Wheeling, W. Va. – The Wheeling University Men's Soccer team (0-0) kicks off their 2021 season on Saturday when they host Pitt Johnstown at 7:30 pm. It is the first home event of the fall 2021 season, and the men hope to start this season on a positive note.
Head Coach Jim Regan has been on a mission to turn the program around and get them back to the top of the Mountain East Conference (MEC), and he just wrapped up Phase 2 of the process in a big way. The team welcomed in 17 new players for the 2021 season and features a roster that features 36 players, an increase of 12 from the spring roster.
"We have just finished phase 2 of the rebuilding process," said Regan. "We had a very young team last year, with 15 new players and three seniors. This year, we have completed the rebuild by bringing in 17 new faces which will give us more quality and more depth."
In the spring, the Wheeling Men's Soccer team finished 1-7 as they were trying to gain some experience amongst their new players. As the season went on they started to use that experience to their advantage and were competitive down the stretch. They took both West Liberty and Concord to double overtime before losing and scored their lone win on the season against MEC rival Alderson Broaddus. Each of their last four games was decided by two goals or less as they showed toughness on the field.
This season, the Cardinals are led by a class of four seniors who are looking to pass down their experience to the younger core of players. Two of those guys, Miguel Martin (El Tigre, Venezuela/Marcet Football Academy) and Rene Palma (Dominican Republic, Florida Prep), have been named captains for this year's team. Martin had a goal last season while putting 16 of his 18 shots on net while Palma played strong on the defensive side of the ball. Wheeling also returns their leading scorer from last season in sophomore Richard Afolyanka (Uniondale, NY./Uniondale). Afolyanka recorded three goals last season on four shots on goal and was one of two players to score multiple goals on the season.
In net, Wheeling returns three of its four goalkeepers that saw playing time during the 2020 season. Senior Tyler Serman (Auburndale, FL./Auburndale HS) and junior Austin Aaron (Prince George, VA./Prince George) saw the most playing time last season, with 180 minutes in net each. Aaron had a save percentage of .636 while allowing four goals, and Serman added a save percentage of .480 while allowing 13 goals. The final returning goalkeeper is sophomore Harry Firth (Reading, United Kingdom/Wellington), who played just over 105 minutes in net and had a .500 save percentage.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Cougars have matched up 17 times in their history, and Wheeling has had the advantage going 15-2 in those 17 matchups. The Cardinals have won the last seven games against Pitt Johnstown, including three straight shutout victories. Their last loss against Pitt Johnstown came all the way back in 2010 when they fell 1-0 on the road, and Wheeling has a 5-1 record against Pitt Johnstown at Bishop Schmitt Field.
Their last game came on September 14th, 2019, in a game that the Cardinals would win 1-0 at Pitt-Johnstown. It would be a game that came down to the wire as neither team could break through for the first 74 minutes of the game. Then, Wheeling got on the board in the 74th minute on a goal by former Cardinal Javie Mangado, and it would be enough to lift the team to a 1-0 victory.
Players to Watch
- The Cardinals will once again be looking for a leader on the offensive side of the ball, and Richard Afolyanka will look to be that leader. Afolyanka was an All-MEC Honorable Mention last season and looks to get off to a hot start again on Saturday.
- With three goalkeepers on the roster, the situation in net will be something to watch for the Cardinals all season. Serman and Aaron saw the most time in net last season of the returners and will battle for playing time.
Details
Kick-off for Saturday night's game is scheduled for 7:30 PM at Bishop Schmitt Field. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with live stats by clicking HERE.
