Wheeling, W. Va. - At the beginning of the year, the Wheeling University Men's Soccer team (6-7-1, 6-5-1) had three straight road games to start the year. Now, they are making up for it with three of their final four games being played at Bishop Schmitt Field. They begin their stretch of three-straight home games on Wednesday when they host Concord with kick-off at 4 PM. It is a game with playoff implications as a Wheeling win or a West Liberty loss to West Virginia Wesleyan would clinch Wheeling a spot in the Mountain East Conference (MEC) tournament for the first time since the 2018 season.
Last time out, the Cardinals played a close contest against the team that sits right below them, West Virginia Wesleyan, winning the match 1-0. The Cardinals outshot the Bobcats 9-5 in the game and the defense stood out as West Virginia Wesleyan did not get a shot on goal throughout the night. The Cardinal put five shots on goal throughout the night, including three in the first half. However, the game winner didn't come until the second half as Harry Martin brought the ball up the field for Wheeling. He found Richard Afolayanka in front of the net, and he put the ball past the keeper to give Wheeling the 1-0 lead. They went on to win by that same score as they held their spot as the #4 team in the MEC.
For Afolayanka, he continues his solid season, tying for the team lead with six goals along with freshman Diego Buenano. Of those six goals, three have come in the past four games as the junior is hitting his stride on the offensive side of the ball. It was Afolayanka's first game-winning goal of the season, and it couldn't have come at a better time for the team. Afolayanka currently sits second on the team among eligible players in both shooting percentage (.200) and shot on goal percentage (.560) and he looks to play a big role in the Cardinal's offense down the stretch.
On the defensive side, it was the front row that shined in the game, allowing Goalkeeper Austin Aaron to not face a shot in net on the night. Armando Loynaz, Aaron James, and Adam Edvinsson worked to keep the opposition away from the net and get the ball back into their offense's hands. It wasn't an easy task, with West Virginia Wesleyan getting off 12 corner kicks throughout the game, but the Cardinals did a good job of crowding the net and keeping the ball away from their keeper when they could.
For Wheeling, it has been a big 2022 campaign under Head Coach Brandon Regan, and their six wins is the most they have had since the 2018 season, when they finished 10-6-1 overall. It is already a one-win improvement over last season's record and has them in position to clinch their first playoff spot since that 2018 season on Wednesday. After that, the Cardinals will be fighting for a chance to host in the first round of the MEC Tournament. As it stands now, the Cardinals are the #4 seed in the conference and would host #5 West Virginia Wesleyan in that first round. The Cardinals must win at least two of their remaining four games to clinch a home contest in the first round of the playoffs on November 1st and a win on Wednesday would go a long way towards that goal.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Mountain Lions will be meeting for the 25th time in program history on Wednesday night, with the Cardinals leading the all-time series at 16-5-3. When the two teams play in Wheeling, the all-time series is a little closer at 8-4-1 and the Mountain Lions have won three of the last five meetings at Bishop Schmitt Field. The Cardinals have averaged 1.6 goals per game in those previous meetings and are looking to get the offense rolling on Wednesday.
This is the second meeting of the season between Concord and Wheeling, with the Cardinals winning the first game in Athens, West Virginia 4-1. Both of Wheeling's top scorers got on the board in that game, with Diego Buenano and Richard Afolayanka each scoring a goal in the game. Austin Aaron got the start in net and made five saves on the day on six shots faced.
The Details
Kick-off for Wednesday evening's game is scheduled for 4 PM at Bishop Schmitt Field. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
