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Sept. 3, 2010

Box Score |  Photo Gallery 

Ferguson-Dayes, Exeter and Vancil Reflect on Win

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Freshman Christine Exeter scored a pair of goals as the 23rd-ranked Louisville women's soccer team matched its best start in school history with a 4-1 win over Toledo on Friday night at Cardinal Park.

With the win, Louisville improved to 4-0 on the season to equal the same start by the Cardinals' 2007 team. With the loss, Toledo dropped to 3-2 overall.

"It's awesome to start 4-0 because it gives us a lot of confidence, but it's only four games," said Louisville head coach Karen Ferguson-Dayes. "We have to continue to use the lessons in every game to get better. Our freshmen don't play like freshman and they're very confident. They've played for national teams and they've played for regional teams, so this is par for the course for them."

Exeter (Pickering, Ont./Pickering HS) led the way for the Cardinals with a career best two goals to take her season total to three in four games. The two-goal performance for Exeter is the first for a Louisville player since Monique Gjini scored a pair of goals in a 3-0 win over Rutgers on Oct. 11, 2007. Senior Caitlin Rehder (Des Plaines, Ill./Maine West HS) added her first goal of the season to go along with an assist for the Cardinals, while redshirt freshman Angelika Uremovich (Oakville, Ont./St. Ignatius of Loyola) scored her third goal of the season and added an assist.

Toledo opened the scoring in the 20th minute of Friday's game as Erin Flynn took a well placed ball from Rachael Kravitz deep inside the 18-yard box and chipped it into the lower right corner of the net for a 1-0 advantage. The goal for Flynn was her first of the season, while the assist for Kravitz was her third of the year. It also marked the first deficit of the season for the Cardinals.

Louisville answered the challenge in the 27th minute as Rehder connected on the second of back-to-back shots from four yards away to even the score at 1-1. Toledo goalkeeper Vicki Travern made a diving stop on the first shot but was unable to control the rebound, which Rehder sent into the lower left corner for the goal.

Moments later, the Cardinals gained their first lead of the night as Exeter chipped past a charging Travern from 16 yards away on a breakaway for her second goal of the season and a 2-1 Louisville advantage in the 33rd minute of action. Rehder and Uremovich were credited with assists in setting up Exeter's breakaway scoring chance.

After maintaining that lead into the halftime break, the second half opened with a dramatic, leaping save by sophomore goalkeeper Taylor Vancil (South Elgin, Ill./St. Charles North HS) on a shot near the upper right corner by the Rockets' MacLeod in the 47th minute. Vancil ended the night with a pair of saves while playing all 90 minutes.

Louisville added to its lead in the 67th minute as Uremovich scored in the lower left corner of the net on a penalty kick for her third goal of the season, which is tied for the team lead with Exeter, and a 3-1 advantage. The PK was setup as Exeter was pulled down from behind by a Rocket defender inside the 18-yard box on another breakaway attempt.

The Cardinals' final goal of the night came in the 89th minute as Exeter earned a takeaway in the Louisville half of the field, sprinted past the Toledo defense and sent her shot past the charging Traven and into the goal from 15 yards away.

Overall, Louisville finished with an 18-10 advantage in shots, including an 8-3 margin in shots-on-goal. The Cardinals also finished with a 3-2 edge in corner kicks.

Up next, Louisville will host rival Kentucky in the "Battle of the Bluegrass" on Thursday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. ET at Cardinal Park. The game will be televised nationally by FOX Soccer Channel and fans are encouraged to wear red for the "Red Out" promotion.