Wheeling, W. Va. - With the Christmas season upon us, the spring sports season is right around the corner as teams get ready to begin their seasons in under two months away. The Wheeling University Men's Lacrosse team is ready to go in 2022 and has released their schedule for the upcoming season. After competing in their first full season since 2019 last season, the Cardinals are looking to build off their successes last season.
In 2021, Wheeling finished the year 1-10 under head coach Nick Anagnostis but played much better on the field than their record indicated. They competed in the always tough Great Midwest Atlantic Conference (G-MAC) and ended up going 0-6 in conference play with a team consisting mostly of freshmen and sophomores. The young unit started their season out with a bang, winning their first game on February 27th against Felician University, and finished averaging 6.3 points per game by season's end.
Leading the way for Wheeling during the season was junior defenseman Matt Anderson, who earned Second-Team All-Great Midwest Honors for his effort. Anderson finished eighth in the G-MAC in ground balls per game (4.36) and second in caused turnovers per game (2.0). Anderson returns to Wheeling for his senior season and will once again try and lead a unit that is now one year older, and one year more experienced on the field.
The Wheeling Lacrosse season kicks off on February 12th when the Cardinals are set to head on the road to face Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois. It is the start of a daunting non-conference schedule that features road games against Quincy University (2-13) and Roberts Wesleyan (2-26), and one home game against Davenport University on February 19th. The Cardinals then open G-MAC play with a bang when they face off against Seton Hill on the road on March 1st, a team that was ranked in the top 10 in the country just a season ago.
Then, Wheeling begins a three-game March homestand as they go out of conference play to take on Felician University (3-5), St. Thomas University (3-13), and Rockhurst University (3-15). Between March and April, there will be plenty of chances to catch your Cardinals in action, as they play six of their 11 games during those two months on their home turf. They then go on the road for three games, including a matchup with Mercyhurst, before finishing the year with three of their four games scheduled for Bishop Schmitt Field.
All four of those games come against G-MAC opponents, with Wheeling hosting Lake Erie College on April 9th and Davis & Elkins on April 16th, before going on the road to face Walsh University on April 23rd. They wrap up the season on April 30th when they face Alderson Broaddus on senior night at Bishop Schmitt Field. Wheeling is hoping to continue to grow this season as they continue to get older and more experienced in collegiate Lacrosse.
The Wheeling Men's Lacrosse team begins their season on Saturday February 12th when they take on Lewis University. The opening face-off is scheduled for 11 AM Central/12 PM Eastern.
