Offensive Outburst Lifts Cards Over Knights, 7-0

Thursday, August 15

LOUISVILLE, KY

7:30 PM

University of Louisville

1-0-0, 0-0-0

Bellarmine

0-1-0, 0-0-0

Bellarmine

Louisville

Photo by: Annabelle Merz | Louisville Athletics

August 15, 2024 | Women's Soccer

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Six different players scored, including a brace from Amber Jackson

By: Matt Paras

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The University of Louisville women's soccer team (1-0-0) started the 2024 season on the front foot as they defeated Bellarmine 7-0 Thursday night at Dr. Mark & Cindy Lynn Stadium. The Cardinals (1-0-0) scored the most goals in a game since 2018 as six different players found the back of the net against the Knights (0-0-1). Amber Jackson made her Louisville debut and she scored a brace with a goal in each half to lift the Cards to the win.

With the win, Louisville improved to 21-1-3 in season openers and 17-6-2 in home openers under head coach Karen Ferguson-Dayes. The Cards are undefeated in each of the last 13 home openers (12-0-1), including all 11 home openers (10-0-1) since Dr. Mark & Cindy Lynn Stadium opened in 2014. Seven of those 11 home openers at Lynn have been a shutout and the Cardinals have outscored their opponents 40-6 in that span.

Louisville wasted no time getting on the scoresheet as they opened the scoring in the sixth minute. Betsy Huckaby fired a shot from outside the box that deflected off the inside of the post and into the back of the net for the season-opening goal for the Cards with the assists coming from Mackenzie Geigle and Viktoria Wik.

In the 10th minute it would be Wik who found the back of the net for the Cards. Lizzie Sexton got the play started with her run up the right side before sending it back towards the top of the box. Wik had a nifty back heel to settle the ball and get around the defender before her left-footed shot beat the keeper to put the Cards up 2-0.

In the 16th minute, Jackson scored her first of two goals on the night. Brooke Dardano collected the loose ball and immediately sent a cross in towards the front post. Jackson's header got to the back of the net after the keeper tried to come out and beat Jackson to the ball. The goal was the Cards third of the night as they led 3-0.

Less than three minutes later, Dardano got another assist as her corner kick got to the head of Karsyn Cherry, who got it past the keeper for the Cardinals fourth goal in the opening 18 minutes of play. It was Cherry's fourth career goal and Dardano's second helper of the night.

In the second half, the goals kept coming for the Cards. Mackenzie Geigle capitalized on a turnover in the Knights box and volleyed her shot into the back of the net for the Cardinals first goal of the half.

In the 75th minute, Jackson tallied her second goal of the game. Dardano came sprinting up the left side and had a low, driven cross back into the box. Jackson was waiting for it and beat the keeper for goal number six for the Cardinals. It was Dardano's career-best third assist of the night as she came into the game with four assists for her career.

The final goal came in the 85th minute after a strong individual play from Molly Cochran. She took the ball into the box on the right side and worked her way through the Bellarmine defense until it was just her and the keeper. She fired home the shot for the seventh and final goal of the night to close out the dominant season-opening win.

Defensively for the Cardinals, they put the clamps on any opportunity Bellarmine tried to put together. Bellarmine did not attempt a single shot in the first half, which made for easy work for Erynn Floyd. Kailey Kimball came on in the second half and saved the two shots made on goal for the combined clean sheet.

The Cardinals are in the midst of a three-game homestand and will look to keep the offense humming on Sunday night against UAB. The Cardinals and Blazers will square off at 7:30 p.m. ET from Lynn Stadium and the match will be streamed on the ACC Network Extra.