By Josh Lipka
With the University of Louisville field hockey regular season coming to an end, the Cardinals are preparing and hoping to achieve the first Big East tournament victory in the program’s history.
The Cards closed the 2010 season with plenty of momentum, leading into the Big East tournament beginning on Nov. 6. The team ended the season at No. 10, marking the program’s highest ranking since 2005. The highest ranking in the program’s history was in 2002 at the No. 4 spot.
The Cardinals have taken no easy roads to be considered among the best field hockey schools in the country. On top of facing a challenging Big East schedule, this season the Cardinals played 13 nonconference matches, with five of the 13 opponents ranked in the nation’s Top 15.
The team finished Big East play with five wins and one loss, second only to Syracuse University, who went an untouched 5-0 in the Big East regular season. Not surprisingly, senior captain Nicole Youman, a midfielder, led the conference in more than one category. She led the Big East in goals scored, finding the net seven times in conference play, and in assists, with nine throughout the Big East regular season.
Due to a deep Cardinal squad, Youman wasn’t the only one finding the back of the net. Sixteen players on the 22-member roster tallied points this season. Junior midfielder Hayley Turner was fifth in the Big East in overall points. During Big East regular play, Turner scored four goals and two assists, earning 10 points overall.
Another standout on the team was sophomore redshirt goalkeeper Erin Conrad. Conrad’s first season between the pipes has led her to receive much attention. Ranking third in the Big East, with 27 saves, Conrad led the conference with the most shutouts, earning two clean sheets this regular season.
On Oct. 30, in the final game of the regular season, the Cardinals competed against their toughest opponent. The University of Maryland finished the season at No. 1. According to team members, this provided an opportunity for the No. 10 Cardinals to measure themselves.
“This game will help us prepare for the Big East,” said Turner. “We’ve never won a game in the Big East tournament, but our time has come.”
According to head coach Pam Bustin, there couldn’t be a better time to play the top team in the country.
“We’re at that point in the season where we can compete against the No. 1 team in the country,” said Bustin. “This team can beat the No. 1 team in the country if everything goes right.”
The Cardinals ended up falling 8-0 to Maryland on Oct. 30. For the road ahead, the journey to the NCAA championship only gets more difficult.
“All the teams from here on out are going to be like Maryland,” said Conrad. “They’re going to be just as good and fight just as hard.”
From this point in the season, every game is essential to the Cardinals’ success. This field hockey team has the opportunity to see new heights that this program has never before seen. The Cardinals have developed into a national powerhouse – a team that has the potential to go all the way.
“The attitude is great,” said Bustin. “Everybody is feeling good right now. Everything is coming together.”
