Wheeling, W. Va. - As the season approaches its halfway point, the Wheeling University Women's Soccer team (4-4, 4-2) is riding high having won each of their last four games. The Cardinals bring that momentum with them into Bishop Schmitt Field for the first of back-to-back home games when they host Notre Dame College at 7 PM. It will be a rematch from the two teams' battle earlier in the season as the Cardinals look to sweep the Falcons and continue to ride high in conference play.
The Cardinals enter Wednesday's game having won each of their past four games to turn a 0-2 start in the Mountain East Conference (MEC) into a 4-2 record. They picked up a big win against Alderson Broaddus in their last game as they scored the game winning goal in the final three minutes to win 2-1. After both teams sat scoreless through the first 45 minutes of play, the Cardinals got the offense going in the second half. Linda Obare scored her second goal in as many games in the 51st minute off a corner kick from Mary DiFonzo. After the Battlers tied the game in the 58th minute, DiFonzo would come through again, this time scoring the game winning goal and giving Wheeling the 2-1 win.
DiFonzo has played a significant role in the Cardinals' offense as of late, and currently sits second on the team with three goals scored, all three coming in the last week. In 2021, DiFonzo was named to the MEC All-Freshman team for her work in the midfield. However, this season DiFonzo is getting more chances as a scorer and has already surpassed her total shots from last season with 30 through the first eight games of the year, with over half the season still in front of her, DiFonzo looks to continue to be a powerful force on offense, supplementing Wheeling's leading attackers.
On the defensive side, the chase is still on for the Women's Soccer career saves record, with Mikayla Yarwood sitting six saves away from the mark. Against Alderson Broaddus, the fifth-year senior had excellent work in front of her, as she only faced three shots throughout the night and made the save on two of those shots. Defenders Tayler Wells, Morgan Montani, and Caryn Goins played strong on the Cardinals back line as they worked to keep the ball out of the Battlers offensive zone. With over half the season still ahead, Yarwood will continue to work towards setting the record while helping her team win.
As things stand now, the Women's Soccer team is on the right track as they head down the stretch of the regular season. They are off to their best conference start since 2015, when they went 2-2-1 through the first five games, and are currently sitting second in the MEC North Division at 4-2 overall. They have a 2.5 game lead over Fairmont State and a three and a half game lead over Notre Dame College as they try to secure one of the top four spots in the Division. With that in mind, Wednesday's game is proving to be a big one for the team as they try and sweep the season series to gain an advantage on the Falcons.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Falcons are meeting for the 20th time in program history on Wednesday night and the second time this season. Notre Dame College leads the all-time series with a record of 17-2, but Wheeling has come on strong the last two seasons, winning two of the last three meetings between the two teams. The Cardinals first ever win against Notre Dame came at home last season and the Cardinals look to make it two-in-a-row over the Falcons at Bishop Schmitt Field.
In their first meeting of the season, Wheeling fell behind 2-0 early, but battled back with three unanswered goals to finish the night with a 3-2 win. Talynn DeBartolo scored the game winning goal in the victory and Kenadee Burgoyne and Braedynn Porter each added goals in the win. Mikayla Yarwood got the start in net and made five saves on seven shots faced.
The Details
Kick-off for Wednesday night's game is scheduled for 7 PM at Bishop Schmitt Field. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
