Wheeling, W. Va. - After starting the 2022 season on the road, the Wheeling University Men's Lacrosse team (0-2, 0-0) returns home for the first time this season. They re-open Bishop Schmitt Field when they take on Davenport in non-conference play on Saturday at noon. After taking on two tough opponents last weekend, the Cardinals are looking for a bounce back effort as they try to get into the win column for the first time in 2022.
In their season-opening weekend, the Cardinals took on Lewis University and Quincy University in Romeoville, Illinois. They saw a lot of offense in their opener, scoring six goals against a strong Lewis team, and followed that up with a three-goal effort against Quincy University. The defense had their moments throughout the weekend, proving to be a tough unit to get through at times, and they look to continue to build on those positives as they bring Lacrosse back to Wheeling.
Leading the offensive effort for Wheeling over that weekend was sophomore Mike Andersson, who scored a team-high three goals over the three games. He took 11 shots over the weekend and recorded a .273 shooting percentage and a .545 shot on goal percentage. Fellow sophomores Brody Fawver and Jacob Knippel each got in on the scoring as well registering two goals each over the weekend. Andersson and Fawver each tallied two assists as Wheeling took advantage of their opportunities on the offensive side of the ball.
On defense, Joshua Wolford got the start in each of the two games and faced 61 shots combined in the two games played. He handled it well with a save percentage of .492, converting 30 saves in two games, but allowed a combined 31 goals in 105 minutes in net. Junior Matt Anderson continued his strong performance from last season on defense, causing three turnovers in the game and picking up a team-high 11 groundballs. Anderson was Wheeling's lone All-Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) player from last season and continues to lead the team in 2022.
Around the GMAC, three other teams were in action with Seton Hill, Lake Erie, and Mercyhurst all taking the field. Seton Hill was the only team to pick up a win, going 1-1 in their two games, while Lake Erie and Merychurst each dropped to 0-1. With two more non-conference games on the books before the start of conference play on March 1st, Wheeling is looking to continue to improve on the field as they look to improve upon last season's record.
The Matchup
Saturday will mark the first time that the Cardinals and Panthers have met up in the team's history. Davenport kicked off their 2022 season last weekend as well when they took on Rockhurst in their first conference game of the season. They would score seven goals in the contest but fell 14-7 to drop to 0-1 on the season. It will be a good matchup for the Cardinals at home as they try and pull out their first win of the 2022 season.
The Details
The opening faceoff for Saturday's game is scheduled for noon at Bishop Schmitt Field. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
