Friday Cardinal Couple -- More Bears

FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Just another bunch of Bears.

-Lacrosse today!

Just when the Lady Cards thought it was safe to continue up the trail to the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament title, another bunch of Bears are in the path. This group is of west coast variety...Cal Bears...and, while not as tall or widely known as their Texas counterparts...still just as dangerous and appear to be fully out of hibernation.

Coached by relatively unknown (but hugely successful) Lindsay Gottlieb, Cal has put up a 32-3 record on the season...losing only to Duke in early December, Stanford on

January 8th. and UCLA in their second game of the PAC-12 Tournament.

In the NCAA Tournament, they thumped Fresno State 90-76 and squeaked by South Florida in overtime 82-78 in Lubbock. USF came from 10 points down late to force the extra five minutes.

Moving to Spokane for the regional, UC sent LSU home with a 73-63 defeat and eliminated underdog Georgia 65-62 in overtime. They were the #2 seed in the Spokane regional and avoided a third game with #1 seed Stanford in the regional finals after Georgia pulled the upset.

"It's hard to argue that Louisville is the hottest team in the country right now. They're clearly an exciting offensive team. They put a lot of fine players on the court at one time and we're going to have a challenge to slow them down." -- Lindsay Gottlieb

(We should also note we contacted Ms. Gottlieb about an e-mail interview several days ago. One of her administrative interns sent a response e-mail that Lindsay would be glad to answer the questions we sent later that evening. That was two days ago. It is the left coast, however. Or maybe we just got 'catfished'...)

It's California's first trip to the Final Four and Lindsay's as well. She was Joanne Boyle's assistant at UC before taking the UCSB head coaching job a few years ago. When Boyle departed, Gottlieb was offered and accepted the job last season.

So which Bear will try and keep Shoni contained? We expect

Cal sophomore Brittany Boyd will draw that unenviable assignment. Boyd is also the second leading scorer for UC with 12.6 ppg a game. Top honors go to Layshia Clarendon with 16.4 points a contest. The Bears average 72.8 points a game while allowing just 58.3...and outrebounded their foes prior to Louisville by 11.3 a game.

Throw all that out the window and give it a David Akers kick as well. Statistics have meant nothing to the Lady Cards over the last three games.

Purdue...rough, tough and BIG 10 Tournament champs. Currently back in West Lafayette or on Spring Break. A #4 see that played like a #14.

Baylor. Oh, yes...Baylor. #1 seed, #1 in the nation and #1 in most fans hearts and minds. A 28-point favorite in Vegas to be UofL. Someone forgot to tell Shoni, Nita and Mo. Mulkey getting some early, unexpected flower-planting and mulching time in currently...when she's not whining on podcasts or TV about the horrific abuse that her precious darlings received from those mean-spirited Cardinal girls...and the unjust, horrific referees who conspired to turn a women's basketball game into a MMA event.

Tennessee. Came out bewildered, baffled and blown away by Louisville's defense and audacity to challenge them on the boards. Holly Warlick did a fine job in her first year as the head Volunteer. Maybe she needed a few more hours of community service or a book on the Schimmel sisters. She's back in "Orangeville"...probably hoping Mercedes Russell missed viewing the game.

Win or lose Sunday, it's been one heck of a fun and wild ride for Louisville WBB. The team that so many turned their back on after the loss to Kentucky. A guard that people said weighed too much, shot too often and never played defense. A coach who couldn't prevent opponent runs, didn't play the right combinations and wasn't kind and gentle enough with his players. A collection of not-ready-for prime time underachievers and timid prima donnas...according to some. Or thugs and villains, according to others.

A team in the Final Four.

They may be ugly ducklings and party crashers...but they are OUR quackers and interlopers...and we couldn't be prouder, happier or anymore in love with them.

They've been through the season from hell, as far as injuries go...but still smile like heavenly angels and play like possessed demons.

And all you can do is just smile. Hollywood couldn't have written a better script or plot line. Just one question, if it were to go to film...

Who would play the evil Waco witch Kim?  

-Paulie

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Lacrosse returns home today after a month on the road to play rival Notre Dame. Got two great interviews with Cortnee Daley and Kay Morissette Wednesday on campus while waiting for the WBB bus to pull up at the SAC...but you'll have to listen to the CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO SHOW Saturday to hear them. All I can say is...if I liked lacrosse before, I'm absolutely enamored with it now. Two very nice, polite and exuberant young women, those two.

