By Marquis Driver
After taking care of business at home, Louisville’s 2-0 field hockey team will be getting on the road this weekend for its first big test of the season. The Cards are headed to Evanston, Illinois to battle Dartmouth on Saturday and will then face 14th ranked Northwestern on Sunday. Northwestern is also off to a hot start with a 4-1 record.
“We’re excited! It’s always great to have an opportunity to go on the road and gauge ourselves in an unfamiliar environment,” head coach Justine Sowry said.
This will be Dartmouth’s second game of the season, who last year went 7-10 (3-4 in ivy-league play). Recently faltering 9-3 in a September 5, contest with the Northwestern Wildcats, Dartmouth got outpaced on the offensive end losing the advantage on both shots on goal, 24-11, and penalty corners 8-6. Needless to say, Dartmouth still has some kinks to work out.
Being the even keeled person that she is, Coach Sowry isn’t overlooking anyone.
“Dartmouth is an unpredictable team, they have a few proven players returning and young talent to replace the athletes they’ve lost. They’re going to be a good team.”
The matchup between the Cards and Dartmouth should be an intriguing one. Dartmouth is a scrappy team that relishes competition.
The next game this weekend will be much harder as Louisville gears up for what should be a gauge of where they are against the upper tier teams in the national rankings. The Cards will be geared up for a match with the number 14 Northwestern wildcats. Sowry is excited for her teams’ match-up against hall-of-fame coach Tracy Fuchs.
“I love it, she’s one of my dear friends from the USA team and we know each other well,” Sowry said with a smile.
The two teams will be evenly matched with two different play styles. Coach Fuchs has the Wildcats on a roll early in the season already topping the number three ranked UConn Huskies in overtime.
“We’ve been improving each day since the start of camp.”
The Cardinals are a deep team with a good mix of experience and talented youth. They are looking to improve to 4-0 after the weekend and move up in the ranks when they are released in the coming weeks.
