Wheeling, W. Va. - Over the past few weeks, the Wheeling University Men's Lacrosse team (2-6, 0-2) has found a groove on offense. They have scored a combined 30 goals in their last three games, going 2-1 during that time, with their highest offensive output coming in a 14-3 win over St. Thomas Aquinas back on March 13th. The Cardinals look to keep their string of offensive success going as they hit the road Friday to take on non-conference opponent D'Youville University with opening Face-off scheduled for 7 PM.
The last time the Cardinals took the field, they were locked in a battle with #4 Mercyhurst and even though they came out on the losing end it was still a big effort. The Cardinals scored eight goals over the final three quarters of the game and showed improvement in their second meeting since the rebirth of the program. In their match-up the previous season, Wheeling scored just two goals in what was a 21-2 loss back in 2021. They had a six-goal improvement this season as they continue to grow and mature on the field.
The leader of the most recent offensive outburst has been sophomore Mike Andersson, who currently leads the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) with 20 goals this season. He secured his third hat trick of the season with three goals against Mercyhurst, scoring those three hat tricks over his last three games. He tied the single-game scoring record with seven goals against St. Thomas Aquinas and has already surpassed his goal production from last season and is developing into one of the team's biggest offensive threats. He, along with teammates Jacob Knippel and Brody Fawver, gives Wheeling a multi-talented offense that has seen success.
On the defensive end of things, senior Matt Anderson has been a guy who has flown under the radar but has played a big role for his team. He got in on the scoring action against Mercyhurst, netting two goals in the game, while also forcing a turnover and grabbing a ground ball in the process. Two-time GMAC Defender of the Week Award winner Joshua Wolford got the start again in net and made 10 saves on 30 shots faced. He continues to put up big save numbers throughout the season and is growing every game as a force on defense.
After playing the first two games of their conference schedule, the Cardinals will now play their final two non-conference contests over the next two weeks. Up first will be a bout with first-year program D'Youville and then they hit the road to face a familiar opponent in Wheeling's Mountain East Conference (MEC) affiliated sports in Frostburg State. These two games will allow the Cardinals to work on some things as they prepare for the final three conference games to close out the year. The Cardinals will look to keep their offensive success going as they prepare to battle for their first GMAC playoff spot since the 2018 season.
The Match-up
Friday will mark the first ever matchup between the Cardinals and Saints as D'Youville plays their first varsity season in 2021. Through their first six games, the Saints are 0-6 and are averaging 4.17 goals per game. Their season-high in goals scored was nine back on March 5th against Davis & Elkins. With Wheeling being in their second season as a program, they have gone through the same growing pains that the saints have, and the two teams are looking to help each other grow on the field.
The Details
The opening faceoff for Saturday night's game is scheduled for 7 PM at D'Youville University. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats HERE.
