Monday Cardinal Couple - UofL women ready for ACC Golf?

MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Cards and ACC women's golf

-Louisville WBB 9-1. Not too shabby.

When the Louisville Cardinals join the ACC in 2014, the women's golf team will have three established veterans on the squad and three promising members of the 2013 recruiting class.

Katie Petrino, Emily Haas and Sara Karlsson will be seniors then and all three have been steady contributors since their arrival on campus. Coach Courtney Trimble has also inked three golfers due to arrive on campus next fall who have very impressive credentials.

Louise Oxner

Louise Oxner, from Greenville, SC is a Palmetto state two time champion. Emily Kurey out of Alpharetta, GA was second in the state last year and has won four major junior golf events throughout the south over the past couple of years. Shannon Gramley, from Shady Side Academy, PA is a two-time Pennsylvania state champ. These three look to be golfers that can come in and contribute right away for Trimble and the Cards and will have a year of experience in their bags when the Cards join the ACC.

Emily Kurey

Women's golf is a little different than the other ACC (and BIG EAST) sports in the nature of the season. Teams play in classics and tournaments and there are no two-team contests...like basketball, softball or field hockey have. The schools gather for a tournament at the end of the season to determine the conference champ...but there is no regular season title at stake.

The ACC had nine schools field teams (including Maryland) in 2012 and Duke won the ACC Women's Golf Championship. Seven of the teams qualified for the NCAA tournament regionals.

Shannon Gramley

Besides Duke...UNC, NC State, Virginia, Florida State, Wake Forest, Miami and Boston College field teams. Duke was ranked #4 as of November 30th...UNC #9, Virginia #16 and NC State #19. Notre Dame will add to ACC strength, ranked #17. The Cards were #58. Future members Syracuse or Pitt do not field field women's golf teams.

Emily Haas

How the tournaments and events that Louisville will participate in over the next couple of years set up probably won't change too much. The level of competition come tournament time, though...looks to be much stronger than the Cards have been facing in the BIG EAST...where they finished third in the tournament this fall.

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The Louisville women's basketball team (9-1) is ranked at #8 in the nation as the Cards prepare to spend a little time on Fall semester finals...then games on Friday and then next Tuesday and Friday before getting 10 days off for Christmas break.

Despite this success, there has been dialouge here (and on other sites) about the effectiveness of Jeff Walz's coaching style. Namely, the game against Kentucky...where the Cats came back from a 14 point deficit to win in the KFC YUM! Center.

Coach Walz will tell you that he will do what he and the staff feel is necessary to win games. We agree and trust fully in the options and style of play that the Lady Cards employ in their contests.

Witness the DePaul Blue Demons. They went into the Kentucky game Friday night with Doug Bruno (DePaul head coach) thinking they could run with UK.

Big mistake. UK 96 - DePaul 64.

Louisville, on the other hand, knew the Cats strength and turned it into a defensive struggle. They held UK to 48 points...their lowest point total of the year. Even Baylor gave up 51 to UK.

(Photo by Charlie Springer - UofL Card Game)

Walz has also developed his bench into players that can come in and produce immediately. Witness the improvement of Jude Schimmel and Nita Slaughter this season. Sherrone Vails and Cortnee Walton had strong games against Valpo and there's nothing to suggest that those two won't continue to contribute as the season goes on.

Still, the griping about Walz continues.

We hope the Louisville women's basketball fans realize what a great coach and staff the Lady Cards have. We hope that they are here a long time. The women's college basketball world realizes it...with Bethann Ord and Michelle Clark-Heard getting head coaching jobs after several years of Walz's tuteledge. Cam Newbauer is being groomed for a head coaching spot down the road as well and so is Samantha Williams. Both will make great head coaches someday. Stephanie Norman has been with Walz since he arrived here. Coach Steph is equally responsible for the Cards success over the last five years and she's probably had offers to have her own program as well. We'd hate to see her go as well.

The old adage is that you don't miss what you've got until it's gone. We hope we don't have to worry about that in regards to the UofL head coach and his staff for a very long time.

Sonja and I have sat through the lean years of Louisville women's basketball in the past. We endured the losses to Western, UK and lesser schools like FIU, Oakland, Evansville and Chattanooga. We have no desire to re-visit those days. We're confident that under the leadership of Jeff and staff, we won't.

