The ninth-ranked University of Louisville field hockey team defeated Penn 4-1 in the opening game of the ACC/Ivy League Crossover Friday afternoon at North Carolina’s Karen Shelton Stadium.
Katie Schneider scored twice and Aimee Plumb and Julie Kouijzer added goals while Sasha Elliott collected seven stops and Kouijzer registered a defensive save to help the Cardinals improve to 3-0 on the season.
In the game, Penn held a 12-8 advantage in goals, but the Cards were efficient with seven of their eight shots landing on goal. The Quakers earned nine corners with seven of them coming in the second half.
The Cardinals got on the scoreboard in the seventh minute of the game.when Aimee Plumb sent a shot into the back of the cage for her second goal of the season.
Louisville capitalized on its first penalty corner of the contest just two minutes into the second quarter when Schneider deflected a shot from Kouijzer past Penn goalkeeper Frederique Wollaert, extending the lead to 2-0.
Penn’s offense broke through midway through the second quarter when the Quakers were awarded back-to-back corners resulting in a goal by Lis Zandbergen to cut Louisville’s lead in half.
The Cards countered two minutes later when Plumb brought the ball into the circle and fired a shot which was turned back by Wollaert, but Schneider directed the rebound into the right corner of the cage to push Louisville’s lead back to two goals.
Louisville took the 3-1 lead into halftime after holding a 5-4 edge in shots with four of their shots landing on goal. Penn carried a 2-1 advantage in corners in the first half.
The Quakers (0-1) intensified their attack in the third quarter, producing five shots on four penalty corners, but the Cardinals’ defense held its ground with Elliott picking up four saves to keep Penn at bay.
After playing the entire third quarter without registering a shot, the Cardinals’ offense returned in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter when Emilia Kaczmarczyk rifled a shot into the cage for her first goal of the season to make the score 4-1.
JUSTINE SOWRY ON THE GAME
“It’s great to come away with a positive result but we have work to do. For every great thing we did, we equally didn’t do what we wanted or needed to. Our decision making against different pressure needs attention as we look for continual improvement.”
UP NEXT
The Cardinals will wrap up their four-game road stretch on Sunday when they take on No. 13 Princeton at 11 a.m. at Karen Shelton Stadium.
NOTES:
• With her goal in the first quarter, Aimee Plumb has now registered a goal or an assist in every game this season.
• Katie Schneider leads the team with three goals on the season.
• This marks the fourth straight year that the Cardinals have opened the season with a 4-0 record dating back to the 2019 campaign.
• After four straight road games, Louisville will open the 2022 home season at Trager Stadium next weekend. Last season, the Cards registered an 8-1 record at home.
| Lori Korte Harmon |