SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – After a potential momentum shifting Wheeling Jesuit tying goal, No. 21 Notre Dame's Leonardo Paiva took advantage of a defensive lapse and knocked in his second goal and the game-winner, 3-2, in Mountain East Conference men's soccer Wednesday.
 
Playing with a man advantage, the Cardinals (4-2-1/2-2 MEC) received the tying goal, 2-2, from Aitor de Heredia off a Micah Tatebe pass at 77:52. Less than five minutes later (81:42), Paiva blasted a hard 20-yard deflection into the net for the Falcons' winning score.
 
"Mental mistakes cost us the game," said Cardinal head coach James Regan. "The second half saw us play with an extra man (due to an NDC red card) and we tied the game with 10 minutes to go, but another lack of defensive discipline allowed them to score the winner with three minutes left. This was a great opportunity to win that we wasted. We had to be mentally tougher to see these games out."
 
Following the NDC (6-1/3-1 MEC) opening score of the game in the 13^th minute, WJU's Brent Pedlow answered for the first tie. Pedlow headed a deflection from Cardinal defender JJ Hackshaw for the visiting score at 19:39.
 
Paiva capitalized on the first WJU defensive miscue when he intercepted a pass and booted the ball into the right corner of the net 2:11 before the half and 2-1 lead.
 
De Heredia saw his shot at 84:21 saved and his corner kick with four minutes later failed to product one more WJU score.
 
Notre Dame outshot Wheeling Jesuit, 19-8, on the afternoon. Cardinal goalie Mathew McCormick recorded six saves in net.
 
Wheeling Jesuit returns to Bishop Schmitt Field for a 2 p.m. Saturday match against Slippery Rock.