A Final Four First

A record-setting Final Four appearance capped off a historic season for UofL field hockey.

The third-ranked Cardinals reached their first NCAA semifinals where they lost a fierce battle with No. 2 Michigan in a sudden-victory shootout to end the season with a 14-6 record. “Making a Final Four is something that our players have always dreamed of and that’s what we’ve been work-ing toward for many years now, so I’m really proud to get to this point, “ said UofL head coachJustine Sowry.“I’m so incredibly proud of our student-athletes and what they’ve endured this season. They’ve endured a lot and it’s been one long season – two seasons – and we just stuck together as a unit, as a team, as a coaching staff and we’re just really proud. Very disappointed, heartbreaking to lose a game like that, but we have accomplished much.”

Louisville’s NCAA tournament run followed a season in which the Cardinals achieved numerous milestones. In the fall, the Cards won the ACC regular season title and earned the top seed in the conference tournament after producing a 5-1 record which included a win over two-time defending national champion North Carolina, snapping the Tar Heels’ NCAA-best 47-game win streak. Louisville posted a runner-up finish to UNC in the fall ACC tournament.

With the NCAA championship moved to the spring due to COVID-19 precautions, the season would continue in unprecedented fashion. Louisville went on to earn the highest ranking in program history at No. 2 despite the loss of three seniors who opted out of the spring campaign. The Cardinals earned the overall No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament, marking the second straight season as a national seed. Louisville went on to beat No. 6 UConn in the quarterfinals to advance to its first NCAA semifinal.

Senior Meghan Schneider, team co-captain, was a three-year starter who helped the Cardinals to 17 shut-outs over the last four years. She was also a finalist for the 2020 NCAA Honda Award for Field Hockey. 

“Our program has been building momentum for years and years and I think it’s going to keep building and we’re going to keep finding success,” Schneider said. “Reaching the Final Four for the first time was something that was just so incredible for us, especially this year with all of the things that we struggled with, that everybody around the world has been struggling with. It’s just a great positive end to this year to get to the Final Four.”

For their impressive work on the field, six players earned National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-West Region honors. Two players, Schneider and junior Sam Minrath, were also honored for their service off the field as two of the Louisville recipients of the 2020-2021 ACC Top 6 for Service Award.