award of 2021.
• Alli Bitting and Charlie van Oirschot were named to the Preseason All-ACC Field Hockey Team.

Head Coach Justine Sowry
Justine Sowry is in her 11th season at the helm. During her time at Louisville, she has guided the Cardinals to 145 wins, six NCAA tournament appearances reaching the quarterfinals twice and advancing to the semifinals for the first time in program history in the 2020-21 season. Under Sowry's tutelage, Louisville has tallied a pair of conference titles, including the 2020 ACC Fall Regular Season crown, and a pair of runner-up finishes in the ACC Championships.
• With UofL's 1-0 win against Indiana on Sept. 10, Justine Sowry reached 200 career victories in her 15th season as a head coach.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Wake Forest
Series Record: Wake Forest leads 13-8
Last Meeting: April 17, 2021 - Louisville won 4-1 at Trager Stadium. In the fall portion of the 2020-21 campaign, UofL defeated Wake 2-1 in Winston-Salem. The Cardinals have won the last three matchups
About the Demon Deacons: Wake Forest enters the weekend with a 4-4 overall record and a 1-1 mark in ACC play. Most recently, the Demon Deacons fell 3-1 to then-No. 11 Virginia at home. Prior to that, Wake posted three straight wins against ranked opponents starting with a 6-2 victory over then-No. 24 James Madison. The Deacs followed with a 3-1 decision against No. 17 Duke and a 3-2 win over No. 21 UMass.
• Wake Forest is led offensively by Meike Lanckohr who has seven goals and 15 points on the season. Tori Glaister carries a 2.26 goals against average.

UP NEXT
Louisville will play host to Miami (Ohio) on Monday, October 4 at 7 p.m.

KOUIJZER EARNS HER SECOND ACC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK NOD OF THE SEASON
Julie Kouijzer was tabbed the ACC Defensive Player of the Week for the period ending on September 26 This marks the junior's second weekly honor of the season and the third of her career.
• Kouijzer notched the only goal of the game in Louisville's 1-0 win at No. 18 Duke on Friday. The defender's third goal of the season helped the Cardinals move to 2-0 in ACC play. She was also instrumental in keying the Cardinal defense to its fifth shutout of the season while limiting the Blue Devils to five shots, only one on goal.

CARDS THIRD IN NFHCA COACHES POLL
UofL stands at No. 3 in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Coaches poll released on Sept. 28. The Cards moved up a spot after road wins against then-No. 18 Duke and No. 19 Ohio State.
• Louisville has spent 11 of the last 12 weeks ranked among the top five in the nation. Last season, the Cardinals spent all seven weeks in the top five after debuting at No. 2 – the highest ranking in program history – on March 16, 2021. After two weeks in that slot, UofL remained in the top five throughout the rest of the season, finishing the year at No. 5. The Cardinals also concluded the 2019 campaign at No. 5.
• The Cards have been ranked among the top 10 for the last 24 weeks spanning back to the 2019 season when they appeared at No. 8 on Sept. 10.
• Louisville has now spent 89 straight weeks in the top 20 in the nation dating back to the 2013 season.

ACC STRONG
• All seven ACC teams appear in the top 20 with Louisville leading the way at No. 3. In addition to the Cardinals, the ACC holds three of the top 10 spots with North Carolina stepping in at No. 5 and Boston College holding down the No. 10 spot. Syracuse (No. 11), Virginia (No. 14), , Wake Forest (No. 15) and Duke (No. 20) round out the ACC schools.

UP LAST
#4 Louisville 2 - #19 Ohio State 1 (2OT)
Julie Kouijzer's goal with 4:45 left to play in double overtime lifted the fourth-ranked University of Louisville field hockey team to a 2-1 win at No. 19 Ohio State on Monday.
• After the Cardinals overcame a 1-0 deficit with a fourth quarter goal by Katie Schneider, the contest remained tied until Kouijzer's game-winning goal broke the 1-1 stalemate in the second overtime. Aimee Plumb's initial penalty corner shot was stopped by Ohio State goalkeeper Aaliyah Hernandez, but Kouijzer connected on the rebound from the top of the circle, firing a shot into the cage for her fourth goal of the season and second-straight game-winning goal.
• Overall, Louisville outshot Ohio State 14-7 with an 11-3 advantage in shots on goal and a 5-2 edge in penalty corners. Freshman Mila de Kuijer collected two saves in the contest.

