Wheeling, W. Va. – After two non-conference games to start the season, the Wheeling University Women's Soccer team (1-1, 0-0) begins their journey through the Mountain East Conference (MEC) on Wednesday. They open conference play on the road when they take on Fairmont State tomorrow at 7 PM.
 
Last time out, the women took on a tough Ursuline College team at home and ended up falling in the game 3-1. However, the game was a lot closer than it looked in the final score as neither team got on the board until the second half. It was a defensive battle throughout the first 45 minutes of play with Wheeling goalkeeper Mikayla Yarwood (Surrey, British Columbia/Clayton Heights) making four saves and Ursuline making five saves.
 
However, it would be Wheeling that found their way on the board in the second half taking just a minute and nine seconds to find the net. Kenadee Burgoyne (South Jordan, Utah/Herriman) took a crosser from Linda Obare (Takoradi, Ghana/Bloom Carroll) and found the net to give Wheeling a 1-0 lead. It took them a while to break through in their first game of the season as well, but once they did they were unstoppable.
 
This time, it wasn't meant to be as Ursuline would go on to score three unanswered goals over the final 34 minutes of play to win the game 3-1. The killer came in the 80^th minute when Nicole Ehrbar found the net and made it a two-score game with 10 minutes to go. The loss dropped Wheeling to 1-1 on the season, but now they prepare for their first taste of conference action on Wednesday.
 
This is a young group, and first-year head coach Theo Egbele knows there will be some growing pains throughout the season. The team was picked sixth in the MEC North Division in this season's MEC Preseason Poll, and they prepare to take on a Fairmont State team that was picked 2^nd. It won't be an easy task, but Wheeling is ready to show they can step up to the plate and play with some of the top teams in the MEC.
 
The Match-up
 
Overall, Wheeling and Fairmont State have matched up together 12 times since the 2015 season, and Wheeling has gone 4-7-1 against the Falcons in those games. However, after winning four of the first six games between the two teams, things haven't gone Wheeling's way as of late. The Cardinals currently have a six-game losing streak against the Falcons and haven't gotten a win since the 2017 season.
 
Their last game came on April 9^th, 2021, in a game that almost broke that Cardinal losing streak. Wheeling fell 2-1 in the game, after trailing 2-0 at halftime after the Falcons scored goals in the 14^th and 20^th minutes to take the lead. Wheeling would get on the board in the 63^rd minute when former Cardinal Kendra Benzel took a pass from Braedynn Porter (Mineral Ridge, OH./Mineral Ridge) and found the net. However, Wheeling wasn't able to fight back and ended up falling in the game 2-1.
 
The Details
 
Kick-off between Wheeling and Fairmont State is scheduled for 7 PM in Fairmont, West Virginia. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.