Cards Fall at Marquette 13-10

Monday, February 17

Milwaukee, Wis.

1:00 PM

University of Louisville

2-2 (0-0ACC)

Marquette

2-0 (0-0BIG EAST)

Louisville

Marquette

February 17, 2025 | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score

Ella Berg registers her first collegiate hat trick, J Pleck posts career-high 13 saves

By: Lori Harmon

MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The University of Louisville lacrosse team fell to host Marquette 13-10 Monday afternoon at Valley Fields Dome.

Freshman Ella Berg recorded her first collegiate hat trick and added an assist while Rian Adkins, Lauren Figas, Negai Nakazawa, Reese Whiteman, Charlotte Jackson, Abigail Cole and Erin Nicholson tallied a goal apiece. Maggie McMahon dished out two assists for the second time this season. Goalie J Pleck collected a career-high 13 saves, marking her second straight game with double-digit saves. With the loss, Louisville drops to 2-2 on the season.

The Golden Eagles (2-0) attacked early with three goals in the first five minutes of play before Erin Nicholson put the to make the score 3-1. Marquette answered a minute later to push its lead back to three goals. Lauren Figas delivered her sixth goal of the season to cut the lead in half at 4-2. Berg's free position goal with 2:20 left in the first quarter pulled the Cardinals within a goal to end the quarter with the Marquette holding a 4-3 edge.

In the second quarter, the teams played through nearly six scoreless minutes before Berg struck again to even the score at 4-4. Nakazawa kept the Cardinals' offense going a minute later as her sixth goal of the season gave Louisville its first lead of the game at 5-4. Marquette countered to stop the Cardinals' scoring run and even the score at 5-5.

Cole connected on an assist from McMahon after a free position opportunity to put the Cards back on top 6-5 with five minutes remaining in the second quarter. The lead was short-lived Meg Bireley and Sara Beth Burns scored in the final four minutes of the frame put Marquette back on top and take a 7-6 lead into halftime.

The third quarter saw the Cards outscored the Golden Eagles 2-1. Bireley struck in the first minute, but Louisville answered when McMahon set up Whiteman to trim the lead to one. Adkins converted on a free position shot to even the score at 8-8 entering the fourth quarter.

Marquette regained the lead with goals by Tess Osburn and Meg Bireley to make the score 10-8. Freshman Charlotte Jackson followed with her first career goal courtesy of an assist by Berg to pull the Cards within one. The Golden Eagles countered a minute late to extend their lead back to two goals.

Louisville continued to battle as Berg capitalized on another free position shot to complete her hat trick, making the score 11-10. Once again, the Golden Eagles countered to push its lead back to two and capped the scoring with just over 30 seconds left in the game for the 13-10 win.

In a game that featured four ties and two lead changes, Marquette had 26 shots on goal to Louisville's 18 as the Golden Eagles' Bireley led all players with five goals. The Cardinals held the advantage in draw controls with Olivia Scroggie securing a career-high seven, the most for any Louisville player this season. Karli Kirchenheiter led the Cards with three ground balls.

"Credit Marquette, they came to play today," said UofL head coach Scott Teeter, "We got off to a horrendous start but it was a good learning curve. While we did battle, our turnovers were costly and we did not execute our game plan. I thought Ella Berg was a bright spot for us today and J Pleck was solid in net once again."

The Cardinals (2-2) will wrap up their three-game road swing with a trip to the West Coast to face Cal in their Atlantic Coast Conference opener Saturday at 3 p.m. (ET).

LOUISVILLE NOTES:
• Ella Berg's first collegiate hat trick extends her season total to six goals, moving her into a tie for the team lead with Negai Nakazawa and Lauren Figas.
• Abigail Cole tallied her first goal of the season
• Charlotte Jackson registered her first collegiate goal
• Negai Nakazawa, Ella Berg, Erin Nicholson and Reese Whiteman have scored at least one goal in each of Louisville's four games this season.
• This marked Maggie McMahon's second multi-assist game of the season.
• J Pleck collected career high in saves 13 and now has double-digit saves in two of Louisville's four games