Wheeling, W. Va. - Bishop Schmitt Field saw free soccer on Wednesday night when the Wheeling University Men's Soccer team (4-8-1, 3-7-1) took on West Virginia Wesleyan. The two teams battled for 110 minutes, but a winner couldn't be determined as the game ended in a 1-1 tie, handing the Cardinals their first tie of the 2021 Fall season.
It was a back and forth game throughout the night, as both teams were looking to get an advantage in the game.

Through the first 25 minutes of the game, neither team was able to find that advantage. However, in the 25th minute of the game, it was the Cardinals that came through as Armando Loynaz score the first goal of the night. He took a pass from Rene Palma and snuck the ball into the bottom right corner of the net to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead. It was a lead the Cardinals would hold for the next 10 minutes, where Wheeling got off two more shots but couldn't find the net.

Then, in the 35^th minute, the Bobcats would tie the game. De Ona Garcia would be the goal scorer, and the game was knotted up at 1-1. The Cardinals got off the final two shots of the half, but couldn't find the net as the team's headed into halftime with the score sitting at 1-1. Wheeling outshot WV Wesleyan 10-6 in that first half but put just four of those shots on net. Goalkeeper Tyler Serman faces only two shots on goal during that first half and made the save on both of them. Wheeling's offense would look to get it going in the second half and take the advantage.

The offensive output stayed about the same for Wheeling in the second half, as they took 12 shots and we're much more efficient putting six on goal. However, they couldn't find a way on the board, and the game would head into overtime. Wheeling outshot WV Wesleyan 12-5 and was hoping to ride that momentum into the extra time. However, Wheeling would not get a shot off in the first overtime period, and neither team put a shot on net. The game would head into a second over time, and Wheeling would get one shot off but didn't put it on net. After the 110^th minute, neither team could add on and the game ended in a 1-1 tie.

Loynaz was the team's leader on offense taking four shots and putting three on goal while scoring the lone Cardinal goal of the night. Daniel Skarpnes added four shots for himself, two on goal, while Harry Martin took three shots, three on goal. Tyler Serman finished the night with five games while allowing just the one goal. It was their first tie of the 2021 Fall Season and their first regular-season toe since September 15^th, 2018. Wheeling features a heavy home schedule to finish their season and is looking to end the year string in front of their home fans.

The Wheeling University Men's Soccer team is back in action next Wednesday when they host Concord at 7 PM.