By Jordan Shim-

In their fifth consecutive game at Lynn Stadium, the Louisville women’s soccer team defeated Harvard 3-1 on Sunday night. Goals from freshmen Brooklynn Rivers and Arianna Ferraro improved Louisville’s record to 4-1-1 while Harvard suffered their second defeat, falling to 2-2.

Rivers scored her first career goal for the Cards in the fourth minute. Sarah Feola’s low cross found the feet of Rivers, who turned her defender and hit a low shot past Harvard goalkeeper Lizzie Durack.

Rivers doubled her tally in the 14th minute. She was all alone on the right flank and Jill Vetere’s through ball put Rivers in position to blast a shot past Durack to the far post.

“That’s what we brought her here for,” coach Karen Ferguson-Dayes said. “That’s what she’s getting paid the big bucks to do so she did exactly what we were expecting.”

Margaret Purce pulled one back for the Crimson in the 33rd minute with an excellent solo effort. Purce gathered the ball at midfield and dribbled past multiple Cardinal defenders before blasting the ball past Cardinal goalkeeper Taylor Bucklin. Purce was able to maintain her goal-per-game ratio to start the season.

Louisville regained their two-goal advantage in the 40th minute. An unmarked Ferraro in the box slotted the ball in between Durack’s legs into the bottom right corner of the net. Jill Vetere was credited with her second assist of the game.

Goals by Rivers and Ferraro marked the 11th and 12th different Cardinal to score this season.

“Our team is so dynamic,” Vetere said. “All of the newcomers and all of the 11 freshmen that have come in have done a really good job. They’ve definitely helped this team a lot and changed the atmosphere.”

Purce had a game-high four shots. Four different Cardinals shared two shots each.

Harvard outshot Louisville 3-1 in the second half, but the Cards stayed organized at the back and stifled the Crimson. Harvard were limited to eight shots – half of their season average.

A quick turnaround meant Louisville had to shift focus from Friday’s defeat to Kentucky. Ferguson-Dayes liked the team’s ability to respond.

“Anybody you play two nights after a big rivalry game is a trap game. So the response we had tonight was awesome,” Ferguson-Dayes said. “We definitely controlled the tempo of the game. Maybe not so much offensively, but we controlled the space defensively so they couldn’t attack, and they got a big time player in Midge Purce that I thought for the most part did pretty well with.”

There is a lot of excitement surrounding the team. They are off to their best start since 2012, and Jill Vetere is looking forward to the future.

“I am so confident in this team, it is unreal,” Vetere said. “The fight that we have, the effort and just the will to do anything for each other is amazing. I have so much faith in the team that we’re going to do something this year. I’m excited.”

The Cards will be back in action Sept. 9 hosting their sixth consecutive home game against Ball State. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

Photo by Wade Morgen / The Louisville Cardinal