Wheeling, W. Va. - As they entered the 2022 season, not much was expected of the Wheeling University Women's Soccer team. They were picked to finish fifth in the Mountain East Conference (MEC) North Division and weren't picked to make the MEC Tournament. However, the team battled throughout the year and defied all odds with their first-ever MEC Tournament appearance in program history. The Cardinals finished as the #4 seed in the MEC North and, although they didn't advance past the first round, they helped to create a winning culture for the program as they continue to grow in the future. 

The year began with a change in the air as the Wheeling University Athletic Department named Emmanuel Awotula as the Head Coach of the Women's Soccer Program. Awotula came to the Cardinals from Lincoln University and, from the moment he stepped on campus he took the reins and ran with them. He had several returning fifth-year players at his disposal and was ready to compete in the highly competitive Mountain East Conference. They began the year with two tough non-conference opponents, Clarion and Ursuline College, falling in both by scores of 3-2 and 4-0. Despite the losses, it gave Wheeling tough competition to prepare them for their MEC slate. 

Wheeling opened MEC play on September 7th and had to go through the gauntlet with eventual #1 and #2 seeds Frostburg State and Fairmont State to start the year. They picked up their first conference win in game three against Notre Dame College and used that as a spark plug. They would win their next three games in a row, two against Alderson Broaddus and one against West Liberty, and moved to 4-2 in MEC play. However, they dropped their next three and moved into a matchup with #17 Frostburg State sitting at 4-5 in conference play and desperate for a win. The Cardinals wouldn't get the win but competed throughout the afternoon and tied the number 17 team in the country at 2-2 to more to 4-5-1 in conference play. 

They added a 7-4 win against Glenville State on October 16th, and it would come down to the final game of the regular season for the Cardinals to clinch their first-ever MEC playoff spot. They needed to not lose the game by more than four points and, not only did they do that, but they took down the Hilltoppers 3-2 to clinch the playoff berth outright. Wheeling would earn the #4 seed in the MEC North Division and had to head to #1 Frostburg State for a rematch with the Bobcats. Unfortunately, things didn't go there as they fell to the Pioneers 4-0, ending their run in the MEC Tournament. It may have been a first-round exit, but the Cardinals are poised for many more runs in the years ahead. 

To go along with their first-ever playoff berth, there were a couple of other milestone moments throughout the season. In their 3-0 loss to Notre Dame College at home, fifth-year senior Mikayla Yarwood broke the all-time career saves record at Wheeling University with 220. The Cardinals also picked up a big home win against West Liberty, 3-0, and also tied the #17 team in the country and the eventual MEC Runner-up Frostburg State. As the season wrapped up, the Cardinals also finished with one All-MEC Honoree as midfielder Mary DiFonzo earned All-MEC Honorable Mention honors for her work in the Cardinals midfield. 

It was a breakout year for DiFonzo, who led the Cardinals with seven assists this season and tied for the team lead with eight goals. After scoring just one goal a season ago, DiFonzo took several more offensive opportunities this season and the work ended up paying off. The Cardinals also got strong contributions from fifth-year seniors Braedynn Porter and Kenadee Burgoyne, with Porter tying for the team lead with eight goals while Burgoyne finished with seven goals on the season. Talynn DeBartolo rounded out the Cardinal's offensive attack with five goals, giving Wheeling four players with five or more goals for the first time in program history. We thank the fifth-year players for their contributions and for coming back for an extra year to help Wheeling Women's Soccer succeed. 

Looking ahead to 2023, the Cardinals will return two of their top four scorers in DeBartolo and DiFonzo, who will both enter their junior seasons. Also returning to the offense will be Medina Doka and Phepa Seopa, who each played big roles on offense. Two of Wheeling's three back line defenders will also return in Morgan Montani and Tayler Wells as they look to keep their solid defense going. The big change will come in net as the Cardinals say goodbye to Mikayla Yarwood after five seasons. Sam Faulkner has already been getting reps this past season and the Cardinals also return Kendall Sheffy to enter the mix. 

The Wheeling University Women's Soccer team now heads into the offseason as they look to build off this season's success and keep it going for years to come.