Wheeling, W. Va. - A new era of Wheeling University Women's Soccer began last Thursday as Head Coach Emmanuel Awotula led his team in their opener against Clarion University. That new era continues Thursday when the Cardinals (0-1, 0-0) look for a bounce-back effort on the road as they take on Ursuline College on Thursday with kick-off at 4 PM. It will be the first road test for the Cardinals this season as they look to keep battling as they did in their home opener.
Last Thursday's home opener was close throughout thanks to strong efforts on both sides of the ball for the Cardinals. Clarion struck first, taking just 1:29 to get on the board, but the Cardinals defense shut them out for the remainder of the first half. Wheeling got on the board in the 23rd minute when Kenadee Burgoyne found Braedynn Porter for the first goal of the game and, with just 11 minutes remaining before halftime, the Cardinals capitalized on a corner kick as Burgoyne headed the ball into the net to give Wheeling a 2-1 halftime lead. However, the Golden Eagles came out strong in the second half, notching two goals to take a 3-2 lead. The Cardinals looked to tie it up with another late-game corner kick, but it fell short, and Wheeling took a 3-2 loss.
Despite the loss, it was a strong start to the season for Wheeling's top two scorers from last season in Burgoyne and Porter. Burgoyne led the team with eight shots taken, but only put one of those shots on net while finishing with one goal and one assist. She earned All-MEC Second Team honors last season and is looking to build off that success this season. For Porter, she was Wheeling's most efficient shooter, putting three of her four shots on goal while scoring a goal on the night. She had eight goals last season, setting a new career-high, and looks to further that effort this season.
On the defensive side of things, fifth-year goalkeeper Mikayla Yarwood was back at it in net, making 11 saves on 14 shots faced throughout the night. Many of those saves came in high pressure situations in the second half, where she saved seven of the nine shots she faced. With the effort, Yarwood's chase for the Wheeling University career save record continues as she is now just 47 saves away from the record of 219, set by former Cardinal Tina Dengler from 2001-2004. If she continues her solid performances from last season, she will have a legitimate shot at cracking the record.
The Cardinals have one more non-conference test ahead of them before they kick off Mountain East Conference (MEC) play next Wednesday. After being picked #5 in the MEC North in the Preseason Poll, the Cardinals are looking to beat their expectations and find a way into the MEC Tournament for the first time in program history. With more teams than ever making the tournament this season, with four from each division going, the Cardinals will try to crack the top four in the North to compete for an MEC Championship.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Arrows will be meeting for the fifth time in program history on Thursday, and Wheeling will look for their first ever win against Ursuline. The Cardinals have scored one goal in each of the previous four matchups against the Arrows, playing two of those games at home and two on the road. Last season, the two teams met at Bishop Schmitt Field in a game where the Cardinals fell 3-1 in front of their home crowd.
After a scoreless first half, the Cardinals would be the first team on the board when Linda Obare found Kenadee Burgoyne for the lone goal of the day. Mikayla Yarwood started in net and made nine saves for the Cardinals on 11 shots faced as both teams had strong offensive attacks. Wheeling looks for a bounce back effort and their first ever win in the series this time around.
The Details
Kick-off for Thursday's game is scheduled for 4 PM on the campus of Ursuline College in Pepper Pike, Ohio. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
