Wheeling, W. Va. - At the end of their game against Concord on Sunday, the Wheeling University Men's Soccer team (0-4-1, 0-2-1) got their offense going with a late goal and a chance to win the game in the final two minutes. They look to keep that offensive momentum going on Wednesday as they head out on the road to face Notre Dame College with kick-off at 4 PM. It is the first of three straight road games for the team, following a stretch of three straight games where they got to play in front of the home crowd at Bishop Schmitt Field. 

On Sunday, the Cardinals battled Concord in a game that was a defensive battle throughout, with both defensive lines playing big. There wasn't a goal through the first 84 minutes of play, as both teams took a healthy amount of shots, but neither could find the net. Concord outshot Wheeling 11-6 during the first 45 minutes, but of the 17 total shots, only four found their way on net, three for Concord and one for Wheeling. In the second half, it was more of the same as the first eight shots of the half were wide of the mark. The Cardinals got the first shot on goal in the 66th minute, but It was Concord who would find the back of the net first, scoring in the 84th minute. Wheeling was looking for an answer, and got one a minute later when freshman Alvaro Ivanov sent a free kick that junior TJ Cherry headed into the top right corner to tie the game at 1-1. That was the final score of the afternoon as Wheeling ended with a draw to score their first point in the standings for the season.

Cherry is primarily the team's Centerback but, due to injuries, has had to move up an be a force on the offensive side of the ball. He is the team's leader so far this season, scoring two goals and already setting a career-best mark. He also sits second on the team with seven shots taken and shots on goal with three. Cherry nearly won the game in the 86th minute on another header off a free kick, but the shot went wide and the score would remain tied at 1-1. The Cardinals have had several golden scoring chances throughout the season, and finally converted when they needed it most. They look to use the late-game momentum to get their offense going as they try to grab one of the top four spots in the MEC heading towards the tournament.

The Cardinals defense was able to shine once again as they continued their trend of allowing two goals or fewer in the first half of games. Junior Carlos Molina got the start in net for the fourth time in the first six games this season and had a shutout going through the first 84 minutes. He made three saves in the game's first half as the defensive front line did a nice job of keeping him clean. He added two more saves in the second half and, despite allowing the one goal, had another strong showing. For the year, Molina has a .682 save percentage, which is around 100 points higher than where he sat before his injury in 2022. Molina has been able to keep his team in games this season, and looks to continue that success on the road.

The month of September will end with three straight road games for the Cardinals, as they head to some hostile environments. This week, they start the trip heading to Notre Dame College and West Liberty for the first edition of the "Battle for Wheeling"As they look for win number one in MEC play. Of their first three conference games two have been on the road and in total five of their first six conference games will come away from Bishop Schmidt Field. Wheeling looks to hang around top four in the conference while on the road so they can take advantage of a heavy conference home schedule in October. Last season, The Cardinals were 4-7 away from Bishop Schmitt Field including a 4-4 mark away from their home field. The Cardinals look to continue their road success as they begin this upcoming stretch.

The Matchup

The Cardinals and Falcons are meeting for the 23rd time in program history, with Notre Dame College leading the all-time series at 18-2-2. The Cardinals have never won in South Euclid, Ohio, going 0-8-1, but look to turn around their fortunes this time. The Cardinals are looking for their first win against the Falcons since 2018, looking to break a six-game losing streak.

Last time out, it was Notre Dame College who snuck by with the Cardinals falling 3-0. Richard Afolayanka and TJ Cherry each had a shot on goal in the game while Salem Mwelwa and Cole Congson each took a shot on the night. Austin Aaron got the start and didn't face a shot, while former Cardinal Flem Sandt made six saves on five shots faced.

The Details