LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Marigrace Ragsdale scored the go-ahead goal with just over two minutes remaining in regulation as No. 3 Louisville (13-6) defeated No. 6 Syracuse, 3-2, in the first round of the 2017 Field Hockey Championship on Thursday evening at Trager Stadium. The win is the first victory in the tournament for the Cardinals since joining the ACC.
                                              
With time winding down, Nicole Woods found a streaking Ragsdale inside the circle on a counter attack. Ragsdale dodged a diving Borg van der Velde and did not miss the opportunity for the game-winning goal.
 
The Cardinals advance to Friday’s semifinals with the win, where they will face No. 2 Duke at 2:30 p.m.
 
Syracuse’s Laura Hurff opened the scoring early in the first half. The senior sat at the right doorstep and tipped in a pass from Annalena Ulbrich on a penalty corner for her fifth of the year. Both offenses were kept in check for the remainder of the first 35 minutes to send the game to halftime with Syracuse holding a one-goal lead.
 
The two teams came out of halftime firing on the offensive end of the field. Louisville’s Marisa Martin Pelegrina notched her fifth of the season two minutes into the second half on a penalty corner rebound, followed by another penalty corner goal from Madison Walsh four minutes later to give the Cardinals their first lead of the game.
 
Just over a minute later, Syracuse’s Carolin Hoffmann found the back of the cage to tie game at 2-2, where it would remain until Ragsdale’s game-winning goal.
 
Both van der Velde and Ayeisha McFerran made four saves in goal. Louisville held a narrow 11-9 edge in shots while both teams had four penalty corners.