By Glypie Grider
Nineteen Cardinals saw action in the Louisville women’s soccer match against the Murray State Racers on Friday night at Cardinal Park. In front of 535 spectators, the Cardinals dropped the Racers 3-0 in ninety minutes.
“I like the fact that we had a shutout and put together ninety strong minutes,” said Cardinal head coach, Karen Ferguson. “Our intensity was there,” she added.
Murray State started the non-conference match with the kick-off, but it was U of L freshman Jamie Craft who opened with a shot in the third minute of play.
In the fifth minute, Craft carried the ball downfield on the right side of the pitch, crossed to fellow freshman teammate Liz Kinny, who in turn tapped the ball over to sophomore midfielder Hollie Minogue. Minogue sent the ball past the Racer goalkeeper, senior Karen Fitzharris, for her first goal of the season. Craft and Kinny were attributed with the dual-assist.
U of L continued to outshoot the Racers. In the 33rd minute, Kinny, unassisted, scored her fourth goal of the season from outside the 18-yard mark. Kinny nailed the ball over the outstretched hands of the Racer goalkeeper. “Coach [Ferguson] really wants us to dribble in the middle of the field. I lost my defender, saw that the goalie was out of position, and shot,” said Kinny, explaining her goal.
The Cardinals went into the half with a 2-0 advantage. This advantage only increased during the second half as Kinny scored her second goal of the game, her fifth this season.
Seven minutes into the second half, Craft crossed the ball from the right side of play into the awaiting forward, Kinny. After she dropped her defender, Kinny turned just inside the 18-yard mark and knocked the ball into the right side pocket of the Racer goal. This play made for Craft’s second assist of the night, her third this season.
The Cardinals had several more chances offensively to increase the score but to no avail, such as when Craft blazed past the Racer defense and dropped the ball back across the mouth of the goal. Taking advantage of the out-of-place Racer goalkeeper, junior midfielder Jenny Starr shot on goal, but a Racer defender came up with the team save.
The Cardinals out-shot the Racers 17-4 during the course of the game. Eight Cardinals combined on the effort. Sophomore Tara Weatherford led the Cardinals with six shots, while Craft, Kinny, and junior Kim Jents followed with two apiece. “Offensively, I’m pleased where we stand,” said Ferguson.
“It took us a while, but now we’re really starting to feed off each other,” followed Minogue, explaining the compatibility of the Cardinal offense.
Defensively, junior Meredith Miller and sophomore Angie Gangel, both Cardinal goalkeepers, combined on the shutout with 73 minutes and 16-plus minutes of play, respectively. Both keepers had one save.
While the Cardinals led the night in goals scored and shots, the team also led the game with fouls. U of L had six fouls on the night, five of which were in the first half. The Racers only had one foul the entire night.
The Friday night 3-0 win improved the Cardinals? season record to 6-4-2.
The Cardinals return to Cardinal Park on October 24 against East Carolina University at 7 p.m.