The Cardinal football team implores you to "get on the train". We ask you to "enjoy the Sho" and quit tearing down the "Walz". (Sorry about the steal from the late President Reagan when he pleaded "Tear down that wall, Mr. Gorbechev" )

9-1. #8 in the nation. Not too shabby, Cardinal fans. Beats a double-digit loss to UNC-Charlotte any day of the week. We recall travelling to Muncie, IN back in 2002 to see the UofL women's team play Ball State in the first round of the WNIT and lose. That's when things were rough. Sometimes a glimpse into the past makes one realize how good you've got it currently. 

You've got it good, Cardinal WBB fans. Appreciate it.
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Women's golf off to impressive start

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THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Louisville Women's golf team firing at the flag

-Really, Matthew?

-Next contest: A goalkeeper match

Emily Haas leading Cards in golf this season

Courtney Trimble

The Louisville women's golf team has participated in four events so far this season and fared well in each. With new head coach Courtney Trimble and assistant Mary Bryan on board, the Cards have finished no worse than 11th. in the four matches they have participated in and won the Cardinal Cup event in Simpsonville.

Mary Bryan

They started the season in Ft.Collins, CO in the Ram Classic and finished tied for fifth. After winning the Cardinal Cup, they travelled to Columbia, MO. and ended up 9th. in the Johnie Imes Invitational. In their most recent outing, the Tar Heel Invitational in Chapel Hill, NC., they came in 11th.

Leading the way for the Cards this season is sophomore Emily Haas. She's had two top-10 finishes in the four Cardinal matches this season and has a team best 74.0 strokes per round. Her lowest score for eighteen holes this year is 69.

Right behind her is Tara Lyons. Lyons has recorded one top-20 finish this year and averages 75.4 in her four starts. Her low round is a 71.

Katie Petrino has averaged 75.7 per round for the Cards and also has a top-20 finish this fall. Her lowest round is 71. The sophomore from Fayetteville, AR. is also
Bobby Petrino's youngest daughter...Bobby being an avid golfer as well.

( Just to show you how our fan base here sometimes works...we recently got an e-mail asking us that if Bobby Petrino accepted the UK head football coaching job, would Katie transfer?)

The Cards tee it up next in San Antonio, TX. for three days of swinging in The Alamo Invitational. First round action begins Oct. 28th.

Can't touch this? Don't want to...

Not sure what's in the water in Lexington, but we offer this clip of UK head women's basketball coach Matthew Mitchell at Big Blue Madness. The Michael Jackson one-glove approach should come in real handy when arguing calls with SEC refs... 

Keep dancing, Matty. Maybe you should be introduced before all the UK home games this way...

A battle of shot stoppers.

Next in our first round matches of Your Favorite Louisville Womens Athletes..we have a goalkeeper showdown.

Chloe Kiefer guards the net for the UofL women's soccer team and has done it quite efficiently over the past couple seasons. With seventeen career shutouts, getting the ball past Kiefer is as difficult as getting a can of beer in Pittsburgh's Heinz Stadium for college football. Not gonna happen.

Erin Conrad dons #90 to protect the net for the University of Louisville field hockey team. She's been there a couple of seasons as well. Against the #1 team in the country (Syracuse) she had five second-half saves. Trying to score on Conrad might be as hard as me duplicating Matthew Mitchell's dance. Not bloody likely...

Chloe or Conrad? You can vote on the infamous left side of the site.
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It's Tuesday so it must be laundry day at Sandy's!

TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Our illustrious staff columnist Sandy Walker grabs the Tide and harumphs in acknowledgement as she heads to the multiplex CARDINAL COUPLE laundry room/ orchestrial chamber/ late income tax filing center and stromboli bistro. It is Tuesday. Here's Sandy: 

Volleyball falls in five sets to #11 Texas

Despite Lola Arslanbekova's season high 29 kills, Louisville Volleyball fell in five games to Texas last night in the KFC YUM! Center. The Cards played their hearts out in the 21-25, 25-18, 21-25, 26-24, 15-10 loss. We expect CARDINAL COUPLE correspondents Jeff McAdams and/or Jenny O'Bryan will have more on the loss in a future article. The VolleyCards go to 16-3 with the loss. About 5,000 attended the match. Timmy the Intern was ejected for handing out whoopie cushions to the season-ticket holders and telling them that they were "thunder sticks"...

