No. 21 Louisville Secures First ACC Win of the Season - University of Louisville Athletic

Sunday, September 13

LOUISVILLE, KY

3:00 PM

University of Louisville

6-0-1, 1-0-0

University of California

2-1-3, 0-1-1

Team	1	2	Final F
California	0	2	2
Louisville	1	2	3

Emil Thor runs to his team after scoring a goal during the game against Cal at the Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium on September 13th, 2026.

Photo by: Trevor Gilford | Louisville Athletics

September 13, 2026 | Men's Soccer

Box Score

By: Jonah Arnold

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The No. 21 ranked Louisville Cardinals men's soccer team won their first ACC matchup of the season against the California Golden Bears by a score of 3-2 on Sunday afternoon at Dr. Mark & Cindy Lynn Stadium.

The Cardinals (6-0-1) never trailed in the match. Nathaniel Abraham made a couple of nice saves in goal early before Louisville struck in the 28th minute to jump in front 1-0 via a goal from Andrés Escudero Martín.

California scored to tie the game shortly after the second half kicked off, with a goal by Zach Miles in the 51st minute.

Louisville responded with back-to-back goals from Emil Thor in the 67th minute, taking a 1-1 tie to 3-1 in the span of under a minute. Both goals were assisted by Cooper Olson, the first points of his career.

After the exciting 67th minute, Louisville controlled play as the clock continued to run. Cal struck via a penalty kick after a red card was issued to Ryan Quintos in the 86th minute, but Louisville was able to hang on and win despite being down a man in the final minutes.

Louisville finished with a 16 to 15 edge in total shots and a seven to six edge in shots on goal.

Abraham made a career-high four saves in goal for Louisville as he picked up his sixth win of the season.

Giacoma Zizza took four shots, which led the Cardinals in that department. Zizza also tied for the team lead in shots on target with two, along with Escudero.

The Cards will take on the Boston College Eagles next on Friday, September 18. The match kicks off at 6 p.m. ET at Dr. Mark & Cindy Lynn Stadium and will be broadcast on ACCNX.