Wheeling, W. Va. - Over their first two games of the Mountain East Conference (MEC) slate, the Wheeling University Women's Soccer team (2-3, 0-2) has had the opportunity to play in front of their home fans. On Wednesday, they will get their first taste of road MEC action when they head to South Euclid, Ohio to take on Notre Dame College. The Cardinals will be looking for their first MEC win of the season as they climb towards a top four spot in the MEC North Division.
Last time out, the Cardinals took on #25 Frostburg State and held their own against one of the top teams in the country. After allowing a goal in the game's first minute of play the Cardinals defense held strong for the final 44 minutes of the first half. They went into the locker room trailing 1-0 thanks to a strong effort from goalkeeper Olivia Kqira, who made 12 saves during the first half and gave her team an opportunity to come back. As they began the second half, the Bobcats got on the board in the 52nd minute, and the Cardinals would be looking for a response. They got one from freshman Nyah Smith in the 57th minute as the Cardinals cut the lead to 2-1. The Bobcats would get one more goal in the game's 60th minute, and it would bring the game to its eventual final score of 3-1.
The story of the afternoon was the work of goalkeeper Olivia Kqira, who set the single-game saves record with 18 saves on the afternoon. She made 12 of those saves in the first half, keeping one of the top teams in the country at bay. Kqira faced 21 shots on net throughout the night and finished with a save percentage of .857 for the afternoon. It was right in line with the strong effort the Cardinals have been getting from Kqira all season as she has produced an .816 save percentage in her first five games played this season. Kqira and fellow goalkeeper Sam Faulkner have both done a nice job in net this season, allowing just nine goals on 45 shots faced for a .795 save percentage. The defense has been a big part of the Cardinal's early season success, and they look to continue that success through the rest of their conference schedule.
On the offensive side of the ball, the lone goal scored during the past week came from freshman Nyah Smith, who has stepped up on the Cardinals front line. Since having to move Mary DiFonzo to defense for the injured Allison Cook, Smith has stepped up and took advantage of her lone scoring opportunity of the afternoon. She finished with just the one shot on the day, but was able to convert it for her third goal of the season. Smith is tied for the team lead with three goals, matching the effort by teammate Mary DiFonzo. After the Cardinals lost two of their top three goal scorers from a season ago, Smith has been a welcome addition to the offense and has helped add another dimension to DiFonzo and Talynn DeBartolo up front.
During the month of September, the Cardinals will see a lot of time on the road, with three straight road contests to close out the month. They are set to head into some hostile environments during that stretch, with Notre Dame College on Wednesday and then the first edition of "The Battle for Wheeling" on Sunday as they head to the Hilltop. In 2022, the Cardinals had success in conference play, going 4-4 in those eight games, including clinching their first spot in the MEC Tournament at West Liberty. The Cardinals look to continue their strong defensive effort away from Bishop Schmitt Field as they search for their first conference win of the season.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Falcons will be meeting for the 21st time in program history on Wednesday afternoon, with Notre Dame College leading the all-time series with a record of 18-2. The Cardinals are 1-9 in games played in South Euclid, Ohio, but have recently begun to see success in the season series. The two teams have split the season series in each of the last two seasons, and the Cardinals have won the first meeting of the year in each of the last two seasons and look to continue that success in 2023.
In their last meeting, it was Notre Dame College that came out on top as they earned a 3-0 victory against the Cardinals in Wheeling. Leading the way for the Cardinals was former Cardinal Braedynn Porter, who finished with a team-best five shots taken, three on goal, while Mary DiFonzo added three shots taken, putting three of those on goal. Sam Faulkner got the start in net for the Cardinals, making one save on two shots faced, while former Cardinal Mikayla Yarwood added seven saves on eight shots faced.
The Details
Kick-off for Wednesday afternoon's game is scheduled for 1 PM in South Euclid, Ohio. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