  

It's Raining Top 25 Cardinal Rankings   

KFC YUM! CENTER & WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

As a follow to Jenny’s article about the YUM! Center I wanted to share a discovery I made this last week concerning the playing facility of Stanford University.  A couple of other UL fans and I are fortunate to be able to attend the University of Conn.  @ Stanford game scheduled for Maples Pavilion, which is their women’s and men’s regular home court.  At first I was concerned that the best seats available to the general public were closer to the top of the arena than to the playing floor.  That is until I was shocked to learn that the entire arena seats less than 7500 fans.      

                                               

I had no idea that a historical premiere NCAA women’s basketball team plays in such a small arena with a fan base that does not average an attendance greater than 4,250 attendees which ranks as 22^nd in the nation.  I point this out for the purpose of making sure that Louisville fans never find that we are envious of a far away or well respected team’s situation.  We absolutely are so very fortunate to have such an exciting team to watch that we drew the 2^nd highest numbers of fans per game but that as fans we are also are able to enjoy our 60,000 sq. ft. arena and a place that many indicate as the best facility in the nation.  Let’s take advantage of it again this year – and also remember to bring an extra fan to every game.

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GOLF

September’s Big East Women’s Golf Player is Louisville’s Louisville’s sophomore Emily Haas.  Emily is a Nicholasville, Ky native.                 

                                                                 

Emily Haas

Last Tuesday the women’s golf team finished in ninth at the Johnie Imes Invitational.  Update:  Former University of Louisville women's golfer Sara-Maude Juneau has recently earned her LPGA Tour card. She finished No. 10 on the season-ending money list in the 2012 Volvik Race for the Card which gives her an exempt status for the 2013 LPGA Tour season.  Juneau describes herself as a simple girl from a small town in Canada and says "I'm playing golf for a living, how can it get better?"

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SOCCER

Women’s Soccer student-athlete of the week is Angelika Uremovich.



Angelika Uremovich


Also, for those of you who have signed up for Cards TV and watched Head Coach Karen Ferguson-Dayes weekly show...  since last week, the Soccer team took away a 1-0 win (goal by Charlyn Corral) over Villanova and played to a 1-1 draw against 11^th ranked Georgetown.  Check out

http://twitter.com/ULFlyingCard/status/254354869853491200/photo/1 to see a photo of the women’s soccer team wearing their special uniforms for the Villanova October 5 PINK game.  (Nick Stover (@ULFlyingCard) is responsible for  the information and pictures)             

                                                                                  

The team does not play at home again until October 19.  In the meantime they play Rutgers then Seton Hall on the 12^th and 14^th.

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BASKETBALL

RECRUITING

Jconline reports from Purdue source 




Emmonnie Henderson

                                                                                                                                                                     
http://php.jconline.com/blogs/mike/purdue-womens-basketball-recruiting-update/ that 2013 recruit Edwardsville, Ill., standout 6’1” power forward, Emmonnie Henderson, will decide between Purdue, Louisville, Tennessee and Miami (Fla.).  Louisville is currently reported to be at the head of her list.  Emmonnie responded to questions with ”I like Louisville. I like them all. I don’t know why. It’s all based on good feelings.”  The good feelings from Louisville fans are mutual.  She has been to Miami for an official visit, will be in West Lafayette on Oct. 12 and 13, Tennessee on Oct. 19-20 and Louisville on Oct. 26-27.  She plans to be a team member of both basketball and track as she is the defending Class 3A state champion in the discus and won the shot put state title twice.  Last reports indicate a school decision will occur before the end of the year.

Coach Walz spent last week traveling coast to coast – we believe visits occurred to Mercedes Russell and Emmonnie Henderson --- possibly also to others but I don’t have specific information.  Fortunately we have the scholarships available so the more the merrier.

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TIP OFF LUNCHEON

Reminder: The basketball tip off luncheon is set for Tuesday October 23.  Be sure to call and make your reservations for the noon start time on center court of the KFC YUM! Center.   $30.00 tickets can be purchased by calling the U of L special events office at (502) 852-0706 or completing the form found at http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/lou/sports/w-baskbl/auto_pdf/2012-13/misc_non_event/2012Luncheon.pdf.  Jeff Walz is the featured speaker. Bill the Goat declined an offer to sing the National Anthem.

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NATIONAL RANKING

Lindy’s sports magazine has ranked Louisville women as number 6 in the nation with UK number 7.   The December 2 UL-UK game at the KFC YUM! Center should be a match-up of national interest. 

