Box Score Athens, W. Va. – After a tough battle with the #1 team in the country in Davis & Elkins last time out, the Wheeling University Men's Soccer team (4-5-1, 4-4-1) hit the road looking for a bounce back. They did just that as they took down Concord 4-1 to get back in the win column. Four different Cardinals would score goals in the game as the offense broke out and picked up the win for their team.
Early on, it looked like it would be a very defensive game with the ball going back and forth between the two teams. Over the first 14 minutes of the game, neither team was able to get a shot off after an assortment of fouls and free kicks on each team. The first shot of the game came in the 14th minute and it went against Wheeling as Concord found the back of the net to take a 1-0 lead. The Cardinals' first shot of the game came in the 19th minute when freshman Diego Beunano sent a shot towards the net. It was knocked off, but the Cardinals stayed persistent and got another opportunity.
Richard Afolayanka would get the ball on his foot and put it into the lower right corner of the net to tie the game at 1-1. Each team would get off just one more shot in the half and the teams broke for the locker room with the score sitting at 1-1.
With the offense on both sides having trouble in the first half, Wheeling looked to come out shooting in the second half. While they only took three shots over the final 45 minutes, they made them count putting all three of them in net. The first shot came in the 50th minute as Diego Beunano brought the ball up the field following a Concord throw in. Buenano found the net in the lower left corner of the net that made it a 2-1 Cardinals advantage it was Buenano's team-leading fifth goal of the season and gave them the lead for good. The Cardinals began to possess the ball more and gave them more opportunities to take open shots. Six minutes later, Wheeling found the net again when
Harry Martin got a free kick and put it in the upper right hand corner of the net to make it a 3-1 advantage.
After that, both offenses went quiet again for the next 26 minutes, with Concord taking the only two shots during that time. Senior
Austin Aaron got the start in net, and made the save on both shots to maintain Wheeling's two-goal advantage. Then, in the 82nd minute, Wheeling would be awarded a free kick on their offensive end of the field. The ball was sent to sophomore
TJ Cherry, who sent it into the top right corner of the net for his first collegiate goal. It was enough to seal the deal for the Cardinals as it moved the lead to 4-1, a score they would go on to win by. With the win, the Cardinals evened their MEC record at 4-4-1 as they continue their pursuit of a MEC playoff spot.
Harry Martin and
Diego Buenano led the offense with two shots each, putting both on goal, and scoring one goal each in the win.
Richard Afolayanka and
TJ Cherry each added a shot and a goal while
Sam Clark and
Cole Congson each took a shot on the day.
Austin Aaron got the start in net and faced six shots throughout the night, making five saves in the game. He earned his first win of the 2022 campaign, giving all three goalkeepers atleast one win on the season.
The Wheeling Men's Soccer team is back in action on Wednesday, October 5th, when they wrap-up this short three-game road trip when they head to Charleston.
