Wheeling, W. Va. - Throughout the 2023 season the Wheeling University Men's Soccer team (0-7-1, 0-5-1) has been looking to get their offense going. On Wednesday night, they started taking their shots but it wasn't enough as they fell to Frostburg State 2-0 in front of their home crowd at Bishop Schmitt Field. The Cardinals out shot the Bobcats 18-6 in the game but they just couldn't find the back of the net as they drop to 0-5-1 in Mountain East Conference (MEC) play.

Over the game's first 45 minutes, the offensive opportunities were relatively even with Wheeling out shooting Frostburg State 7-5. However, it was Frostburg State that would take advantage of their early opportunities scoring the games first goal in the 5th minute. Carlos Quintero Rivas was the one to find the back of the net as the Bobcats took a 1-0 lead. The Cardinals would respond by taking four of the next five shots over the next 10 minutes of play with two of those shots landing on net. Cole Congson would be the one to put both of those shots on net as he tried to get his team the lead. Frostburg State would come back an added their second goal of the day in the 28th minute as Rivas once again found the net to make it 2-0 Frostburg State.

The Teams went into the locker room with that same 2-0 score standing as the Cardinals tried to get something going to find the back of the net. During the second half, the Cardinals would possess the ball for a majority of the time as they outshot Frostburg State 11-4 over the final 45 minutes. Jon-Michael Gordon and Kai Yoshikane each subbed in at the end of the first half and both would get the offense going in the second half. Gordon took the first shot of the half in the 45th minute, but it went wide of the net. Yoshikane would come back in the 49th minute and send a shot on net that was saved by Frostburg State goalkeeper Joel Assal. Assal was at it again three minutes later as Gordon came back with a shot on net that was once again saved to keep it a 2-0 game.

Of the 11 shots taken by the Cardinals in the second half, four of those went on net as the Cardinals tried to breakthrough. Along with Yoshikane and Gordon, freshman Johannes Haugerud would take the final two shots on net of the half in the 56th and 64th minutes. On the defensive side, Frostburg State took just four shots and a half but were efficient putting two of those on net. Goalkeeper Austin Aaron would step up to keep the Cardinals in it by saving both shots and keeping it a 2-0 game. In the end, the deficit was too much for the Cardinals to overcome as they fell 2-0 to wrap up the month of September.

Jon-Michael Gordon would leave the Cardinals on the day, taking four shots and putting one on goal in the losing effort. Gordon has been a spark off the bench for the team this season It has one goal in his eight games play this season. Cole Congson added five shots, putting two on goal, while Johannes Haugerud took three shots, putting two on net. Austin Aaron made his second start of the 2023 season, and the first since September 9th against the University of Findlay. He finished with three saves on five shots faced on the evening. Despite the loss, the Cardinals can be encouraged by the offenses ability to create shots in the second half as they look to build on that entering October.

The Wheeling University Men's Soccer team returns to action on Sunday, October 1st, when they take on Davis & Elkins with kickoff scheduled for 4 PM.