Skip to main content

University of Louisville Athletics

Thursday, August 19
LOUISVILLE, KY
7:30 p.m. ET

University of Louisville

6
vs
2

WESTERN MICHIGAN

Julia Simon Louisville Women's Soccer

Freshmen Lead Louisville to 6-2 Season Opening Win over Western Michigan

August 19, 2021 | Women's Soccer

Nina Nicosia and Julia Simon both recorded two goals in the victory.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - University of Louisville women's soccer got two goals from freshmen Nina Nicosia and Julia Simon as it opened the season with a 6-2 win over Western Michigan on Thursday night at Lynn Stadium.
 
"Anytime you score six goals, you're pretty pleased and the two goals we gave up I think are preventable, but that's okay, we'll work on that," said head coach Karen Ferguson-Dayes. "I continue to be impressed with our first-year kids. They had their hand in every single one of our goals tonight and what a great start for them."
 
The Cardinals got on the board in the ninth minute when Maisie Whitsett sent a cross to the left side of the net that found Brooke Dardano, who delivered the ball to Nina Nicosia, who easily scored in front of the net for the first goal of her career.
 
Eight minutes later, Morgan Bentley sent a cross that found the head of Dardano, who headed it home for her first career goal to make it 2-0.
 
In the 37th minute, Western Michigan's Jenna Blackburn got free and scored to trim the lead to 2-1 at half.
 
In the second half, it was Simon's turn to get on the board as she scored back-to-back goals in the 50th and 57th minute to extend the Louisville lead to 4-1.
 
After WMU's Blackburn scored again in the 60th minute to cut the lead to 4-2, Emma Hiscock drilled a loose ball with her left foot to the bottom right corner of the net for the first goal of her career.
 
Nicosia concluded the scoring in the 88th minute with a goal from the box as Louisville cruised to a 6-2 win.
 
Five of Louisville's six goals were scored by freshmen, including two each from Nicosia and Simon, and all six were scored by players that had not scored a collegiate goal prior to tonight.
 
"We have a very strong freshmen class and we have great leaders that help us throughout games and a great coaching staff," said Simon.
 
The Cardinals' six goals mark the most goals in a game since they won 8-1 against Wright State on August 16, 2018.
 
Louisville finished with 27 shots to Western Michigan's nine and had 13 shots on goal to WMU's five.
 
Gabby Kouzelos finished with three saves for the Cardinals and now has 195 on her career.
 
Louisville returns to action next Thursday when they host James Madison at 7:30 p.m. ET.

For the latest information on Louisville women's soccer, visit GoCards.com, or follow the team's Twitter account at @ULWomensSoccer or on Facebook at facebook.com/ulwomenssoccer.