Wheeling, W. Va. - The Wheeling University Men's Soccer team (4-9-1, 3-8-1) heads on the road to face Davis & Elkins on Saturday at 7 PM. It is a rematch from their earlier match at Bishop Schmitt Field, and the Cardinals are looking to get some revenge after dropping that game on October 6th, 3-1. It is a chance for Wheeling to knock the top team in the Mountain East Conference (MEC) down a notch as the season comes to an end.
Last time out, Wheeling fought to the end, but it wasn't enough as they fell to Concord 3-1. Wheeling possessed the ball for the majority of the first half and took advantage, getting 13 shots off in that first half. However, only four of those shots would end up landing on goal, and it turned out to be an uneventful first half. The teams went into halftime deadlocked at 0-0, and both were looking to come out hot in the second half.
However, it was Concord who would get that early second-half advantage when Francisco Salcedo found the net in the 46th minute to give Concord a 1-0 lead. Things wouldn't get any easier for Wheeling, as Concord added two more goals to take a 3-0 lead, and put Wheeling down with under 10 minutes to play. The lone goal from the Cardinals came in the 88th minute of the game when sophomore Richard Afolayanka battled for the ball and put a shot on net for his fifth goal of the 2021 season. However, it ended up being too little too late as Concord would win the game by that 3-1 score.
The loss dropped Wheeling to. 3-8-1 in conference play and moved their record at home to 3-4-1. Of the Cardinal's final three games, two of those will be on the road against Davis & Elkins and Alderson Broaddus. They will be looking to improve upon their 1-5 road record before they come back home for their final game of the 2021 regular season. It isn't going to be easy against two tough opponents, but Wheeling is hoping to turn the tide over these final three games and get back in the win column.
The Match-up
Over the first 18 match-ups between these two teams, it has been a close series, with Wheeling winning seven games, Davis & Elkins winning eight, and the team's splitting three contests. However, Wheeling has actually played better on the road against Davis & Elkins, going 3-2-3 in road games compared to a 4-6 mark at Bishop Schmitt Field. That is where the first match-up between these two teams took place in 2021, as Wheeling would fall at home 3-0.
Wheeling got off 10 shots as a team in that game, with two each coming from Daniel Skarpnes, Armando Loynaz, and Christian Ruud. Harry Firth got the start in net for that game and had a good night making seven saves on the 10 shots he faced. However, Wheeling will be looking to put together more offense in this game as they try to bounce back against the Senators.
The Details
Kick-off for Saturday's game is scheduled for 7 PM in Elkins, West Virginia. You can watch the game by clicking HERE.
