Louisville men's soccer blanks Spalding 5-0 in regular season finale

Louisville men's soccer defeated Spalding University 5-0 on Wednesday night at Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium. The Cardinals controlled the match from start to finish, outshooting the Golden Eagles 43-0. That total marks the highest number of shots for the team in a single game since 1992.

The score remained 0-0 until the 25th minute. Junior midfielder Braydon Sellers scored the first goal on an assist from Jack Lewis. Four minutes later, Giacomo Zizza added a goal for his team. The Cardinals extended their lead in the second half with goals from Jacopo Surricchio, Brody Mayer, and Cooper Olson.

Brody Mayer scored in the 48th minute for his first career collegiate goal. He described the moment as the ball dropping off a corner kick. "Saw the touch, and I'm like, 'This is my opportunity.' So it feels amazing to get that first goal," Mayer said.

Head Coach John Michael Hayden praised Mayer's performance during the postgame press conference. "He got the start. He deserved that and he took advantage of his minutes," Hayden said. The coach noted that the team had struggled in their previous match against No. 2 Clemson, a 3-0 loss. "I don't think against Clemson we were us," Hayden stated. He wanted to see the team execute the plays they are capable of running against Spalding.

Mayer credited the team's collective effort for the win. "I think just as a group, we all discussed it. We worked out what we needed to and it all worked and we got the win," he said. The players focused on improving their playing style after the setback against Clemson.

This result was the team's final regular season home game before the postseason begins. Louisville secured a win against No. 10 Notre Dame on Sunday. The Cardinals will travel to Dallas to face SMU on Friday, Oct. 30. That contest serves as their final regular season match before the ACC and NCAA tournaments start in November.