By Pk Bartley
Coming off a successful road trip, the No. 9 ranked University of Louisville field hockey team hosted Indiana University Wednesday night at Trager Stadium.
The game started out great for U of L as they kept the ball on Indiana’s side of the field and got six penalty corners in the first half. However, the Cardinals was unable to score any goals off of the penalty corners.
For much of the first half, U of L played great defense until near the end when Indiana took the lead on a goal by Mallory Reabold at the 24:23 mark, making it 1-0 at the half.
Louisville started the second half with the same aggressiveness as they did in the first. They had nine penalty corners in the second half that resulted in several near misses but no goals.
It looked as if Indiana was going to get escape with the win. Then freshman midfielder Jen Kastelic got a goal in the final minute at the 69:10 mark to tie the game.
“I hit the ball out to Pip [Sanders] who’s stick stopped and Kimmie got off a nice shot and there was just a bunch of clutter in there and the ball ended up on my stick,” Kastelic said about the goal. “I knew I had to put it in because it was do or die. I knew if I didn’t get it in we wouldn’t have had a shot at winning.” The goal by Kastelic sent the game into overtime.
In overtime, U of L simply dominated, getting nine shots and seven penalty corners in the period, while Indiana had just one shot and no penalty corners.
But as before, U of L was unable to capitalize on all their opportunities, and the game went into a second overtime.
Just 18 seconds into overtime two, senior midfielder Pip Sanders ended the game with a goal at the 85:18 mark, giving U of L the win.
“Olivia (Netzler) was running up the field to the twenty-five and she transferred the ball to me,” Sanders says. “I was across the field. I went to go in and I went past a girl and I kind of kicked the ball. The goalkeeper’s running out, I didn’t think she would set her feet, so I just hit it in.”
The win improves U of L’s record to 7-3.
Next up for the Cards is a home game against Central Michigan Friday at 4pm followed by MAC rival Ball State at 1:00 Sat. both games are at Trager Stadium.