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ECKARD COLLEGE GAME

Halloween night (October 31) is the date our U of L women will match up with the St. Petersburg, Fl. Eckard College for its’s first exhibition game of the season. Eckard sophomore guard Kayla Bowlin will get the opportunity to be back in her home state of KY. whose hometown is Monticello.

There are some who have complained that the women’s pre-season games are too easy but I think this presents a great opportunity for Coach Walz to see all of his players in action while playing together in different combinations.  If the schedule is light then we must presume that the coaching staff created the situation for a reason and the people on the outside looking in just need to come out and watch everyone have the opportunity to show their improved skills. THe BIG EAST will be plenty tough. Sometimes, you gotta ride downhill...

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CBS SPORTS NETWORK GAME BROADCASTS

This year the CBS sports network will continue its Big East women’s Tuesday night package.   January 15 will feature U of L’s game with Connecticut.    That’s great for folks who want to have a tape of the win or for those who can’t make it to Louisville for the game but the locals will be at the game packing the arena.

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VOLLEYBALL

On Sunday the VolleyCards sweep the Rutgers Scarlet Knights 25-20, 25-13, 25-18.   Lola Arslanbekova had 20 kills and 14 digs and became the all-time kill career leader in school history. The KFC YUM! Center match was also a Pink Out Dig for the Cure day where the team sported special pink uniform tops.  The Saturday Seton Hall and Sunday’s Rutgers wins bring Louisville to a 16-2 and 5-1 in Big East record.

The Cardinals are now No. 4 in the Ratings Percentage Index which is the highest in school history.

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KAITLYNN JAMES

A Courier Journal interview of Senior Kaitlynn James, both written and video at

http://buzztap.com/link.jsp?id=15693440&cid=304&source=feed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed includes her decision to transfer back to U of L after first playing for Nebraska.  The Assumption High School graduate credits the hiring of Coach Anne Kordes for her decision to return to Louisville.

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FIELD HOCKEY

On Sunday the Field Hockey team pulled off an upset by defeating number 11 Iowa by a score of 2-1. Two freshmen team members helped pull off the win with Victoria Statton making her first career goal while Elisa Garcia scored her 5^th career goal.

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CARDINAL COUPLE CHOOSE YOUR FAVORITE UofL WOMENS' ATHLETE CONTEST

It does look like Becca Shine will advance to the round of eight after soundly thumping softball's Katie Keller in first round action. Congrats, Becca!

 Our next matchup features top-seeded Shoni Schimmel against Krissie Brandenburg.

Krissie is one of the best on the UofL women's swimming and diving team. She was the 2009 Kentucky High School Girls Swimmer of the Year and has been selected All-BIG EAST three times in her days at Louisville.

Schimmel...you've probably heard of.
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Sandy W.

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Wednesday Cardinal Couple -- Golf wins Cardinal Cup

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WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Women's golf captures Cardinal Cup

-We look at: Jude Schimmel

Led by Emily Haas' tournament record-setting 209, the Cards held on in Day Two of the Cardinal Cup at the Cardinal Club in Simpsonville, KY and won the event...edging Missouri by one stroke.

Haas' score also gave her the individual tournament title. The sophomore fired a 71 on the final day to capture the crown by five strokes. 

It is Louisville's first win of their annual tournament since 2009. Other Cardinal golfers results: 

Katie Petrino     225      tied for 18th.
Tara Lyons        228      tied for 27th. 
Candice Wiley   234      tied for 78th.

Three members of the women's golf team competed as individuals and did not affect the team score. Meghan Theiss and Laura Restrepo both had 54-hole scores of 230. Maike Klein finished with a 240. 

Good job, Louisville women's golf team! They return to action on Oct. 1st in the Johnie Imes Invitational in Columbia, MO.

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(Cardinal Couple has been running a series of articles over the summer on the 2012-13 Louisville Womens' Basketball team members. Today, we look at sophomore Jude Schimmel.)

Jude Schimmel began her freshman year at the University of Louisville with no illusions on what her role would be for the Lady Cards. Joining a squad that was heavily-laden with guards, including her older sister Shoni Schimmel, she realized that her freshman year would be a year of learning the Cardinal plays and system, spelling the starters as a back-up point guard and getting used to the pace and tempo of the college game. 

She succeeded in all three areas. Part of a Cardinal squad that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Jude provided valuable minutes off the bench as a capable point guard and defensive stopper. 

This summer, she's been working with her teammates to prepare for what looks to be an exciting season for Jeff Walz's squad. Her main focus has been to become a steady play-caller from the point, practice her ball-handling skills and shot. 

