Everyone knows about the hatred between the Cardinals and a certain school an hour or so east of town.

The playing of John Denver’s ‘Country Roads’ has unofficially been banned by most Louisville establishments due to the Cards’ hatred for the West Virginia Mountaineers.

Louisvillians love their sports, but they also love to hate their rivals.

For the past three seasons, a rivalry just short of hooligan proportions has been building between the Louisville Lightning and Detroit Waza.

This season has seen two games boil over with player scuffles, controversial calls, and a broken arm to Lightning goalkeeper Frank Peabody. It should be noted that both games went to the Detroit Waza, with the latter decision coming in mid-January in Detroit.

Since that loss, the Lightning has rattled off five straight victories.

They’ll head into their season finale Friday night boasting an 11-4 league record as they gear up for what hopes to be a deep playoff run. In year three of the franchise, the team looks stronger and more composed than ever as they enter the postseason.

Only one obstacle stands in the way of the Lightning hoisting the division trophy and a six-game winning streak, and that obstacle rolls into Louisville Friday night.

The Detroit Waza currently has a half-game lead over the Lightning in the standings, thanks to a shocking upset by the Kansas Magic on Feb. 12.

That sets up Friday’s meeting between the Lightning and Waza to be arguably the biggest game in franchise history.

With the playoffs looming, Lightning Coach Ted Nichols says the team is solely focused on beating the Detroit Waza.

“We want to win the division. It’s not about the playoffs; it’s about winning the division,” he said. “We got some help from other teams, and now we have to train and get ready for Detroit. We have so much to play for, and we’d like to be playing for first place in that final regular season game.”

Detroit is a veteran team, with many guys who have been playing together for more than a decade.

For Louisville, Friday’s game represents a chance to disrupt the Waza’s cohesion and get revenge after the two earlier losses.

This weekend’s contest is more than just a league match, however.

“We have a great rivalry with the Waza, but we’ve been on the negative end of some decisions up there. Some of our worst moments as a team came against Detroit, so there is nothing we want more than a victory Friday,” Nichols said.

For the Lightning, it’s a chance to claim a division title heading into the playoffs.

For Louisville sports fans, it’s a chance to find another rival to hate.

courtesy of U of L Athletics
U of L’s Nick Deleon, No. 7, a senior midfielder, competed for possession with UCLA sophomore Patrick Matchett, No. 29. The Bruins edged coach Ken Lolla’s Cardinals 1-0 in double overtime. Saturday night’s loss ended U of L’s dream of making the Final Four for the second year in a row. Reed Williams scored for UCLA at Cardinal Park.

It wasn’t supposed to end this way.

This season was shaping up to have a storybook ending, and UCLA was cast to have a part in that story.

Unfortunately, no one knew the Bruins would have a starring role.

After losing last season to Akron, coach Ken Lolla’s former team, in the national title game, the Cards were poised to make a run for the title again this year.

Everything was falling into place.

A number one national ranking starting the season and an opening win over second-ranked UCLA set them up.

With one of the nation’s toughest schedules, this team hit its stride late in the season.

Louisville had been through the fire this year, playing in five overtime games prior to Saturday.

The Cards faced two of the last four teams left standing, and one nationally-ranked opponent after another.

In addition to preseason All-Americans Colin Rolfe and Austin Berry, players such as Nick DeLeon and UCLA transfer Michael Roman made a name for themselves with their standout play.

This team typically played better as the game progressed.

But, during this season’s season-ending quarter final loss to UCLA, the Cards just weren’t the better team in the second half.

The Bruins out shot Louisville 6-1 during overtime. They were simply the better team down the stretch.

This wasn’t a Louisville collapse; this was a hungry UCLA team that was not going to lose another game in this city.

It’s one of the crowning moments of March Madness, learning your team’s first opponent in the NCAA tournament.

When the Louisville Men’s Soccer team learned of their NCAA fate Monday afternoon at Cardinal Park, there were no cheers, gasps, or verbal emotions of any kind.

