Wheeling, W. Va. – After spending a lot of time at home during September, the Wheeling University Women's Soccer team (4-8-1, 4-6-1), the Cardinals have been faced with a tough road schedule as of late. They continue their time away from Bishop Schmitt Field on Sunday as they take on Glenville State at 2 PM. They look to bounce back after a tough loss last time out with a Mountain East Conference (MEC) playoff spot in their mirror.

Last time out, the Cardinals headed to Fairmont State, West Virginia, where they took on the #2 team in the MEC North Division. The Falcons got on the board early, scoring three goals in the first 13 minutes of the game. The Cardinals got off three shots on goal in the first half, but were unable to get the ball past the keeper. They headed into halftime trailing 3-0 and looking to get the offense going. In that second half, the Cardinals got off just two shots, courtesy of Talynn DeBartolo and Mary DiFonzo, but once again they couldn't find the net. The Falcons added another goal in the 83rd minute and they went on to win by the final score of 4-0. The Cardinals dropped to 4-6-1 in their conference schedule with five more games ahead of them.

Despite the loss, the Cardinals were efficient in their shooting, putting six of their seven shots on net. It was their most efficient outing of the year, but the Falcons defense proved too much for the Cardinals to break through. Leading the way for the Cardinals was Mary DiFonzo, who took three shots and put two of those on goal. She is currently tied for the team lead with four goals this season and is having a career season on the offensive side of the ball. She has already set new career-highs in goals (4), shots (45), and shots on goal (28). After earning a spot on the All-MEC Freshman team last season, DiFonzo is looking to earn her second All-MEC award this season.

On the defensive side, the Cardinals front line has suffered their fare share of injuries, but they still played strong. Tayler Wells, Caryn Goins, and Ana Molnar got the start and after the early offense, were able to shut Fairmont down over the final 32 minutes of the first half. In net, the Cardinals gave their first career start to Sam Faulkner and she made two saves on five shots on net. Mikayla Yarwood would follow her effort in the second half, and made five saves on six shots faced. The defense has been strong for Wheeling all season and they will once again play a big role  coming down the stretch.

With five games left, the Cardinals still hold on to the third place spot in the MEC North Division. They sit one point ahead of Notre Dame College and two points ahead of fifth-place West Liberty.  With five games left on the schedule, the Cardinals need to pick up eight points to clinch a spot in the MEC Playoffs for the first time in program history. Of their five games remaining, two come against teams in the top four of their divisions and two more come against fifth-place teams looking to claim their spots. With three of those games coming on the road, the Cardinals look to get it going away from Bishop Schmitt Field as they try to host in the first round of the MEC Playoffs.

The Matchup