With the Cards returning four out of their five starters, Jude's role will most likely again be that of a reserve off the bench...needed for stretches when the starters are resting or saddled with fouls. Buoyed by the year of learning, we expect to see the younger Schimmel provide a instant spark off the bench and team leadership when she's on the court. 

Quick...on or off the ball...and blessed with a skill for pin-point passing and leading the transition game, Jude's abilities mesh perfectly with the up-tempo, transition style of basketball the Lady Cards employ. She'll see time, along with reserve guard Shelby Harper primarily at the point...but has shown she can "light it up" from the perimeter and might be needed as a "zone buster" when situations warrant that the Cards bring opponents out of a sagging zone defense. 

We expect to see plenty of Jude in the Cards' pre-conference games and how well she performs in these could be the key to her effectiveness and amount of playing time once the Cards enter BIG EAST Conference play. 

The concept of team chemistry and dedication to the betterment of the squad is an important concept in "Walz Ball" and Jude is a prime example of a player who puts her teammates first and meshes very well in the schematics and philosophy of this concept. 

Popular with the younger Cardinal fans and blessed with a great smile and sparkling personality, Jude embodies the overall appeal and charisma of the 2012-2013 Lady Cards! 

She's certainly popular with our CARDINAL COUPLE readers. We had numerous calls, e-mails and inquiries when she wasn't seen with the other players at several UofL athletic events last weekend. Not to worry, she's doing great and took a little time to attend the big gala event in her hometown...the Pendleton Roundup...which occurs this time every year. 

Jude's numbers

Games played  Minutes per  Pct.  Pts.  Avg. 

2011-12    30            11.7        .328    50     1.7

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Wednesday Cardinal Couple -- Women Golf finishes 5th

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WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- Women's Golf finishes 5th in Ram Classic

- Spend it if you've got it

- Fashion do's and don't

Cards finish 5th in Ram Classic

The University of Louisville women's golf team finished tied for fifth in the Colonel Wollenberg's Ptarmigan Ram Classic on Tuesday afternoon in Fort Collins, Colorado. ( For the rest of the article, we will refer to the event as the Ram Classic). The Cardinals shot a 307 in the final round to finish with a total score of 896. Texas Tech won the event with a score of 860. 

Sophomore Emily Haas finished tied at 10th with a 54 hole score of 220. She fired a 76 on the final day. 

Sophomores Katie Petrino, Sara Karlsson, junior Tara Lyons and senior Candace Wiley also participated in the Ram Classic. Their 54 hole scores:

Petrino     226     tied for 24th
Lyons      226      "   "   "   "  "
Karlsson  227      tied for 30th
Wiley      223       tied for 56th

Louisville returns home to host the Cardinal Cup at the Cardinal Club in Simpsonville beginning Monday, Sept., 17th.  

Funding not always a sure thing

The University of Louisville funds over 25 different athletic teams and squads each year. Whether it's sending the football team to Pittsburgh or the golf team to Colorado, players must be transported, lodged, fed and cared for. Louisville is one of the lucky NCAA Division I schools in terms of a healthy CAF Fund, donation systems and financial sponsorship and backing. We're thankful for that...we wouldn't want to see Shoni and the Lady Cards hitch-hiking on I-65 trying to get to South Bend for a game.

Economic times are tough, though...and not all universities share in the Cardinals' good fortunes. We provide the link below about Tennessee cutting 5 million dollars from their athletic budget. Not as a slap at U.T, but merely an example of how these tough economic times are affecting everyone and how fortunate Louisville is to have solid and stable funding. 

Ecomonic hardship forces cutbacks


Fashion Do's and Don't

Finally, Timmy the Intern has come across some style and fashion tips for those of us over 55. He also submitted photos, but we're going to let you come up with your own visual images of these. He suggests you avoid these fashion "fails":

- Nose ring and bifocals
- Spiked hair and bald spots
- Pierced tongue and dentures
- Miniskirts and support hose
- Ankle bracelets and corn pads
- Speedos and cellulite
- Unbuttoned floral shirts and heart monitor
- Midriff shirts and midriff bulge
- Pierced nipples that hang below the waist
- Bikinis and liver spots
- Belly button ring and gall bladder surgery scar
- Short shorts and varicose veins
- In line skates and a walker
- Thongs and Depends

Have a great Wednesday and we're currently taking bids on cutting the CARDINAL COUPLE lawns...Bill the Goat has gone on strike and the corporate lawnmower has stopped working after the S.E.P. School of Mechanical Dynamics students disassembled and rebuilt it last week. 
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Monday Cardinal Couple -- Soccer wins, Golf tees off today

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MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Soccer back to winning ways over Toledo 3-1

-Women's Golf team starts season in Colorado

-Happy Birthday Robbie! 