In fact, I had to look at the screen twice to make sure it read ‘Louisville’ because there wasn’t a sound coming from the crowded room.

It’s not that the Cards aren’t excited about receiving a first round bye and hosting another tourney game at Cardinal Park, it’s that they know they have business to take care of.

“We’re excited, but we didn’t show it,” All-American Austin Berry said after the announcement.  “It’s not just getting into the tournament, but performing once we’re in there.”

Berry remembers what it was like last year, when Louisville entered the 48-team field undefeated.

The Cards were among the favorites last season, but now enter the tournament seeded 12th.

They’ll have a first round bye and face the winner of Loyola-Chicago and Bradley Sunday night at Cardinal Park.

The Cardinals aren’t being mentioned as favorites this year, but that doesn’t bother this team.

“There is a feeling that we may be a little underrated heading into the tournament,” said Director of Operations David Horne said.

Coach Ken Lolla met with the media following the selection program, but his first reaction wasn’t a verbal one.

He smiled when his team’s pairing was announced, then smiled again upon hearing the names of several Louisville opponents.

“It’s a good draw,” he said to his team initially.  “I like this draw.”

Lolla knows that his team is playing well, but still hasn’t peaked.

He has said he believes this team is playing better soccer than his national championship runners-up team was playing this time last year.

Of course, the Cards have to prove it now, and they enter the tournament with a little bit of an underdog role this time around.  For a team still improving, that may be just where they want to be.

Louisville hosts the winner of Loyola-Chicago and Bradley Nov. 20 at 7 PM at Cardinal Park.  For tickets, call 852-5151.

“We’re headed toward the same destination; we’re just taking a different route to get there,” Cardinals’ coach Ken Lolla told me recently after his team lost 3-1 game to South Florida on national television. They haven’t lost a game since, rattling off a draw and four straight wins. They’ve also earned four consecutive clean sheets, the soccer equivalent of a shutout, tying a school record.

After pounding Providence 5-0 in the first round of the Big East tournament, Louisville went to Marquette and beat the Golden Eagles 1-0 Sunday to advance to the Big East semifinals for the third straight year. They now head to New Jersey to face Connecticut at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11, at Red Bull Arena.

For all of the (often unwarranted) criticism of Big East football, the conference knows how to throw a season-ending party. For basketball, it’s the premiere tournament at Madison Square Garden. For soccer, it’s at Red Bull Arena, home of the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer. It’s where these Cardinals thrive, winning the title last season en route to their first national championship appearance.

One of the reasons why the Cards are headed back to Red Bull Arena is All-American forward Colin Rolfe. The senior superstar has been injured for a good portion of his final year, scoring just three goals during the regular season. In two tourney games thus far, Rolfe has scored four goals, leading the charge as Louisville looks to repeat last year’s postseason success.

“In the last two weeks, he has played his best soccer,” Lolla said.

The Cards now head to a familiar destination in Red Bull Arena for the Big East semifinals, hoping to repeat as conference champs.

U of L junior Buck Tufty (pictured in a game earlier this year) scored one of Louisville’s two goals against Villanova.

The Louisville Cardinals wrapped up their regular season last Saturday in Philadelphia with a 2-0 win over Villanova in a white, snowy mess.

The game was moved up two hours to try to avoid the oncoming storm, but it didn’t help. By the 11 a.m. kick off, more than 3 inches of snow covered the field. The snow continued until the second half before turning into a mixture of sleet and freezing rain.

Not a problem for the Cardinals. They led 1-0 at halftime, then Nick DeLeon solidified the lead with a second goal early in the second half.

The Cards finished the regular season on a three-game winning streak and have home field advantage for the first round of the Big East tournament.

The snow brought back fond memories for these Cardinals. One of the program’s proudest moments came when Louisville defeated UCLA on Dec. 4, 2010, to advance to the NCAA College Cup on a snow-covered field at Cardinal Park. Maybe it’s the snow, or maybe this team is finding its groove at just the right moment. Regardless, the Cards head into the postseason with momentum.

