Bridgeport, W. Va. - Throughout the season, the Wheeling University Men's Soccer team (2-9-4, 1-7-3) has relied on strong defensive efforts to give them opportunities to win. On Wednesday afternoon, they flipped the script scoring a season-high five goals as they took down Salem 5-4 in non-conference play. For the Cardinals, it was the first time they have won two games in a row since October 8^th and 12^th of 2022, as they try to make a push towards the 2024 Mountain East Conference (MEC) Tournament.

Through the first 45 minutes of play, the teams played to a 1-1 tie, with both goals coming in the final 15 minutes of play. With both teams having broken through, they were looking to add on and Salem was the first to do it. They took the lead in the 57^th minute when Giancarlo Pardo scored to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead. The Cardinals would respond ten minutes later when a foul inside the Penalty box set up the Cardinals with a Penalty Kick opportunity. Sam Clark would be the one to take the shot, and he found the back of the net for his first goal of the season to tie the game at 2-2. This back and forth would continue throughout the second half, with Salem reclaiming the lead with a goal from Curto Gallego and they led 3-2 with 18 minutes to play.

Three minutes later, the Cardinals were ready to respond as they set up for a corner kick in the 74^th minute. Joergen Bjerkreim would take the kick and as the clock ticked to the 75^th minute, Andre Gerbaldo would take the pass. He headed it into the back of the net and the game would sit once again tied at 3-3. With under 10 minutes to play, the Cardinals would set up with another corner kick that would give them their first lead of the day. Andoni Oynesa would take the kick, and this time it was Bjerkreim that found the back of the net off the pass and the Cardinals held a 4-3 lead. In the 86^th minute, Salem would set up for a corner kick and they ended up tying the game as Josue Villegas put the Tigers back on the board to tie things at 4-4. Wheeling needed one final push and they would get it in the 88^th minute after an offside call gave them back the ball.

Wheeling would begin the push up the field and got the ball to Jordan Taylor in the midfield. Taylor would be able to make his move around a series of defenders and had an open shot chance. He would take it and picked up his third goal of the season to give the Cardinals a 5-4 lead. For Taylor, it moved him into the team lead for goals this season and was his first game-winning goal of the season. The Cardinals were able to hold the lead for the game's final minute and a half and would get their second win of the season to move to 2-9-4 overall. They look to continue this momentum into conference play as they find themselves alive and well in the MEC Tournament race.

Leading the way for the Cardinals was Sam Clark, who scored two of his team's five goals on the day, both coming on Penalty Kicks. It was Clark's first two goals of the season as he has brought a veteran presence to the Cardinals after taking his fifth year of eligibility. The Cardinal's three other goals were scored by three different players, with Jordan Taylor, Andrew Gerbaldo, and Joergen Bjerkreim each finding the scoresheet. Taylor moved into the team lead for goals this season with the effort, and brought his point total to 19 through 15 games. Bjerkreim would also pick up an assist on the day while Andoni Oynesa added an assist to round out the offense. Brayden Scott got his first start in net and picked up his first collegiate win, making four saves on eight shots faced on the day.

Through the game's first 32 minutes, it was business as usual for the Cardinals, with defense leading the way. Salem had the first shot opportunity of the night in the 16^th minute and a save by Scott kept the game scoreless. Salem would have the first four shot attempts of the day, putting two on goal with Scott making the save each time. The Tigers would break through on the scoreboard on their third shot of the day, when Abdul Kabbany made it a 1-0 game. Wheeling's first shot came from Taylor in the 33^rd minute, and the Cardinal offense went off taking the next five shots, with four landing on net. However, it would be their first Penalty Kick opportunity of the day that got them on the board as Sam Clark found the back of the net to tie the game at 1-1. That would be the score going into the second half as the teams began a wild second half of action.

The Wheeling University Men's Soccer team returns to action on Wednesday, October 30^th, when they host Frostburg State with kick-off at 7 PM.