Wheeling, W. Va. - All season, the Wheeling University Women's Soccer team (5-8-1, 5-6-1) have had the goal of making their first-ever trip to the Mountain East Conference (MEC) tournament. On Wednesday, the Cardinals have a chance to get one step closer to that goal when they host Concord at 7 PM. A Cardinals win and a West Liberty loss would set up Wheeling with a chance to clinch their spot in the Mountain East Conference (MEC) playoffs on Saturday when they host Davis & Elkins on what will be senior day for the team.
Last time out, the Cardinals showed their offensive prowess, putting up a season-high seven goals in what was a 7-4 win over Glenville State. In the first half, Kenadee Burgoyne, and Talynn DeBartolo each got a goal for the Cardinals, and they went into halftime leading 2-1. However, Glenville State came out firing in the second half, scoring the first two goals to take a 3-2 advantage. DeBartolo notched her second goal of the day three minutes later, and it sparked a string of three-straight goals for the Cardinals that put them ahead 5-3. Glenville State made it a one-goal game in the 79th minute, but goals courtesy of Mary DiFonzo and Landree Wilkin sealed the deal and gave Wheeling the 7-4 win and a much-needed three points.
For DiFonzo, she has been finding her offensive footing this season, and put together one of her best games of the season on that offensive end. She led the way with 11 shots, six on goal, while scoring two goals and coming through with two assists. Both of her goals came in the second half of the game with one coming in the 63rd minute and the other coming in the 84th minute. Fellow sophomore Talynn DeBartolo also scored two goals in the game, including the one that tied the game in the second half. It was her first goal since September 14th against Notre Dame College as she begins to gain confidence down the stretch.
On the defensive end, Mikayla Yarwood continued her solid play as she gears up for the MEC stretch run. She made nine saves in the first half of Sunday's game before being switched out, and now has 14 saves on 19 shots faced over her last two games. She leads the Cardinals with a .720 save percentage this season and has saved 75% or more of the shots she has faced on net in each of the team's last three games. With the defense playing a larger and larger role down the stretch, Yarwood and the rest of the Cardinal's defensive unit look to step up over these final two weeks and beyond.
The race for the MEC Playoffs is coming down to the wire and Wheeling is currently in position to make the tournament, sitting third in the MEC North Division at 5-6-1 with 16 points. They currently sit six points ahead of West Liberty and enter play Wednesday with their magic number sitting at three. Any combination of two Wheeling wins or two West Liberty losses over the final four games would punch the Cardinal's first-ever ticket to the MEC Playoffs. Wheeling is looking to handle their business and achieve their preseason goal of making the tournament.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Mountain Lions will be meeting for the 29th time in program history, with Concord leading the all-time series with a record of 14-10-4. However, when the two teams meet in Wheeling, the series is a little closer with the Cardinals going 5-6-1 against Concord in 12 all-time meetings. The Cardinals are trying to break a six-game losing streak against Concord, dating back to the 2016 season, and they will get the chance to do it on their home field.
In last season's meeting, Concord got the better of Wheeling, scoring seven goals on their way to a 7-0 victory in Athens, West Virginia. The Cardinals got off two shots in that game, courtesy of Rilei Levesque and Braedynn Porter, but were unable to find the back of the net. Mikayla Yarwood faced a lot of shots on the night, making 10 saves on 17 shots faced on net in the contest.
The Details
Kick-off for Wednesday night's game is scheduled for 7 PM at Bishop Schmitt Field. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