Fogarty a target
Saturday’s match at Villanova resembled a snowball fight, with Wildcats’ goalkeeper John Fogarty as the target. Louisville rattled off 27 shots to just 12 for Villanova, including 10 shots on goal. The victory not only helped them finish in the top four of their division, but gave the Cards a confidence boost heading into the Big East tournament.

“This is a different team than last year, but in a sense, they are better prepared,” coach Ken Lolla said. “Last year we went into the postseason undefeated, and we had not faced the same adversity as this season. We’ve had ups and downs this year, but these kids know how to win.”

Maybe so, but an early snowstorm in Louisville certainly wouldn’t hurt.

U of L will play Providence Thursday night at 7 p.m. at Cardinal Park in the first round of the Big East Tournament.

U of L seniors on Senior Day.

“It’s going to be a huge loss … after we win the national championship.” Those were the words of Louisville’s Andrew Farrell after his team’s scoreless draw with Rutgers Saturday night.

I asked Farrell about this year’s senior class and what they meant to this team, and he paused to make sure he stated that they still have a lot of work to do.

Farrell’s words seem bold for a team that has one conference win with only two regular season games remaining. It’s not surprising, however. “When we win the national championship” has been a phrase I’ve heard again and again this season, after big wins and disappointing losses. I’ve heard it echoed after practice and from coach Ken Lolla as recently as a week ago.

Many of the leaders on this team were there last season when the Cards reached the NCAA College Cup Final. They know what it’s like to reach the pinnacle of success in soccer, and they understand how hard it is to get back there. They also fully believe they’ll be there again this year.

Andrew Farrell.

Truthfully, there is no reason Louisville can’t get back to the College Cup this season. They have the talent and experience to do so. The one thing they’ve lacked down the stretch is luck. There is no statistical measurement for luck, but if there were, it would also be the most variable statistic. It can change any moment. Certainly this team needs to improve in several areas, but with a little luck, their record would look much different than 8-5-2 (1-4-2 in the Big East).

I recently had a conversation with Lolla about Louisville’s conference situation. It could have big implications for Cardinal soccer if the school moves to the Big 12, as many project. The Big 12 Conference does not play men’s soccer, meaning the program would find refuge elsewhere. When I asked Ken Lolla about it, his attitude echoed that of his players.

“We’re going to win a national championship if we’re in the Big East or any other conference. It doesn’t matter,” he said.

It may seem unlikely now, but the Cards seem poised to prove their doubters wrong.

The Cards close out the regular season at Villanova Saturday at 1 p.m.

photos courtesy of Louisville Athletics

They both coach football, albeit one has a more accurate definition of the term.

Spend a few minutes with either coach, and it’s easy to see how both changed the attitude and culture of their respective programs when they arrived on campus.

The two coaches are also facing a similar problem right now: finishing. For Strong, it’s seeing his offense drive the length of the field, only to settle for three points (or less) in the red zone. Similarly for Lolla, it’s seeing his team create numerous scoring opportunities, only to come away empty-handed.

The soccer Cards ended last week with a 1-0 loss to nationally-ranked St. John’s. It was U of L’s fourth loss of the season and dropped them to 1-3-1 in Big East play. While it may seem as if scoring is a problem, the Cards have outscored opponents 22-9 through 13 games. Last year’s Cardinals outscored opponents 26-7 through 13 games, en route to an appearance in the NCAA Championship Game. The comparison doesn’t reflect a huge discrepancy, yet has yielded very different results thus far.

Louisville is taking high-quality, high-percentage shots. In four losses this season, they’ve outshot their opponents 57-41, with many of those shots coming from close range.

They played well enough to win against Notre Dame and arguably against St. John’s, and they completely dominated UConn; however, they lost all three.

Fortunately for Louisville, there are four regular season games left, and plenty of time to go into the Big East tournament with a winning streak. The Cards host Rutgers at Cardinal Park Saturday, Oct. 22, for Senior Day at 7 p.m.

courtesy photo
U of L goalie Andre Boudreaux made a save against Syracuse.

