No. 4 Cards Play Host to JMU Friday

The fourth-ranked University of Louisville field hockey team will return to Trager Stadium for a matchup with JMU Friday at 5 p.m.

WEEKEND INFORMATION
No. 4 Louisville vs. JMU
Date: Sept. 22, 2023, 5:00 p.m. (ET)
Location/Venue: Louisville, Ky./Trager Stadium
Admission: Free | UofL Clear Bag Policy
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.
Television: ACC Network Extra | Game Links: Live Scoring |ACCNX Watch

NOTE CARDS
• For the second straight week UofL stands at No. 4 in the Penn Monto/NFHCA coaches poll.
• Louisville enters the weekend with a 6-1 record, following its first loss of the season, a 2-0 setback at No. 2 North Carolina last Friday in both teams' ACC opener.
• The Cards have scored 12 goals on the season with eight different players contributing to the total. Aimee Plumb leads the way with three goals - two of which have stood as game-winners.
• Merlijn van der Vegt carries a 1.00 goals against average and a .781 save percentage which stands third in the ACC.
• Julie Kouizjer, Aimee Plumb, Emilia Kaczmarczyk, Izzy Bianco and Lauren Masters represent Louisville on the NFHCA Preseason Watchlist.
• Julie Kouijzer and Aimee Plumb were named to the 2023 Preseason All-Atlantic Coast Conference team as voted on by the league's head coaches. The Cardinals were also picked to finish fourth in the regular season.

Head Coach Justine Sowry
Justine Sowry is in her 13th season at the helm. During her time at Louisville, she has guided the Cardinals to a 171-80 record, eight NCAA tournament appearances reaching the quarterfinals twice and advancing to the semifinals for the first time in program history in the 2020-21 season. She earned ACC Coach of the Year honors in 2021.
• Under Sowry's tutelage, Louisville has tallied three conference titles, including back-to-back ACC regular season crowns (2020, 2021) as well as a pair of runner-up finishes in the ACC Championships.

CARDS AGAINST THE FIELD
JMU
Series Record: Louisville leads 6-2
Last Meeting: Sept. 9, 2022 - Louisville won 1-0 at Trager Stadium.
Scouting the Dukes: JMU enters the weekend with a 2-5 overall record following a 7-0 loss to then-No. 1 Boston College on Sunday.
•The Dukes, who are playing as an independent this season, have wins over William & Mary and Columbia.
•Tori Carawan and Azul Covarrubias lead the team with three goals apiece while Mia Julian has dished out three assists.
• Brandelynn Heinbaugh carries a 2.69 goals against average with 36 saves in 403:24 minutes of work.

UP NEXT
Following Friday's game, the Cardinals will continue non-conference play with a trip to Oxford, Ohio where they will take on Miami (Ohio) before returning to Trager Stadium for an ACC matchup against Virginia on Sept. 29.

CARDS FOURTH IN NFHCA COACHES POLL
UofL stands at No.4 in the Penn Monto/NFHCApoll released on Sept. 19. This marks the second straight week at No. 4 and the third straight week in the top five. The Cardinals have been ranked inside the top 10 throughout the entire season.
• The Cards had been ranked among the top 10 for 43 of the last 45 ranking periods spanning back to 2019 when they appeared at No. 8 on Sept. 10.
• Louisville has now spent 110 consecutive weeks in the top 20 in the nation dating back to the 2013 season.

Tough Slate
The Cardinals' 2023 schedule features nine opponents currently ranked among the top 20 in the NFHCA rankings including six top-10 teams.
• Louisville's slate also includes 2022 national champion North Carolina, runner-up Northwestern and semifinalist Iowa.
• Two of the Cardinals' six wins have come against teams currently ranked in the top 20 including No. 3Northwestern and No. 12 Ohio State.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Izzy Bianco

Emilia Kaczmarczyk

Julie Kouijzer

Lauren Masters

Aimee Plumb

Merlijn van der Vegt

University of Louisville Athletics