We think you should go to the Lacrosse game today. Starts at 5 p.m. You're gonna have a good time and you may even see a couple of CARDINAL COUPLE staffers out there as well. Or chimps. We never really know for sure...

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Monday Cardinal Couple -- Louisville teams go undefeated over weekend

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MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


SUNDAY GAME REPORTS

-WBB wins over Villanova

-Softball takes two on Sunday...goes 3-0 in Classic

-Lacrosse wins Saturday over ODU 21-3

Louisville women's basketball overcame a 42-40 Villanova lead with 6:15 left to defeat Villanova 55-49 in Philadelphia Sunday afternoon. Bria Smith led the way with 16, Nita Slaughter and Sara Hammond had 10 points and nine rebounds for the 22-6, 10-4 Lady Cards. Sherrone Vails added nine for Louisville...who was without Monique Reid (knee) for the contest and Shoni Schimmel in the second half (coaches decision).  In addition, Jude Schimmel fell to the floor with an injury with less than a minute to go. No word on her condition as we went to press.

Louisville started strong against the Wildcats, taking the lead 6-5 on a Smith layup with 18:07 left in the first half. They increased that to 11-5 after Smith scored again with 16:17 on the clock. The Cards played an excellent first 13 minutes of hoops and actually led 23-11 when Vails hit a free throw with 6:52 to go in the first half.

Nova, though...rallied to outscore the Cards 13-5 the rest of the way...Devon Kane's free throw creating a 28-24 halftime score.

Laura Sweeney tied the contest at 30-30 on a layup with 18:19 on the clock in the second half. Nova still led 42-40 before a Smith jumper....which sparked a 15-7 closing run for UofL over the final six minutes. Smith gave the Cards the lead at 45-43 at the 4:56 mark. Vails scored inside to make it 47-43. After a Laura Sweeney score cut the Louisville lead to two, Vails jumper at 1:33 gave Louisville a 49-45 advantage. Louisville then hit their final six free throws in a row...four by Slaughter and two by Smith to preserve the win.

55-49 CARDS ON THE ROAD!

Jude Schimmel went to the locker room hobbling with assistance with 44 seconds left in the game. Her sister Shoni did not play in the second half...ending up with two points.

Post game comments from Jeff Walz indicated that he challenged the team at halftime and asked Jude, Bria and Shoni if they wanted to play in the second half. Jude and Bria answered yes and Shoni did not reply to the question.

Walz assumed this meant she didn't and did not insert her into the game in the final twenty. Shoni did go to the locker room when her sister was injured.

Walz was uncertain of how long Shoni would remain on the Cards bench...stating that was up to her and her commitment to the team. The extent of Jude's injury was unknown when we went to publish.

Walz also mentioned that Monique Reid was held out because of her knee but would mostly likely play against Seton Hall Wednesday...which is the Cards last home game of the regular season and Senior Night.

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SOFTBALL SWEEPS TWO SUNDAY

Louisville won both games Sunday in the Cardinal Classic at Ulmer Stadium. That gave the Cards a 4-0 weekend...they also defeated Kent State Friday and Buffalo 9-3 on Sunday

Louisville 3 - Kent State 2

In the re-match from Friday's game Rachel LeCoq went 4.2 innings an allowed two runs on seven hits and Caralisa Connell came in for the save for the one-run Louisville win over the Golden Flashes. Louisville defeated KSU for the second time in three days.

The Cards scored twice in the second inning, getting three straight walks for Alicja Wolny, Hannah Kiyohara and Taner Fowler. A Whitney Arion single plated Wolny and Kiyohara.

After two Kent State runs in the fifth that sent Le Coq to the bench and tied the game....Louisville countered with a run in the sixth that proved to be the difference.

Hannah Kiyohara reached on a fielders choice and scored on a Maggie Ruckenbrod single.

Connell gave up just two hits in 2.1 innings pitched for the win.

Louisville 5 - Eastern Illinois 0

Connell was sharp in the shut-out win, going the distance and striking out 10 EIU batters while allowing just one hit in the Sunday nightcap.  

Louisvlle got their first run in the fourth inning when Katie Keller walked and scored on a mishandled- Kiyohara grounder to second.

