Wheeling W. VA- The Wheeling University Men's Soccer team (4-7, 3-6) eyes a rebound after losing to one of the Mountain East Conference's (MEC) best participants, The University of Charleston Wednesday evening. The Cardinals will have the opportunity to get back in the win column when they head on the road to face Frostburg State, Saturday at 6 PM.
Last time Wheeling hit the field, the University of Charleston got the best of them, defeating the Cardinals 5-1. The Golden Eagles scored first, going up 1-0 during the first seven minutes of the contest. Wheeling responded quickly as Sophomore Harry Martin scored his third goal of the season. Martin was assisted by a pass from Armando Loynaz. Charleston was able to put another shot through the net before the half expired, making the score 2-1.
Wheeling showed they had the ability to compete with one of the conference's best teams in the first half. However, Charleston was able to get on an offensive roll in the second. Scoring in the 53rd, 67th, and 87th minute. The Golden Eagle's three unanswered goals would be enough to clench their tenth win of the season. On the night, the Cardinals took five shots, placing just one on net, and were only able to get one shot off in the second half.
The loss places Wheeling sixth in the conference. Now two conference games behind fifth place Frostburg, the Cardinals must get on a win streak to give themselves a chance to make the MEC Fall Playoff Tournament. Wheeling must now focus on beating fifth ranked Frostburg State University as they try to bounce back.
The Frostburg State Bobcats come into this contest with an overall record of 5-5-1 and 5-5 within the conference. Not having a winning season since 2015, Frostburg is looking to capture a few more wins this season. Last time each school faced each other, Wheeling came out on top, with a 2-1 score. Now coming in as the visitor, the Cardinals look to ruin Frostburg's homecoming game.
The Match-Up
The two teams have been facing each other since 2019. In four career games against Wheeling, Frostburg is 3-1. With that being said, the Cardinals look to get their second victory over the Bobcats in just this season alone. A win would give Wheeling their first road victory against Frostburg.
The first time these two teams met this year, Wheeling's Hugo Rodriguez and Richard Afolayanka had huge days. Both scored a goal, proving to be enough to get the victory. Goalkeeper Tyler Serman also had an excellent day as he had eight saves. Serman's save during the 86th minute sealed the win for the Wheeling Cardinals.
The Details
Kick-off for Saturday evening's game is scheduled for 6 PM at Frostburg State University. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
