Wheeling, W. Va. – After falling out of the Mountain East Conference (MEC) Tournament race on Sunday, the Wheeling University Women's Soccer team (5-10-2, 2-9-2) returns home Wednesday to wrap up 2023. They honor their seniors in the second meeting of "The Battle for Wheeling" when they host West Liberty at 4 PM. Olivia Hoban, Zayna Hampton, and Tsigereda Mulugeta will all be honored in a pregame ceremony before the Wheeling rivalry match begins.
The Cardinals were fighting for their MEC Tournament lives on Sunday when they hosted Notre Dame College. Through the first 40 minutes of play, both offenses had trouble getting on the board as both defenses held strong. The Cardinals put three shots on net in the first 25 minutes, but it was Notre Dame College who scored the opening goal of the afternoon in the 40th minute. The Cardinals had a quick response in the 42nd minute as they entered halftime tied at 1-1. The Cardinal defense would remain stout throughout the second half, keeping it tied at 1-1 up until the 81st minute of the game. However, three unanswered Falcons goals would seal the game as Notre Dame College picked up a 4-1 win.
Despite the loss, it was another big showing for junior Mary DiFonzo as she continued to lead the Cardinal's offense. She scored the team's lone goal in the 42nd minute and nearly gave the Cardinals the lead in the 52nd minute with a shot that was saved. DiFonzo would finish the day with two shots, putting both on goal, to go along with her goal on the day. It was her eighth goal in the last five games as she continued her late season tear up front. DiFonzo enters Wednesday night's contest sitting second in the conference in goals this season while leading the conference with 60 shots. It has been a career year for the junior so far and she looks to end it on a high note at Bishop Schmitt Field.
The Cardinals have also gotten a lot of production out of goalkeeper Olivia Kqira, who is also having a career season. Before allowing the three goals over the final 10 minutes, Kqira had allowed one goal or less in three straight halves. She has 123 saves this season, and is leading the MEC in that category, while saving 76.9% of the shots she faced this season. In front of her, the Cardinals defense has dealt with some injuries but his plate strong throughout the year. The group consisting of Allison Cook, Tayler Wells, and Hampton only allowed 10 shots on gold throughout the afternoon out of the 25 shots taken by the Falcons. The Wheeling Defense looked the step up one more time to finish 2023 as they head into the offseason.
As they prepare for their final Game of the 2023 season, the Cardinals are getting to wrap up the year in front of their home fans. They have played well at home in their first eight games, posting a 3-5-1 record on their home turf as opposed to a 2-5-1 record when on the road. Their averaging 2.75 goals per game when they play at home this season, with each of their top two scoring efforts coming at Bishop Schmitt Field. Even though Wednesday's game does not have MEC Tournament implications, it will still be a big night as the Cardinals welcome in their rivals while honoring their seniors. They will look to end the year on a high note and send their seniors out with a win in their final "The Battle for Wheeling."
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Hilltoppers are meaning for the 23rd time and program history, and the second time in 2023. West Liberty leads the all-time series with a record of 13-7-2, but the Cardinals have had much more success at home in the all-time series. In 11 previous games at Bishop Schmitt Field, The Cardinals are 5-6 as compared to 2-7-2 on the hilltop. The Cardinals have won each of the last three decisions between the two teams but are coming off a tie earlier this season on the hilltop.
In that first meeting, Wheeling and West Liberty ended in a draw at 3-3. Three different Cardinals would get on the score sheet during the game with Mary DiFonzo, Talynn DeBartolo, and Medina Doka all scoring goals in the tie. Defensively, Olivia Kqira got to start in net and would make 10 saves on 13 shots face for a .769 safe percentage, which was right on par with her season average in 2023. Wheeling looks to win the season series On Wednesday and head into 2024 with momentum on their side.
The Details
Kick-off for Wednesday night's game is scheduled for 7:30 PM at Bishop Schmitt Field, with senior day ceremonies beginning around 6:45 PM. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with live stats by clicking HERE.
