I will admit it. I watch Louisville Lacrosse. That feels better. I have thoroughly enjoyed this season more so than those of years past because of multiple reasons. One is Hunger. This team is hungry to continue building on a resume that just keeps getting better. The Cards notched a victory over their 3rd straight top 15 opponent with a chance at getting 4 straight when they travel to Duke on Saturday. Another is determination. They avenged a loss in the NCAA’s to Northwestern this week prior to defeating #5 Notre Dame. Lastly it is excellence. They are off to the best start in school history at 7-0. I know a lot of you will turn your attention to Baseball & Women’s Hoops the next few weeks/months but I suggest you give Lacrosse a chance as well. This may be the most special season yet. Click on the for more box below to read the press release.
Go Cards!
(PRESS RELEASE)
Kim Pemberton
No. 11 Louisville Upsets No. 4 Notre Dame 10-9 in Overtime
Hannah Koloski finished with four goals and Cortnee Daley finished with three to lead the Cardinals
LOUISVILLE, KY. – Kelli Gerding scored her lone goal in overtime to lift No. 11 Louisville to a 10-9 win over No. 4 Notre Dame on Saturday afternoon at the UofL Lacrosse Stadium. The Cardinals improve to 7-0 on the year and 2-0 in ACC play, marking the best start in school history. Hannah Koloski led the Cardinals with four goals while Cortnee Daley added three goals in the win.
Notre Dame took a 2-0 lead just 3:48 into the game but the Cardinals responded with two goals of their own to tie it 2-2 five minutes later. Koloski scored off a pass from Daley for the first goal and then Kaylin Morissette tied it up with a free position goal.
The Irish then reeled off three straight goals to go up 5-2 with 17:16 remaining in the first half. With just two minutes left in the first half Jillian Balog found Daley to cut the lead to 5-3. Notre Dame responded quickly with a goal from Kiera McMullan with 1:23 left in the first half for a 6-3 lead at the break.
Both teams finished with 11 shots while the Cardinals held a 7-3 advantage at the draw. Notre Dame’s freshman keeper Samantha Giacolone finished the first half with five saves while Brittany Read finished with two.
The Cardinal defense tightened up in the second half and the Cardinals whittled away at the deficit. Daley scored the first goal of the second half off a free position shot at the 25:26 mark. Notre Dame scored a minute later with a free position goal of their own.
Daley scored off a pass from Morissette at the 16:30 mark to cut the deficit to two. Two minutes later Koloski used her speed to score and cut the lead to 7-6. Notre Dame pushed the lead back to two with a goal by Grace Muller at the 9:55 mark.
Louisville then went on a 3-0 scoring run to take the first lead of the game. Koloski scored on a free position shot at the 9:20 mark then 12 seconds later Morissette raced down field for a goal to tie the game up at eight.
With three minutes remaining in the game, Morissette found Koloski to take a 9-8 lead. Notre Dame scored with just over a minute left in regulation to tie the game at nine. The Irish had the final possession but Read made the save on the final shot, sending the game into overtime.
Morissette would provide the difference for Louisville, controlling her ninth draw of the game after the team had switched sides and immediately sent a pass to Gerding who tallied the game-winner with 2:51 left in the first overtime period.
Louisville finished the game with a slight 28-26 shot advantage and a 14-8 advantage on the draw. Giacolone finished with 10 saves while Read finished with nine saves for the Cardinals. Morissette led the Cardinals with nine draw controls and Daley finished with a team high four ground balls.
The Cardinals will be back in action on Saturday, March 12 as they travel to No. 14 Duke for a 1:00 p.m. start.