Uremovich the difference as Louisville defeats Toledo

The University of Louisville soccer team improved to 5-1 on the season with a 3-1 win over Toledo Sunday at Cardinal Park in the Marriott Louisville Airport Classic. Angelika Uremovich scored twice for the Cards in the triumph.

A slow start for Karen Ferguson-Dayes kickers, who were knotted in a scoreless tie after the first half. Toledo hit the board first in the 52nd minute of play and held that advantage until the 59th minutes...when Chelsea Hunter connected on a penalty kick. It was her first score of the season. 

Louisville took the lead for good in the 70th minute of the 90 minute contest when Uremovich scored her first goal of the game. A precise header off a corner kick from Charlyn Corral made it 2-1 Cards. 

She tacked on the insurance goal the the 81st minute, driving a pass to the right post past Toledo's goalkeeper. Uremovich has 15 career goals and the junior from Ontario also was named to the All-Tournament team with Hunter for Louisville. 

" I was not happy with the way we started the first half but the increased energy and effort to start the second half was the difference. The credit goes to our kids for the second half. We have to understand that we must respect the game from the opening whistle in every match we play." Louisville women's soccer head coach Karen Ferguson-Dayes.

Respect could be tested this Friday when the Cards play the first of two on the road, a nationally televised contest on ESPNU against Notre Dame. The game is set for 4 p.m. Louisville finished the road trip at DePaul on Sunday. 

Tee time: Louisville women's golf begins season

The Louisville women's golf team starts the season this morning at Windsor, Colorado as part of a seventeen team field in the Colonel Bill Wollenberg Ptarmigan Ram Classic. Louisville will play 36 holes today and 18 Tuesday in the two-day event.

A solid returning nucleus for first year coach Courtney Trimble. Candace Wiley, Tara Lyons, Emily Haas, Katie Petrino and Sara Karlsson will tee it up. Wiley is the only senior in the group and all five saw extensive action for the Cards last season. 

Lady sings the blues (except today)

Finally, a very happy birthday to Louisville singer/performer Robbie Bartlett. A favorite of the CARDINAL COUPLE ownership, Robbie's a fixture at Saturday afternoon tailgating events at the Parrish House...performing her eclectic mix of pop, rhythm and blues, Motown and soul. The only downer to the Louisville win over Kentucky a couple of weeks back in football was that the pre-game rain kept Robbie and her excellent band from performing.  

We love it when she sings the national anthem at Louisville women's basketball game and you'll find her in the stands cheering on Jeff Walz's troops even if she isn't scheduled to perform. We'd love to see her become the regular singer for these contest, seems like Louisville always wins when she delivers the "stars and stripes". Are ya listening, Tom and Julie? 

It also so happens that Robbie shares her birthday with Cardinal women's basketball great Angel McCoughtry. 

You can also catch Robbie at various other venues around town and we've provided a link to her website. 

Rockin' Robbie 
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Monday Cardinal Couple -- "It's in the cup."

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MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Watson on golf


( Special correspondent David Watson brews the coffee for Cardinal Couple this morning. Today, he discusses a "good walk spoiled" -- the art of golf.)

I read recently that UT's Pat Summitt recorded a hole-in-one while playing golf. She was at the Sevierville Golf Club (Sevierville is in Tennessee and is the first town you run into on Hwy 66 headed south to Gatlinburg once you get off of I-40) Pat used a seven-iron on the Par-3, 112-yard third hole on the course. 

This is either a picture of Pat Summitt or "Auntie Sharon"

I've played this particular course before. We would vacation at times in that area when my kids were younger during the summer vacation months and take the kids to Dollywood, the water parks and other attractions in Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. I would go play either this course, the Gatlinburg Country Club or Cobbly Nob. I usually pulled out the wedge on the hole that Pat aced. I never got close to a hole-in-one, much less stay on the green or get near it. 


I would join up with a two-some or three-some. I played eighteen holes with a guy once who claimed he invented the floppy disc. He should have invested that money he supposedly made in golf lessons. He was a horrible golfer. I haven't been to Sevierville or that area in a few years. I wonder if the divots I left in the fairways down there have healed. 