The Cards tacked on four more in the fifth. Ruckenbrod singled, Mann reached on a bunt that advanced Ruckenbrod and Fowler's double scored both. Jennifer Esteban came in to run for Fowler and scored on a wild pitch. The Cards made it 5-0 when Kayla Soles singled and hit the plate on a Wolny double.

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LACROSSE DOMINATES OLD DOMINION

On Saturday, the Louisville Lacrosse team went to 3-0 with a 21-3 win over Old Dominion. Kaylin Morrissette had five scores for the Cards in the romp.

The Cards had two goals in the first minute and two more in the second minute. After ODU scored, Louisville responded with a 5-0 run....Nikki Boltja getting three of them. Morissette two. The Cards led 14-3 at the half and shut out the Monarchs 7-0 in the final 30 minutes for the easy win.

The eighteen goal margin tied a program record and three goals allowed tied the second best defensive performance in Louisville Lacrosse history.

The squad plays against Denver on the road next on Saturday.

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Thriller at Lacrosse -- Cards down OSU 12-11

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SUNDAY CARINAL COUPLE

- Lacrosse pulls huge upset over OSU 12-11

- Softball splits in second day of J'Ville Tournament

- Cards WBB faces DePaul in YUM!


It was huge. It was totally awesome.

Simply said, it was the biggest win in the history of Louisville Lacrosse.

On a bitterly cold day in the Louisville Lacrosse Stadium, Louisville overcame a 10-8 deficit with 14:16 to go in the second half and defeated #13 Ohio State University 12-11 Saturday afternoon.

It was originally 13-11. What we don't understand about Lacrosse is how a referee can take a point away because of a stick/net inspection. Kay Morissette scored a seemingly brilliant gola with 6:46 left in the game to put the Cards up 13-11. Then, as the teams line up for the face-off after the "goal", a referee inspects Morissette's stick and net and decides there is something wrong with it. Two point Cardinal advantage gone. Kay's score erased.

 Seriously?

Whatever. These refs were biased against Louisville for the majority of the game, so...it wasn't surprising. Good teams find a way to win, though and Louisville did.

Louisville held on to the 1-point advantage and goes to 2-0 on the season with the win.

The Cards overcame a 5-4 halftime deficit to take a 6-5 lead shortly after the second stanza started.

No...wait...the refs take another goal away from Louisville. Back to 5-5. Maybe Nikki Boltja was chewing gum in class. Maybe they didn't say "Mother, may I.." after scoring.

Whatever. I don't understand Lacrosse rules yet. Maybe I will someday. The refs seem to make stuff up as they go.

Anyway, fast forward to the second half. Cards down 10-8 after OSU's best player (Jackie Cifarelli) gets her first score of the game. That's how well the Louisville defense was playing. 14:16 to go. Colleen O'Malley gets Louisville within one. Nikki Boltja ties it 90 seconds later. After OSU goes back ahead 11-10...the clock stops for some reason, the refs catch that...but it them becomes B.S.T.

Boltja Standard Time.

Nikki scores to tie it with 9:17 (maybe) left. Nikki puts Louisville ahead 12-11 with 7:31 left.

Nikki, I think I love you...

See Cardinal fans go nuts. See Louisville shut out OSU the rest of the way. See the team and fans go nuts as the final seconds tick off and celebrate. See the squad rush over to thank the students, parents and fans in the bleachers.

This was beautiful. 

I talked with Julie Hermann minutes after the upset.
Beaming, incredulous and thrilled after the win, she told me about the dedication. Three seniors coming into her office early in the spring and telling her that Lacrosse was going to thrive. Pleading with her to not give up on the program. Asking her not to give up on them. They were changing the attitude, the meaning of Louisville Lacrosse.

I've never seen Julie Hermann cry. She looked pretty close to it today. A look of happiness. Full of pride. Happy Julie.

One proud mama.

Walking the field after the win. Pride. Joy. Reflection.

Kelly Young looked pretty close to tears,too. A signature win. A team she so strongly believes in. Her pride in Boltja, O'Malley, Oliverio, the freshmen. Everyone. 

Her girls, her brood. A renewed dedication to team, to the Louisville Lacrosse brand. A satisified and happy coach.

I've seen coaches thrilled over wins. Young's look of rapture and excitement will stay with me a long time. I recorded her comments on the sidelines. They don't do justice to the gleam I saw in her eyes. I won't forget that for a very long time. Sometimes, words just don't express what vision can. Picture worth a thousand words stuff.

