Last time out, the Cardinals battled those same Bobcats in Frostburg, Maryland in what was a tightly contested defensive affair. Frostburg State would get on the board in the game's 10th minute, but from there the Cardinals would play shutdown defense for the rest of the afternoon. However, the offense had trouble finding their groove as they got off just one shot on the day, coming in the game's 19th minute. It would be the only scoring chance for the Cardinals on the day and the defense would have to stay locked down. The back line did it's job to keep some of the pressure off of their goalkeeper as of the 27 shots taken by the Bobcats, only 11 of them were on goal. However, the Cardinals would fall to the Bobcats by that same 1-0 score, setting up must win scenarios for each of the next two matches.
 

That big back line effort was led by Ally Cook, Caryn Goins, and Zayna Hampton with contributions from Tayler Wells and Morgan Montani. The fivesome was able to hold the Bobcats to a .037 shooting percentage on the day as well as a .407 shots on goal percentage. Behind them, goalkeeper Olivia Kqira also went to work, making 10 saves on 11 shots faced. She came up big when it counted most, making five saves in each half as she was able to keep her team in it throughout the day. She currently leads the MEC with 177 saves this season and enters play on Sunday with a .780 save percentage, setting a new career-high in both categories. She looks to continue her success in net and help lead her team to the MEC Tournament.
 

On the offensive side, the lone shot of the day for the Cardinals came courtesy of freshman Nyah Smith. She created the team's lone scoring opportunity of the day, as she brought the ball up the field. She took her shot to the bottom right corner of the net, but the save by Frostburg's Ashley Bilger kept the Cardinals off the board. Smith has been one of the Cardinal's most consistent shooters this season, and leads the team with both a .783 shot on goal percentage and a .261 shooting percentage on the season. She is also third on the team in both goals (6), assists (3), and points (15) as she has played a big role this season. Mary DiFonzo leads the team with 11 goals, and two hat tricks, this season and while she didn't get on the board against Frostburg looks to lead the offense down the stretch.
 

With just two regular season games to go, three of the four MEC North playoff spots are wrapped up. Frostburg State clinches the #1 seed with a win or a tie against West Liberty on Sunday and Notre Dame College and Fairmont State sit behind them as the #2 and #3 seeds. If the Cardinals can pull out a win on Sunday and Frostburg State clinches that number one seed, it will set up another win-or-go-home scenario for the final game of the regular season. In last year's tournament run, the Cardinals also clinched their postseason berth in the final regular season game against West Liberty, but this time they would have a chance to do it on their home field on senior day. Wheeling is hoping to get back into the tournament and fight for a chance at an MEC Championship.
 

The Matchup
 

The Cardinals and Falcons are meeting for the 22nd time in program history, with Notre Dame College leading the all-time series at 19-2. It is the second time the two teams have met this season as the script flips with the match moving to Bishop Schmitt Field, where the Cardinals are 1-10 all time against the Falcons. After losing 17 straight games against the Falcons to start the series, the Cardinals have battled back recently, going 2-3 over their last five games against Notre Dame College since the 2021 season, including a 1-1 record at home.
 

In their first meeting of the year, Notre Dame College would win a close battle in South Euclid, Ohio as Wheeling fell 2-1. Nyah Smith led the way for the Cardinals in that game, scoring the lone goal while taking two shots, one on goal. Mary DiFonzo added a four shot day, putting all four on net, while Talynn DeBartolo added four shots of her own. Olivia Kqira would get the start in net for the Cardinals and came through with seven saves on nine shots faced on the afternoon.
 

The Details
 

Kick-off for Sunday's game is scheduled for 1 PM at Bishop Schmitt Field. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.