Pat was golfing with WBB announcer Debbie Antonelli, so we're pretty sure the event happened. She's a pretty credible type. I wonder if the four-some broke out in a rousing rendition of
"Rocky Top" when ball met cup?  


I've golfed for over 35 years. Never had a hole-in-one. I was talking to Paulie, your senile senior columnist here at Cardinal Couple. He had one at the age of 10. He's also bowled a 300 game. He claims to be the only person in history to do both of those things and also marry Sonja. 


Braggart. 

I've gotten close to holes-in-ones before. Last summer I was playing golf with my brother and his buddies in Louisville. We were at Seneca Golf Course and I lofted one up on a par-three there that looked pin-bound. A rarity for me. The ball bounced about ten yards in front of the pin, rolled right by and stopped about two yards from the couple. 


I didn't get the birdie  -- which would make perfect sense to anyone who has ever seen me putt. 

The University of Louisville has a new women's golf coach. She's a cute-looking young gal named Courtney Trimble. She comes from Central Florida and Auburn. She's even bringing her assistant coach with her. I used to like to bring my own caddy when I played. He finally grew up, though, and wanted to get paid for watching me moan, cry, grimace and use words that would get me kicked out of Mass. Kids. Whatcha gonna do with them? He's even threatened to bring in a conflict resolution manager over our current dispute over what a fair wage is for 30 minutes of grass-cutting. He even wants a gas-powered lawnmower. 

Ms. Trimble is taking over a pretty good returning nucleus of Lady Card golfers. Emily Haas and Katie Petrino will be sophomores this fall and were BIG EAST selections as freshmen. They lose two seniors, but Sara Karlsson, Maike Klein, Tara Lyons and Candace Wiley return also.

"On the tee for the Cards....Kaaaaatiieeee
Petrinoooooo!" 

I've never attended a UofL womens golf match. I wonder if the cheerleaders, LadyBirds and Louie the Cardinal Bird show up? Does Sean Moth or Jared Stillman introduce the starters as they take the first tee? Does the Kroger Crew run up and down the fairways tossing out golf towels and tees to the spectators? Is there a halftime intermission after nine holes where the coach stands in front of a white-board and designs shots and addresses putting? 


I'm putting attending a UofL golf match on my bucket list. Hopefully, they'll let me ride in a cart and shout out encouragement with a mouthful of nachos and a cold can of Ensure. 


"Be the ball, Katie! OOOOHHHH P---A---R---S!" 

I also wonder how long Tom Jurich looked for a coach. I've hear that Bobby Petrino is a pretty good golfer. He's available these days. Also, Pat Summitt might have considered the position. I'd love to see that icy stare of hers after Emily recorded a bogie or someone talked too loud during Tara's back-swing. I hope that Courtney does a good job coaching golf for the Cards. And, can you get thrown out of a golf event like you can in basketball or baseball? Are there "technicals" or sideline warnings? 


Someone once described golf has a "good walk spoiled". Some days, it's a pretty apt description. Then, there are those rare moments when a long putt drops or you nail one perfectly down the middle of the fairway. 


I played eighteen Saturday before the Belmont Stakes. Shot a 94 and a had a couple of pars. I was satisfied with that. I counted every stroke, too. Then, my golfing buddies and I went to a local establishment we like and had a few beverages and watched the race. The comradeship was great. The results of the race let something to be desired, despite the exciting finish. 

I'm spending today searching for Optimizer. My hope is that Paulie didn't get the voice-mail I left him about putting my Kentucky Derby winnings he still hasn't paid me for on the D. Wayne Lukas horse. Maybe I could buy Optimizer and ride him around the golf course instead of renting a cart. 


I wonder how comfortable he'd be spending time with me in the woods looking for errant tee shots? I've be-friended most of the squirrels and chipmunks where I normally play but I'm still convinced they hide my tee shots when they land deep in the oak and maple trees. 


Have a good week, CARDINAL COUPLE readers, and don't raise your head when you're in your downswing. 


--David Watson


( Thanks for the commentary, David! Not many know this about David, but he actually played eighteen holes once with a croquet mallet, pool cue and jack-hammer. He still hasn't beat that score. Tuesday Cardinal Couple features Sandy Walker. We're not sure if she plays golf, but we'd bet she'd beat David...regardless.)
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