Wheeling, W. Va. - The Wheeling University Women's Soccer team (0-4, 0-2) have battled hard this season in each of their first four games, but haven't been able to get into the win column. On Wednesday, they make the trip out to South Euclid, Ohio as they look for win number one when they take on Notre Dame College at 4 PM. It will be their second road game over the last three games as they try to get some momentum going on the road before returning to Bishop Schmitt Field.
Last time they took the field, the Cardinals took on Frostburg State in a game where they fell 5-0 and dropped to 0-2 in the early going of Mountain East Conference (MEC) play. In the first half, the Cardinals got off just one shot and Frostburg State controlled the time of possession. They scored three goals over that first 45 minutes, but goalkeeper Mikayla Yarwood kept her team in the game with four big saves in the half as the teams went into the locker room down 3-0. In the second half of the game, the Cardinals began to find more opportunities, and took seven shots, putting two of those on goal, while conceding just one goal. The game would end with Wheeling falling 5-0, and several of Wheeling's players seeing game action.
Despite the record, Mikayla Yarwood has had another solid season in net so far for the Cardinals, making 35 saves over her first four games. She is averaging just over eight saves per game so far this season and is quickly approaching Wheeling Women's Soccer history. Entering play on Wednesday night, the Cardinal's goalkeeper is just 23 saves away from tying the program career-saves record. The current record is 219 saves set by Tina Dengler ('05) who played in net for the Cardinals from 2001 to 2005. Yarwood is destined to break the record sometime this season as she continues to put her team in position to win games.
On the offensive side of the ball, Talynn DeBartolo and Mary DiFonzo stepped up from the midfield to assist in the Cardinals striking efforts. DiFonzo has been the Cardinals shot leader over the past two games and has taken at least two shots in each game. While she hasn't notched her first goal of the season, DiFonzo has been accurate with a shooting percentage of .700 in the first four games of the season. DeBartolo scored her first goal of the season in the game against Fairmont State last Wednesday and has taken at least two shots in three of the four games played this season.
As the Cardinals continue through their conference schedule, they have several more opportunities in front of them to get into the win column. This week, they take on two tough opponents, Notre Dame College on Wednesday, and Alderson Broaddus on Sunday. Wheeling and Alderson Broaddus are currently tied with a 0-2 conference record, while the Cardinals sit 1.5 games back of Notre Dame, who enters play 1-0-1 in MEC play. The Cardinals are looking to get some momentum on their side as they work towards earning one of the top four spots in the MEC North Division.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Falcons are meeting for the 19th time in program history, with Notre Dame College leading the all-time series at 17-1. The Cardinals picked up their first-ever win against the Falcons last season when they beat them 3-2 at home and will now be looking for their first-ever road win against the team. In their last meeting, it was a close contest with the Falcons coming out victorious with a 1-0 win.
In that game, Mary DiFonzo, and Kenadee Burgoyne each had big games, leading the offense with three shots taken and two shots on goal. Mikayla Yarwood played half the game in net and made one save on two shots faced and Rilei Levesque finished the game making two saves on two shots faced. The Cardinals look to get their offense going as they hit the road.
The Details
Kick-off for Saturday's game is scheduled for 4 PM at Mueller Field on the campus of Notre Dame College. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