Soccer fans at Cardinal Park have been getting their money’s worth recently. The Louisville Cardinals have played in three overtime games in the last 10 days, going 1-1-1 during that span. Playing the extra sessions has been exhausting, but the Cards have the stamina to handle such tasks.

One of the first things I noticed at the team’s practices is the emphasis on nutrition and fitness. Staff members go to unprecedented lengths to monitor each player’s health and fitness.

That emphasis comes in handy when you play three overtime games in such a short span. The Cards have looked stronger and faster in the second half of nearly every game, and they tend to wear down opponents. That was evident at Indiana last week, when Louisville fought back from two goals down in the second half to even the match, then scored the game-winner in overtime. In nearly every game, Louisville has created more scoring chances in the second half than their opponents.

In the second half against Syracuse last week, Louisville players looked as energetic as they had in the opening minutes. Syracuse had not played a game since the previous Saturday, but had several players go down late due to injuries and fatigue.

“I thought they were tired at the end, but we just didn’t have that push at the end to get a goal,” coach Ken Lolla said. “I give our guys a lot of credit because they still got after it.”

The Cards and Orange finished 0-0, but Louisville outshot their opponent 31-23.

Playing three consecutive overtime games expects to pay dividends down the stretch.

“Everything we do goes back to how we practice. We make the most of our time together on the practice field, and we know we won’t face an opponent in better condition than us,” Lolla said.

The Cards return to Cardinal Park on Tuesday, Oct. 18, to face the University of South Florida at 7 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPNU.

Mark Knight tried to get off a shot.

Luck has not been on the side of the University of Louisville men’s soccer team these days.

U of L has, for the most part, been dominating opponents, but soccer, much like football, is about controlling possession: The more you have the ball, the more opportunities you create for yourself.

The Cardinals have now lost two consecutive games in which they controlled possession and created more opportunities, losing 1-0 to No. 1-ranked UConn last Saturday at Cardinal Park.

Nick DeLeon tried to beat a UConn defender.

Louisville controlled possession for much of the game, finding numerous opportunities in the second half. The Cards outshot the Huskies 23-11, including a 14-3 barrage in the second half. Mark Knight and Michael Roman good good looks, and All-American Colin Rolfe had numerous chances to score.

Despite the flurry of shots, the two teams remained scoreless and went into overtime.

UConn scored just over a minute into the second overtime to grab the victory.

“We certainly should have won it, and should have won in regulation, but there are a lot of lessons in it,” said coach Ken Lolla.  “The No. 1 team came in, and in many ways we dominated the game, but that’s not enough. We still have to score goals.”

The next home game for the Cards is against Syracuse at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8.

In between the seemingly endless posts about Louisville’s role in the conference realignment saga, I found a number of fans talking about the men’s soccer team. “Wow … looks like the Cards read too many of the press clippings … two losses already,” read one comment.

Expectations like that are not unexpected, to be honest. After making it to the national championship game the previous season, two losses in the first three weeks seem problematic.

Louisville coach Ken Lolla said earlier this season that this schedule was designed with a specific purpose in mind.

“We wanted to play a schedule that would challenge us and allow us to get better,” he said.

The Cards have four games against nationally-ranked opponents in the non-conference slate alone. Throw in the rigors of the Big East, and eight of their 17 regular season games are against teams that have been ranked at some point this season.

The Cardinals struggled in the first half at Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish controlled possession and tested Cards’ goalkeeper Andre Boudreaux early on, requiring him to make four saves in the first half alone. Despite jumping out in front fewer than four minutes in, Notre Dame could not capitalize again, taking a 1-0 lead into halftime.

Louisville came out in the second half rejuvenated, controlling the tempo and possession for much of the period. After being outshot seven to four in the first half, the Cards rattled off 16 shots in the second to just two for Notre Dame. Unfortunately, none of them connected.

Louisville now gets a chance to regroup by hosting No. 2 Connecticut at 7 p.m. Oct. 1.