Number 3 ranked University of Louisville field hockey has earned the number 3 overall seed and a first-round bye in the NCAA Championship. The Cardinals will travel to University Park to face the Rider-UConn winner Sunday, May 2nd at 3 p.m. at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex. Full bracket is below. We wish the Field hockey team the best of luck in the 12 team Tournament. They join fellow ACC team UNC in the tourney. The Cards beat #1 seed UNC 3-1 back in October but lost 4-2 in November and 2-0 in March. The Cards are 2-2 against the field after picking up a win against Miami (OH).
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đź“ťCards earn No. seed in NCAA Field Hockey Championship https://t.co/DIVWILHw3e
— Louisville FH (@ULFieldHockey) April 25, 2021
The third-ranked University of Louisville field hockey team has earned the overall No. 3 seed and a first-round bye in the NCAA Championship. The Cardinals will travel to University Park, Pa. to face the winner of Rider and UConn on Sunday, May 2 at 3 p.m. at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex
Sunday’s quarterfinal winner will advance to the NCAA semifinals which will take place May 7-9 at the University of North Carolina.
This marks Louisville’s ninth NCAA tournament appearance and its sixth at-large bid in the last seven years. It is also the highest national seed after earning the No. 4 seed in 2019.
The Cardinals (13-5, 3-3 ACC-spring; 5-1 ACC-fall) won the ACC fall regular season title and posted a runner-up finish in the 2020 fall championship.
UConn (11-1) earned the Big East Conference automatic bid, while Rider(6-1) was the Northeast Conference automatic qualifier. The teams will meet in the first-round game on Friday at 3 p.m.
“Relief, ecstatic, and certainly so proud,” said head coach Justine Sowry when asked about the at-large big and No. 3 seed. “Relief in the sense that it’s been a crazy week, waiting around when you don’t get the automatic qualifier from the ACC tournament. We knew we were one of the top teams, but we also knew that we were going to be on the bubble. We know how hard it is to make the tournament and to get a first round bye is amazing. I’m ecstatic for our program and this team and I’m certainly proud of what we’ve accomplished, not just in making the tournament, but just getting through this year. I’m just so proud of the team and the coaching staff and we’re just looking forward to the opportunity next weekend.”
In addition to Louisville, top-seeded North Carolina will also represent the ACC in the 2020 NCAA tournament.
Louisville Quick Hits
• The Cardinals are led by senior midfielder/forward Mercedes Pastor who has a career-high 13 goals and five assists for 31 points. She stands second in the ACC in both goals and assists.
• Pastor earned first team All-ACC honors while Alli Bitting and Charlie van Oirschot were named to the second team.
• Bitting leads the team and is tied for the conference lead with a career-high eight assists.
• Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Sam Minrath carries a 1.14 goals-against average with 22 saves after making her first career start this spring.
• UofL finished the 2020 fall season atop of the ACC regular standings with a 5-1 mark in league play, marking a program high for single-season ACC victories.
• Two of Louisville’s five losses have come at the hands of top-ranked North Carolina, but Louisville also has a win over the Tar Heels in the 2020-21 campaign.
• Pastor was named to the Preseason All-ACC Field Hockey Team while the Cardinals were picked to finish fifth in the league according to a vote by the seven head coaches.
• Seniors Biz Allgeier, Hollyn Barr and Madison Walsh have opted out of the spring season.
Cards in the NCAA Tournament
2019 – Overall No. 4 Seed -Hosted 1st/2nd rounds at Trager Stadium
#5 Louisville 2 – #11 Michigan 1/OT
#7 Boston College 2 – #5 Louisville 1/Shootout
2017 – First round (at Michigan)
#10 Northwestern 3 – #8 Louisville 2/OT
2016 – First round (at Duke)
#8 Delaware 1 – #9 Louisville 0
2015 – First round (at Connecticut)
#3 Connecticut 3 – #9 Louisville 0
2014 – First round (at Connecticut)
#4 Stanford 2 – #10 Louisville 1/OT
2008 – First round (at Michigan State)
# 6 Iowa 1 – Louisville 0
2004 – Play-in game (at Pacific)
Pacific 1 – Louisville 0/OT
2003 – First round (at Michigan State)
Michigan State 2 – Louisville 0
