The University of Louisville women’s soccer team (1-0-0) kicked off their 2024 season in impressive fashion, defeating Bellarmine 7-0 on Thursday night at Dr. Mark & Cindy Lynn Stadium. The Cardinals showcased a potent offense, with six different players finding the back of the net against the Knights (0-0-1). Amber Jackson made a memorable Louisville debut, scoring a brace with a goal in each half to help secure the victory.
Season and Home Opener Success
With this win, Louisville improved their record in season openers to 21-1-3 and 17-6-2 in home openers under head coach Karen Ferguson-Dayes. The Cardinals have remained undefeated in their last 13 home openers (12-0-1), including all 11 home openers (10-0-1) since the Lynn Stadium opened in 2014. Seven of those 11 home openers at Lynn have been shutouts, with the Cardinals outscoring opponents 40-6 in that span.
Early Dominance
Louisville wasted no time asserting their dominance, opening the scoring in the sixth minute. Betsy Huckaby fired a shot from outside the box that deflected off the inside of the post and into the net, with assists from Mackenzie Geigle and Viktoria Wik. Just four minutes later, Wik added a goal of her own, thanks to a slick backheel move and a left-footed shot that beat the keeper, with the play set up by Lizzie Sexton.
In the 16th minute, Jackson scored her first goal of the night. Brooke Dardano collected a loose ball and delivered a perfect cross to Jackson, who headed it past the keeper to make it 3-0. Dardano then assisted on Karsyn Cherry’s header goal from a corner kick in the 18th minute, extending the Cardinals’ lead to 4-0.
Second-Half Surge
The Cardinals continued their offensive onslaught in the second half. Geigle capitalized on a defensive turnover in the box, volleying her shot into the net to start the scoring. In the 75th minute, Jackson notched her second goal of the game, finishing off a low cross from Dardano, who recorded a career-high three assists on the night.
The final goal came in the 85th minute, courtesy of Molly Cochran. Cochran weaved through the Bellarmine defense and slotted home a shot to complete the 7-0 rout.
Defensive Shutdown
On the defensive end, Louisville stifled any attempts by Bellarmine, preventing them from taking a single shot in the first half. Erynn Floyd had an easy night in goal, while Kailey Kimball came on in the second half and saved two shots to help secure the combined clean sheet.
Upcoming Match
Louisville continues their three-game homestand on Sunday night against UAB. The match is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET at Lynn Stadium and will be streamed on ACC Network Extra. The Cardinals will look to build on their strong start and keep their offensive momentum going.