I saw a masterpiece today.

Job well done, ladies. Louisville Lacrosse has arrived. Get on board, Cardinal fans. The CSX tracks run right behind the Lacrosse Stadium. It's doubtful either of the trains that rolled by Saturday afternoon during the game could have matched the power and steam of the Cardinals.

Boltja had four goals for the Cards, O'Malley four, Cortnee Daley two and Faye Brust and Monica Negron one each.


-Paulie

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Softball splits in the the second day of the Jacksonville Classic. A tough 1-0 loss to OSU in eight innings...the Cardinal bats falling silent after 16 runs the day before.

Transfer Rachel LeCoq pitching her Cajun heart out...giving up a run in the top of eight...tiebreaker rules in effect. The Cards fall short...runners on the corners and one out. Can't score. Bats...funny how they come and go.

Bats woke up in the second game against Jacksonville. A 9-0 fun-fest. Three hitter for Caralisa Connell, the same amount of hits LeCoq gave up.

Louisville finishes the Jacksonville stay tomorrow...facing Stony Brook for the second time... at 7:30 p.m.


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Quentin Voigt's preview of Lady Cards WBB against DePaul tomorrow at 1:30 in the YUM! below:

RING, RING, RING, Riiiiiiiiinnnnnggggg !!!

Time to attack! No quarter surrendered, no quarter asked!

Doug Bruno, head coach of DePaul has probably been worried about this game since he was miraculously able to vanquish UofL in Chi-Town on January 5th. The loss he should have accepted then - would have not built the fervor apparently building within CardNation for the beat-down of epic (EPIC, I repeat) proportions, destined to be visited on the Blue Demons. Sunday. 1:30 p.m. The place: One Arena Plaza (the KFC YUM! Center) , Louisville, KY.

Herr Bruno's squad features 5'8" Brittany Hrynko, a sophomore who's getting 15.6 ppg, dished out 129 assists this season and grabs 4.8 rebounds a game. She went for 21 points, 7 assists and 4 steals last time against the Cards. Will Anna Martin be a factor? We'll see if the knee will let her play. She had 22 against Louisville in the previous meeting.

Jasmine Perry is a talented forward for Dougie. He says:

"Jasmine Perry is one of the best players in the state of Indiana. Jasmine will bring great athleticism to campus and is a excellent rebounder, defender and shooter. Jasmine is also the total package in that she is an honor student that will help carry on DePaul's tradition of striving for success  --both on the court and in the classroom."

A just bit of praise for the young lady that adds 14.1 a game for DePaul's offense. She was 6 for 6 against Louisville earlier this year and hit 3 for 4 from the charity stripe.

And then there's Katherine. The leading rebounder in the BIG EAST. Katherine Harry gets the boards. She defends well, too...holding UofL's posts to 1 for 3 from the field last time out.

I believe in SPEED! Speed kills, in time. Ask Muhammad Ali, he proved it time and time again. The Lady Cards have the speed to beat DePaul today. Witness UK stepping on the accelerator earlier this year and demolishing DePaul by 32 in Rupp.

Running with purpose, shooting with the cold eye of an assassin, owning every rebound, valuing the ball. Attack them, attack them....and attack them! Go Cards. Give them "L"

- Quentin Voigt

I do think the Cards can win today. A lot of it will depend on the heart and effort that they display. It's an emotional game today. Monique Reid's grandmother passed away a couple of days ago. A grandmother to the team. To Mo, who might play today. To all who were fortunate enough to know her. A beautiful lady.

Will UofL use that emotion? Will last year's scenario play out...Louisville loses in Chicago, wins the second match-up in Louisville. The only game this year where Louisville outrebounded an opponent and lost.

"Why is it, Coach...that I must play when
the women are playing also. Please explain
this to me. I am not happy, sir. Not at all."

Who will show up for this one? The men's team plays at 1:00 on ESPN. Walz wants 12-13,000 there. We'd like to see that, too. Anything over 9,000 is a big boost to Louisville's WBB chances today. In case you're out-of-town and can't attend, the WBB game is on ESPNU.

It's 'go' time for Walz and the Cards. Five games left before the Hartford Invitational.

As I said in an earlier column this week...

Whatcha got left, Cards?

(Today's game is a "wear Pink" in support of Breast Cancer Awareness. Pink 'em up! See you there! We'll have post-game coverage later today. Go Cards!)

-Paulie


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