Ninth-Ranked Cards Defeat Northeastern 3-1 in Season Opener

Saturday, August 26

LOUISVILLE, KY

9:00 AM

University of Louisville

(1-0)

Northeastern

(0-1)

Northeastern

Louisville

Photo by: Rachel Klotz | Louisville Athletics

Ninth-Ranked Cards Defeat Northeastern 3-1 in Season Opener

August 26, 2023 | Field Hockey

Box Score Justine Sowry postgame interview Aimee Plumb postgame interview Photo Gallery

Senior Aimee Plumb delivers a goal and an assist to help Louisville to a 3-1 win over Northeastern

By: Lori Harmon

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Aimee Plumb registered a goal and an assist to help the ninth-ranked University of Louisville field hockey team defeated Northeastern 3-1 in its season opening game Saturday morning at Trager Stadium. The game was originally scheduled for Friday evening, but was postponed until Saturday due to thunderstorms in the area.

"It was good to get a win on the board – it's been a crazy 24 hours," said UofL head coach Justine Sowry. "We got challenged today, but I think the biggest thing that's going to get in our way is ourselves. We have to play Louisville field hockey and not let frustration creep into the game – it's still very early in the season, and all of our returners need to show the freshmen that Louisville way. I think at times we were a little individualistic, but once we started to play together, both with the ball and without, we played some nice hockey."

Louisville (1-0) took the lead early in the game, but Northeastern (0-1) countered with a goal in the second quarter. The score remained tied a 1-1 until the Cards put the game away with a pair of fourth quarter goals by sisters Aimee Plumb and Chloe Plumb.

The Cardinals got on the scoreboard in the fifth minute of the game behind a penalty corner goal by Julie Kouijzer. Plumb got the corner started and Minna Tremonti provided the stop for Kouijzer who rocketed a shot into the cage for Louisville's first goal of the season and the 13^th of her career.

Northeastern answered in the second quarter when Lara Taylor intercepted the ball outside near midfield, made her way to the circle and delivered a shot past Louisville goalkeeper Merlijn van der Vegt to even the score at 1-1.

The teams entered halftime even at one goal apiece after the Cardinals held a 9-4 advantage in and a 4-1 edge in corners.

Louisville dialed up its attack in the second half, earning four straight corners to open the second half, but the game remained knotted a 1-1 entering the fourth quarter.

In the second minute of the fourth quarter, the Cardinals capitalized on a penalty corner, this time Aimee Plumb used assists from Lara Niebler and Mia Duchars to put her team back on top 2-1 with her first goal of the season and the 22^nd in her career.

Four minutes later, Chloe Plumb deflected a penalty corner feed from Emilia Kaczmarczyk to notch her first career goal and give the Cards a 3-1 lead.

In the game, the Cards outshot the Huskies 21-4 with an 11-3 edge in shots on goal. Louisville also earned 12 corners to one for Northeastern. Van der Vegt collected two saves in the cage for Louisville while Northeastern's Kristina Merashoff had eight stops.

The Cardinals will have a quick turnaround before returning to action tomorrow when they travel to Evanston, Ill., for a top-10 matchup at No. 2 Northwestern slated to start at 3 p.m. (ET).