Soccer battles to a scoreless tie...Angel and the Dream silence Seattle

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SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Soccer ties Vandy in exhibition

-Dream dominates Storm by 29

-Mercedes getting some media mileage

Sometimes, good things come to those who wait. Cardinal goalkeeper Chloe Kiefer showed up on the UofL campus in 2008 as a highly touted prospect and started eight games between the posts for the Soccer Cards. The future looked promising. Then, enter Taylor Vancil and Chloe went to the bench. No starts in two years in front of the net. When Vancil decided to transfer to Florida State after the end of the 2010 season, hope sprung anew for the Divine Savior Holy Angels (Milwaukee, WI) star. The news this summer that UofL had signed transfer goalkeeper Kassandra Young inspired her to try that much harder. Last night, she stepped back into the spotlight.

It was around 7:30 before last night's exhibition against Vandy started, due to heavy thunderstorms ripping thru Louisville. Kiefer protected the net for 90 minutes against the Commodores and nothing got by her. Unfortunately, Alexa Levick was having the same kind of success at the opposite net and the end of regulation play saw the teams knotted up at 0-0. Rather than going with a overtime period, the coaches agreed to a penalty kick shoot-out format. Vandy narrowly took that 5-4.

"With regard to where we're at right now, I'm very happy." commented Cardinal head coach Karen Ferguson-Dayes. "With time, we'll get better at the things we need to get better at. I liked us on the back tonight and I thought (Chloe) was fantastic in goal for us."

Kiefer, who lost her mother in 2002 to cancer, has gotten a second chance. It looks like she's ready to make the most of it and help the Cards compete in the BIG EAST. Shutting down the SEC Commodores is a welcome beginning.

Louisville finished with a 9-8 advantage in shots on goal last night and a 9-0 edge in corner kicks. Kiefer had two saves.

The women's soccer team will begin the regular season on the road at Eastern Kentucky University, taking on Colonels Friday, Aug. 26th at 5 p.m.



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Sancho Lyttle is back and the Atlanta Dream is beginning to look like the team that made it to the finals of the WNBA Championships last year. Payback time occurred last evening with a 92-63 drubbing of the 2010 WNBA championship Seattle Storm in Seattle last night. In fairness, the Storm have been reeling since the lost of All-Star center Lauren Jackson...but they're still the WNBA's leading team in defense. Atlanta put 50 first half points on the Storm in the first half...the highest first half point allowed total for Seattle this season.

Angel led the Dream to the 29 point
win with 17 points.

Angel McCoughtry and Iziane Castro Marquez shared top scoring honors for the Dream with 17 points each...as the Dream increased a 50-42 halftime lead to 20+ for most of the final quarter. Lindsey Harding added 12 for Atlanta and Lyttle and Armintie Price finished with 11 each. 

Atlanta (11-12) trailed only once in the contest, when Katie Smith hit a three near the end of the first quarter to make it 26-25 Seattle. Atlanta shot a blistering 58.8% from the field (40-58) and handed the Storm their worst loss of the season.

The LADY CARDS were in attendance to see former Cardinal great Angel McCoughtry put on her show. Some tweets from the girls...

beckyburke. "Wnba game in Seattle to see angel playyyy!

becky burke. "This game reminding me and @moreid (Monique Reid) of the old days with @angel35

sara hammond. "Enjoyed goin to my first wnba game, here in Seattle to watch the best Cardinal ball player ever @angel 35."

angel 35. "Thanks sara"

(Thanks to CARDINAL COUPLE reader Mark Schnieder for the tweet alerts!)

EASTERN CONFERENCE STANDINGS:

Indiana         17-7
Connecticut   15-8
New York      13-11
ATLANTA      11-12
Chicago        10-14
Washington    5-16

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Mercedes Russell, the 6'5" powerhouse post out of Springfield, Oregon, gets a good write-up in The Register-Guard from Steve Mims. You can read it by accessing the link below...

http://www.registerguard.com/web/sports/26684523-41/russell-state-team-springfield-abraham.html.csp