Cards Play Host to No. 18 Ohio State Friday, VCU Sunday

After three straight games on the road, the fifth-ranked University of Louisville field hockey team will return to Trager Stadium for a pair of home contests this weekend. On Friday, the Cardinals will take on No 18 Ohio State, marking their third top-20 opponent in five games. Louisville will wrap up the weekend against VCU on Sunday.

WEEKEND INFORMATION
No. 5 Louisville vs. No. 18 Ohio State
Date: Sept. 8, 2023, 6:05 p.m. (ET)
Location/Venue: Louisville, Ky./Trager Stadium
Television: ACC Network Extra | Game Links: Live Scoring | ACCNX Watch

No. 5 Louisville vs. VCU
Date: Sept. 10, 2023, 12:05 p.m. (ET)
Location/Venue: Louisville, Ky./Trager Stadium
Television: ACC Network Extra | Game Links: Live Scoring | ACCNX Watch

NOTE CARDS
• UofL stands at No. 5 in the Penn Monto/NFHCA poll released on Sept. 5, moving up four spots from their preseason ranking.
• Freshman forward Tyler Everslage earned ACC Offensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 5 after scoring in each of the Cardinals' games in the ACC/Ivy League Crossover.
• The Cardinals have outscored opponents 8-3 through the first four games of the season with seven different players contributing goals. Tyler Everslage leads the way with two goals.
• Graduate senior Merlijn van der Vegt was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Week in the league's first weekly award of the season. They now stand second in the ACC with a 0.75 goals against average and lead the league with an .833 save percentage.
• 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.
• In 2022, UofL registered a 12-8 overall record and earned its fourth-straight NCAA tournament bid.
• Louisville returns 17 letterwinners from last year's team and welcome 10 newcomers including eight freshmen and two graduate transfers.

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 169-79 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
Ohio State
Series Record: Ohio State leads 18-12
Last Meeting: September 27, 2021- Louisville won 2-1in double overtime in Columbus.
Scouting the Buckeyes: The 18th-ranked Buckeyes will visit Trager Stadium on Friday with a 5-0 record. Through its first five games of the season, Ohio State has outscored opponents 20-2.
• Currrent Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week Makenna Webster leads the Buckeyes with seven goals and added three assists for 17 points.
• Jarred Martin enters his seventh season at the helm. Martin and the Buckeyes have won 56 games and seven against top-10 ranked foes.

VCU
Series Record: VCU leads 5-4
Last Meeting: October 2, 2022 – Louisville won 3-1 on the road.
Scouting the Rams: VCU will be traveling for the first time this year. The Rams enter the weekend with a 3-0 record prior to a Friday matchup with Bellarmine. Mora Marrero was named A-10 Rookie of the Week after she had a goal and two assists in VCU's opening weekend.
• Georgia Carr-Brown and Camila Rosenbrock were named to the All-Atlantic 10 Preseason Team. The Rams were also selected third in the A-10 Preseason Poll voted on by the league's coaches.
• Stacy Bean enters her seventh season at the helm. Bean has led VCU to an over-all 65-38 record and holds the highest winning percentage of any coach in program history. • A familiar face will be on the other sideline this weekend with Kayla May the Associate Head Coach for VCU. May played for the Cardinals from 2006-09 and helped lead Louisville to an NCAA appearance in 2008.

UP NEXT
Following this weekend, the Cardinals will open ACC play at defending NCAA champion and No. 2-ranked North Carolina on Friday, Sept. 15.

Cards Play Host to No. 18 Ohio State Friday, VCU Sunday

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Players Mentioned

Izzy Bianco

Tyler Everslage

Emilia Kaczmarczyk

Julie Kouijzer

Lauren Masters

Aimee Plumb

Merlijn van der Vegt

University of Louisville Athletics