#4 Louisville 1 - #18 Duke 0
Julie Kouijzer's goal in the fourth minute of the game lifted the fourth-ranked University of Louisville field hockey team to a 1-0 win at No. 18 Duke in an ACC contest Friday evening at Jack Katz Stadium. With the victory, the Cardinals improve to 8-1 (2-0 ACC).
• Freshman goalkeeper Mila de Kuijer posted one save en route to her fifth shutout of the season.

BALANCED OFFENSE
The Cardinals have outscored their opponents 23-7 in the first half of the season.
• Ten different players have contributed to the Cardinals' goal tally with Mattie Tabor, Katie Schneider and Julie Kouijzer leading the way with four goals each. Filippa Niebuhr and Erica Cooper are tied for second with three goals apiece.

STINGY DEFENSE
Louisville has posted five shutouts in 10 games, leading the ACC and standing third in the nation with 0.5 shutouts per game.
• The Cardinals have produced an ACC-best 0.68 goals against average, limiting opponents to just 38 shots on goal this season.
• Mila de Kuijer is in the midst of an impressive rookie campaign which started with back-to-back shutouts in the first two games of the season. She leads the ACC with a 0.68 goals against average, five shutouts and an .816 save percentage.

TABOR FINDING HER GROOVE
After her sophomore campaign was cut short in the second game of the season due to injury, Mattie Tabor is back in the Cardinals' lineup and leads the team with four goals and 10 points. All four of her goals have been game-winners and she leads the conference in that category.

SCHNEIDER SHINES IN THE EARLY SEASON
Katie Schneider is among the Cardinals' offensive leaders in the early season. The forward from San Diego is tied for the team lead with 11 points (4G, 3A. She tallied three assists in the 6-0 win against Ohio, matching school record.

RETURNING PLAYER NOTES
• Alli Bitting (team co-captain); Earned ACC Defensive Player of the Week honors on Aug. 31… Returning for fifth season... 2021 Preseason All-ACC selection... Two-time NFHCA All-American and All-ACC selection... Led the team with a career-high eight assists and scored the game-winner in the Cardinals' 1-0 NCAA quarterfinal victory against UConn... Earned 2020-21 NFHCA All-West Region and All-ACC honors, helping the Cardinals' defense to eight shutouts on the season and registering one goal and four assists... Named to NCAA All-Tournament Team.
• Erica Cooper - Scored two goals in the Cardinals' season opener... Stands tied for the team lead with three goals... 2019 NFHCA All-West Region selection and is a two-year starter.
• Emilia Kaczmarczyk - Two-year starter... finished fifth on the team with 11 points (4G, 3A) in 2020-21.
• Mackenzie Karl- Scored her first career goal in the 3-1 win against No. 11 Liberty (Sept. 12).
• Julie Kouijzer- Two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Week this season (Sept. 7, Sept. 28)... Scored the game-winning goals at No. 18 Duke and in overtime at No. 19 Ohio State... Tied for the team lead with 11 points (4G, 3A)... 2020-21 NFHCA All-West Region second team honoree... Two-time ACC Tournament selection (2019, 2020)... Two-year starter
• Aimee Plumb - NFHCA All-West Region second team selection... Named to NCAA All-Tournament Team.
• India Reed – Has started every game in the backfield... Played in every game in the backfield in 2020-21. redshirted in 2019...
• Katie Schneider – Tied for the team lead with 11 (4G, 3A) points… Tied a school record with three assists in the season-opening win against Ohio… Has scored a goal in each game this season… Stood second on the team with six goals in the 2020-21 season.
• Mattie Tabor – All four of her goals have been game-winners, most recently in the 1-0 victory against No. 11 Virginia... Scored the game-winner in OT in the victory at No. 13 Princeton... Dished out an assist in the 1-0 win against Indiana... Scored the game-winner in the 3-1 victory over No. 11 Liberty.
• Charlie van Oirschot - 2021 Preseason All-ACC selection... NFHCA All-West Region and All-ACC second team selection... Stood fourth on the team with four goals, including one in the ACC Semifinal win against Virginia... Started every game of her career at UofL.

