Wheeling, W. Va. - With the non-conference portion of the season in the rearview mirror, the Wheeling University Women's Soccer team (0-2, 0-0) now begins the push towards the Mountain East Conference (MEC) tournament. They open conference play on Wednesday night at Bishop Schmitt Field when they welcome in Fairmont State at 5 PM. The Cardinals are looking to build off their work in the first two games of the season as they try to make one of the top four spots in the MEC North Division and earn their first MEC tournament berth in program history.
Last time out, the Cardinals went on the road for the first time in 2022 when they took on Ursuline in non-conference action, falling 4-0. The Cardinals battled the Arrows throughout the night, getting the first shot off in both halves of the game but in the end they were outshot 24-7 and couldn't overcome Ursuline's offensive attack. However, at the end of the game, Head Coach Emmanuel Awotula got to use his bench depth for the final 10 minutes of the game, giving freshman some valuable time to get their feet wet against a tough non-conference opponent.
Despite the loss, goalkeeper Mikayla Yarwood put together another strong outing in net after having to deal with 11 shots on goal throughout the night. She made seven saves on those four shots and lowered her magic number to 40 saves away from the all-time program record. Through her first two games, Yarwood has averaged nine saves per game so far and is well on her way to becoming the Cardinals' all-time career saves leader. Following her was freshman goalkeeper Sam Faulkner, who played the game's final 7:30 in net. Faulkner faced just one shot on goal during that time and made her first collegiate save. The defense continues to work hard in the two games for the Cardinals as they back an offense that is finding their groove.
On the offensive side of the ball, Wheeling's two All-MEC honorees from a season ago are led the way with Mary DiFonzo and Kenadee Burgoyne both getting in on the action. DiFonzo, who made the All-MEC Freshman team last season, got the team's first shot of the game and finished with two shots, one on goal, throughout the night. Burgoyne equaled that effort with two shots, one on goal, as she leads the team in the early going with 10 shots. The Cardinals have been taking their shots, sitting third in the conference with 28, and are looking to convert those shots into more scoring opportunities for the offense.
With conference play getting set to begin Wednesday, the Cardinals begin their journey towards the MEC Tournament. With more teams than ever heading to this year's tournament, each game becomes that much more important throughout the year. In the annual MEC Preseason Poll, the Cardinals were picked #5 in the MEC North Division, which would put them just one spot out of a tournament position. With the goal of winning all their home games this season in mind, achieving that would put them in a great position to get into the playoffs. The Cardinals have an experienced team on their side that has showed they can compete and they look to get their offense going as they head into conference play.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Falcons are meeting for the 15th time in program history on Wednesday night, with Fairmont State leading the all-time matchup with a record of 9-4-1. The Cardinals will be looking for their first win against Fairmont State since the 2017 campaign as they welcome the Falcons into Bishop Schmitt Field. In their final meeting of last season, the Cardinals would fall to the Falcons in overtime 2-1 in a late October matchup.
In that most recent matchup, Braedynn Porter led the way with three shots, two on goal, and one goal throughout the day. Talynn DeBartolo added two shots to the ledger while a trio of Cardinals finished the day with one shot a piece. Mikayla Yarwood had a busy day in net that night, making 12 saves on 14 shots faced throughout the afternoon.
The Details
Kick-off for Wednesday night's game is scheduled for 5 PM at Bishop Schmitt Field. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
