By Mariam Prieto-Perez–
Louisville defeated No. 9 Vanderbilt in overtime with a final score of 1-0 on Sunday night at Lynn Stadium.
This win adds to the Cardinals 7-0 winning streak, marking the longest winning streak in program history. The Commodores endured their first loss of the year and fell to 7-1 this season. This game will mark the Cards’ second ACC win this season.
The penalty kick by Junior Emina Ekic late in the first overtime period gave the Cardinals their game winning shot.
After the initial 45 minutes of activity, Louisville had three shots, while Vanderbilt had two. This drove the Commodores 2-1 on corner kicks, but Cardinal goalkeeper junior Gabby Kouzelos finished up the first half with one save. Vanderbilt’s senior goalkeeper Lauren Demarchi finished with first half with two saves.
In the second half, the Cardinals played even more aggressively. Vanderbilt’s defensive line kept the Cards from scoring any goals. Towards the end of regulation, Louisville had a 3-1 shot advantage.
Overtime saw the only goal of the game with a penalty shot by Ekic. A foul was called on one of Vanderbilt’s defenders and allowed a penalty shot for Cardinals in the last 30 seconds of the first overtime.
This is Ekic’s fourth goal of the season. Ekic drove the group with three shots, along with junior Nadege L’Esperance and Redshirt freshman Ravin Alexander. Both had two shot attempts.
The Cardinals will play their third ACC game on Sept. 21 against No. 1 North Carolina at Lynn Stadium at 7:30 p.m.
File Photo / The Louisville Cardinal