NEWCOMER NOTES
Freshman Filippa Niebuhr has appeared in all of Louisville's games and has recorded three goals on the season - including the game-winner against Indiana.
• Fellow rookie Mila de Kuijer has played every minute in the cage this season and posted a career-high seven saves in the 3-1 win against No. 11 Liberty.
• She leads the ACC with five shutouts, a 0.68 goals against average, an .816 save percentage has not allowed a goal in a conference game.

TOUGH SLATE
Eleven of the Cardinals' 18 opponents are ranked among the top 25 in the most recent NFHCA released on Sept. 21. In addition to its six ACC opponents, UofL will also take on, No. 1 Iowa, No. 2 Michigan, No. 12 Liberty, No. 17 Princeton and No 18 Ohio State.
• Louisville is 5-1 against ranked opponents this season with its only loss coming at the hands of No. 1 Iowa.

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 or developmental squads.
Alli Bitting - USWNT U21 Team (2019), Development Team (2020)
Erica Cooper- USWNT U21 Team (2019)
Mackenzie Karl - USWNT U17 Team (2015-16)
Filippa Niebuhr - German U16 Team
Sofia Pendolino - USWNT RISE Team
Aimee Plumb - England U19 Team (2018-19)
Katie Schneider - USWNT U19 Team (2019)
Minna Tremonti - USWNT U19 Team (2019)

HOMEGROWN TALENT
The UofL field hockey team features six players who chose to play for their hometown school: seniors Erica Cooper (Assumption), Sam Minrath (Christian Academy) juniors Camryn Pichea (Assumption) and Mattie Tabor (Sacred Heart), redshirt sophomore India Reed (duPont Manual) and sophomore Embry Jane (EJ) Imorde (Sacred Heart).

HOME SWEET HOME
Louisville started the season with five wins in the friendly confines of Trager Stadium this season, extending its home win streak to 12 games. On Sunday, Sept. 19, the streak ended with a 2-0 loss to No. 2 Iowa. Prior to that, the Cardinals' last home loss was on November 17, 2019 against Boston College in the quarterfinals of the NCAA championship. They now have a 5-1 record at Trager Stadium this year.
•The Cardinals compiled a 7-0 record in the 2020-21 season. Facing a daunting home slate in the COVID-19-altered season, Louisville defeated Duke twice in its opening weekend. The following weekend, UofL defeated two-time defending national champion North Carolina 3-1, halting the Tar Heels' 47-game win streak. Louisville wrapped up the home season with a 2-1 win against 2019 semifinalist Boston College. The Cards defeated No. 14 Virginia in the 2021 spring home opener.
• Last year, the Cardinals were 8-2 on the season at Trager Stadium, bringing their home record to 63-13 since the 2013 season.
•UofL 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.

HOW THE CARDS STACK UP
• As a team, Louisville leads the ACC and stands third in the NCAA with 0.50 shutouts per game.
• UofL leads the ACC with 0.50 shutouts per game and stands third in the NCAA in that category.
• The Cardinals' 0.68 goals against average leads the ACC and ranks fourth in the nation.
• Louisville leads the ACC and stands third in the NCAA with a 0.900 winning percentage.
• Individually, freshman Mila de Kuijer leads the ACC with a 0.68 goals against average and stands fourth in the NCAA in that category. She also carries a league-best .816 save percentage, stepping in at sixth in the country.

No. 3 Cardinals Play Host to No. 15 Wake Forest Friday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Alli Bitting

Erica Cooper

Mila de Kuijer

Emilia Kaczmarczyk

Mackenzie Karl

Julie Kouijzer

Sam Minrath

Filippa Niebuhr

Sofia Pendolino

Camryn Pichea

Aimee Plumb

India Reed

Katie Schneider

Mattie Tabor

Minna Tremonti

Charlie van Oirschot

University of Louisville Athletics