Wheeling, W. Va. - On Saturday, the Wheeling University Women's Soccer team (4-11-1, 3-10-1) got back in the win column when they defeated Davis & Elkins 3-0. They look to keep their winning ways going on Wednesday night when they welcome West Virginia Wesleyan to Bishop Schmitt Field at 7 PM. Wheeling will be playing each of their last two games at home to finish the season and are hoping to end things on a high note in front of the home crowd.
Last time out, it was the Cardinal seniors that led the way in the team's second shutout of the season, as they improved their conference record to 3-10-1. On the defensive side of the ball, senior Mikayla Yarwood continued her strong performance in net and kept her team ahead throughout the night. On the offensive side of the ball, Braedynn Porter and Kenadee Burgoyne rewarded their goalkeeper's efforts with a combined three goals on the night.
Yarwood has seen the most work of any goalie in the Mountain East Conference (MEC) this year, and that was true once again on Saturday. She faced 14 shots on net throughout the afternoon and made the save each time to achieve her new season-high. She now has 115 saves on the season and leads the next closest goalie by 43 saves. She ranks seventh in the conference with a .772 saves percentage, and has been keeping her team close in games all season long.
Porter started the scoring for the Cardinals, getting them on the board in the ninth minute of the game when she took a pass from Mary DiFonzo and found the bottom right corner of the net. Then, Burgoyne came in in the 23rd minute of the game and regained her team lead in goals with her eighth goal of the year that brought the score to 2-0. However, Porter would tie Burgoyne's mark two minutes later when she scored her second goal of the night, and eighth of the season, to bring the game to its eventual final score of 3-0. Both girls have been key pieces to the Wheeling offense and look to anchor them over their final two games.
These final two home games will give Wheeling a chance to get back on track at Bishop Schmitt Field, a place they have gone just 1-5 at this season. Wheeling is averaging just over one goal per game in their six home games this season and is hoping to up that number in these two games. They battle West Virginia Wesleyan on Wednesday and West Liberty on Saturday as they try and gain some momentum as they head into the off-season.
The Match-up
The battle between the Cardinals and Bobcats has dated back to the 2002 season but is one that has favored the Bobcats over the years. Wheeling has won just five of the 26 games between the two teams but is meeting up with WV Wesleyan for the first time since the 2019 season. The Cardinals have also been much better at home against West Virginia Wesleyan, where they own a record of 3-8 and are averaging just below two goals per game.
Their last match-up on November 6th, 2019, did not go the Cardinal's way as they fell in Buckhannon, West Virginia 7-0. Wheeling was outshot in that game 26-8 and put just four shots on goal compared to 11 for the Bobcats. Former Cardinal Megan Herner got the start in net and made four saves on the day while facing 11 shots. Porter led the offense in that game, taking four shots and putting three of those shots on goal.
The Details
Kick-off for Wednesday's game is scheduled for 7 PM at Bishop Schmitt Field. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
